EU Commission closer to court action against Germany!

[White Cap]

From Reuters:-

EU Presses States On Open Skies Pacts
December 14, 2004

The European Commission has come one step closer to court action against Germany, Finland, Italy and Portugal over the bilateral "open skies" aviation agreements the EU member states have with foreign countries.

The European Union executive on Tuesday said it sent "reasoned opinions" to the four countries about the pacts -- the last step before taking them to the European Court of Justice.

The EU's top court has ruled bilateral aviation accords breach the bloc's single market rules. In July the Commission raised the pressure on high-profile US talks for an EU-wide open skies agreement by launching legal action to force EU countries with individual bilateral pacts to tear them up.

Open skies accords generally allow carriers to fly between countries with unrestricted access to national airports. After the court decision, the Commission has championed the concept of a European carrier over national ones to give EU airlines similar access to international aviation markets.

On Tuesday it said four states had discriminatory bilateral agreements with third countries -- Germany with Russia; Finland with Thailand and Russia; Portugal with Brazil; and Italy with India, Singapore, China and Algeria, a spokesman said.

Following the 2002 court decision, the Commission has said that roughly 2000 agreements had to be changed to comply with EU laws.

"The Commission has found that the above four Member States have entered into new commitments with some of their partners outside the EU," it said in a statement.

"By doing this, they are in breach of European law and in contravention of the internal market in aviation, in particular the principle of non-discrimination between European air carriers."

(Reuters)

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