Tag: open skies

European and American airlines are now allowed to serve airports on either side of the Atlantic following the entry into force yesterday (30 March) of the Open Skies agreement. Meanwhile, Europe's enlarged Schengen area became applicable to airports.

After more than four years of negotiations, the EU and the US have agreed on a deal that should throw open transatlantic air travel to more competition in a move which the Commission says could create 80,000 jobs and generate €12 billion in economic benefits. But European operators will be seeking further concessions from the US in the next few years after it refused to ease its stringent ownership and investment rules.

US-EU negotiations on liberalising air traffic between the two blocs are disrupted following a decision by the Bush administration to maintain quotas of US citizens on the boards of American air carriers. 

Negotiators have reached an agreement to remove restrictions on transatlantic flights. But the deal, which still needs approval from EU transport ministers, is conditional on a better US offer over airline ownership.

Transport Commissioner Jacques Barrot has asked authorisation from EU member states to start negotiations for "ambitious air agreements with China and Russia" as a first step in a strategy to open up global markets for EU air carriers.

Dutch Transport minister Karla Peijs will inaugurate her Presidency of the Transport Council with a focus on the future of the air transport sector and the development of inland shipping.

The EU is negotiating the right for its citizens to own the majority of stocks in US air carriers and for EU carriers to fly internal US routes in the forthcoming EU-US open skies agreement.

EU and US negotiators are positive about concluding a comprehensive open skies agreement after their second round of negotiations ended last week.

On 2 September , MEPs agreed to grant power to the Commission for the negotiation of air services agreements between Member States and third countries.

On 5 June, the Transport Council gave a mandate to the Commission to negotiate an "open skies" agreement between the EU and the US.