No progress on Open Skies ...
Interesting this, because with all the kerfuffle about EI and FR, the minister saw fit not to say anything about this publicly; the fact is that his trip to Europe last week to try and get progress on US access and approval for direct negotiations with the US wasn't successful. Here's the PQ ...
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*To ask the Minister for Transport the status of the transitional
Ireland US aviation agreement and the EU US Open Skies talks; if these
matters were discussed at the recent Council of Ministers meeting; the
outcome of these talks; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
- Olivia
Mitchell.
* For WRITTEN answer on Tuesday, 17th October, 2006.
Ref No: 33284/06
Answered by the Minister for
Transport
(Martin
Cullen)
REPLY
I can confirm that the EU US Open Skies deal was discussed at the
Transport Council on 12 October 2006. The Council underlined the
importance it attaches to the conclusion of the EU US air
transport agreement. It reaffirmed its unanimous satisfaction with the
text of the draft agreement negotiated in November 2005 but
regretted the further delay in the US position on the ownership and
control issue.
The Council requested the Commission to continue its efforts, on the
basis of further contacts with the United States to secure a
satisfactory and balanced outcome with the necessary safeguards,
including the transitional provisions, with a view to a decision at
the December Transport Council.
This would fulfill the commitments set out in the conclusion of the
June
2006 EU US Summit in which both parties reaffirmed the commitment to
reach agreement by the end of the year.
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That's all well and good, if it happens by year end - which many observers think is unlikely. BA, of course, is anxious to delay and obstruct the process as much as possible, since it clearly doesn't want more competition on t/a routes out of LHR. That said, how would it have POSSIBLY affected the EU, any airline competitors and indeed, the resolution of sticking points over EU/US Open Skies, if Ireland was given the go ahead to move ahead to relax the stopover, as last November's deal anticipated?
If the O/S deal doesn't go ahead by the end of the year, there's not going to be a lot of time for EI to adjust, particularly with schedules for two new acft to plan, and indeed other long haul routes to market and schedule, if it can't expand in the US. Really, we should have insisted on getting this last week.