EU takes a firm stand on US air treaties

Airline Industry Information, July 21, 2004

AIRLINE INDUSTRY INFORMATION-(C)1997-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

The European Union has allegedly attempted to put pressure on the United States over a new 'open skies' agreement by asking member states to renounce all air treaties they hold with the US.

The European Commission filed a lawsuit against the Netherlands in the European Court of Justice and started formal proceeding against France, Italy and Portugal in an attempt to bring them into line with a 2002 ruling that declared the air treaties the countries have with the US illegal.

EU commissioners also sent written warnings to Britain and Germany over their failure to comply as the Union pushes for an EU-wide open skies agreement with the US. Negotiations which would see European and US carriers have equal access to both EU and US destinations have stalled several times.

Currently European airlines cannot fly to many US destinations while US airlines have arrangements with individual EU states giving them greater freedom in choosing destinations, reports The Associated Press.

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