JOINT EU-US STUDY ON AVIATION SECTOR.

Transport Europe, April, 2008

The European Commission announced, on 18 March, the launch of a joint study with the US Department of Transportation (DOT) on airline alliances, with the aim of harmonising their competition policies for this sector. The study aims to improve understanding of the transatlantic aviation services and to promote compatibility of EU and US approaches to competition issues, specifies the Commission.

A final report will be published in mid-2009, on the basis of interviews with airlines, travel agents, industry analysts and consumer groups. This project is justified by the coming into force, in late March, of the so-called Open Sky agreement between the EU and the USA. Further information is available at www.dot.gova