- Title: BELGIUM: EUROPEAN UNION PLAN TO ISSUE EU-WIDE AIRLINE BLACK LIST
- Date: 7th September 2005
- Summary: (W4) BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (SEPTEMBER 7, 2005) (REUTERS) PAN EXTERIOR EUROPEAN UNION (EU) BUILDING WHERE NEWS CONFERENCE ON AIR SAFETY TAKING PLACE CU EU FLAG SV EU COMMISSION AIR TRANSPORT DIRECTOR, DANIEL CALLEJA, SITTING AT NEWS CONFERENCE SV OF REPORTERS MCU (English) EU COMMISSION AIR TRANSPORT DIRECTOR, DANIEL CALLEJA SAYING: "You have to understand that this work is being done in parallel with the work that is taking place in the European parliament and the work that is going to betaken in the council with a view that at the end of the year under the UK presidency we can have a regulation adopted and immediately after that we can publish the list of carriers that are banned throughout the community" SLV REPORTERS LISTENING MCU (French) CALLEJA SAYING: "In a normal case, if there is an aircraft which poses problems, inspections are carried out and if there are serious defects then the plane is grounded. When we see that there are a series of serious and repetitive defects, that there is lack of cooperation and responsiveness, that there are no corrections.. then, its not an issue affecting the aircraft its an issue affecting the company and at that stage we can start the procedure, in order to have not just a national ban, since at the national level, its up to the state to take the appropriate measures, but a European level 8. MORE OF REPORTERS MCU REPORTERS LISTENING SLV END OF NEWS CONFERENCE (W4)BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (SEPTEMBER 7, 2005) (REUTERS) CU HEADLINE FROM FRENCH LIBERATION NEWSPAPER READING 'THE HUNT FOR RUBBISH AIRLINES' SHOWING REMAINS OF PLANE WHICH CRASHED IN INDONESIA ON SEPTEMBER 5 CU VARIOUS OF NEWSPAPER REPORT ON INDONESIAN AIRCRASH (W4)BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (FILE) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF MAINTENANCE STAFF WORKING WITH THE AIRPLANE WHEELS (2 SHOTS) TV ONUR AIR PLANE ON TARMAC, AIRLINE WHICH WAS PREVIOUSLY BLACK LISTED BY THE NETHERLANDS/ THE RESTRICTIONS WERE LATER LIFTED VARIOUS OF PLANES ON TARMAC (2 SHOTS) CU EXTERIOR CONTROL TOWER SV PEOPLE INSIDE THE CONTROL TOWER CU COMPUTER SCREENS INSIDE CONTROL TOWER (2 SHOTS) LV PLANE TAKING OFF
- Embargoed: 22nd September 2005 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
- Country: Belgium
- Topics: Accidents,General
- Reuters ID: LVA4JVX44GQB4KE1HDQAPT8QQBO2
- Story Text: EU plans to issue EU-wide airlines black list.
European Union member states gave their initial
backing on Wednesday (September 7, 2005) to a proposal that would
generate an EU-wide blacklist of unsafe airlines, handing
the power to the EU Commission to ban carriers from EU
airspace.
Aviation experts from the EU's 25 countries agreed to
give the EU's executive Commission the authority to publish a list
that
would ban carriers from operating within the
entire bloc, based on a consultation process with the
member nations.
EU Transport Commissioner Daniel Calleja said talks
ended with a consensus towards establishing a list of
companies which are restricted or suspended from operating
their aircraft to, from, or over Europe.
"You have to understand that this work is being done
in parallel with the work that is taking place in the
European parliament and the work that is going to betaken
in the council with a view that at the end of the year
under the UK presidency we can have a regulation adopted
and immediately after that we can publish the list of
carriers that are banned throughout the community," Calleja
said.
The meeting of EU aviation experts came after a series
of recent deadly air crashes highlighted the different
rules or safety standards among EU members.
The EU executive Commission has proposed legislation to
boost aviation security, including the creation of a common
blacklist of airlines that are deemed insecure.
The European Parliament wants that list to effectively
be an EU-wide ban, and the Commission has said common
criteria are necessary to make up such a list. The experts
discussed common criteria on Wednesday.
"In a normal case, if there is an aircraft which poses
problems, inspections are carried out and if there are
serious defects then the plane is grounded. When we see
that there are a series of serious and repetitive defects,
that there is lack of cooperation and responsiveness, that
there are no corrections.. then, its not an issue affecting
the aircraft its an issue affecting the company and at that
stage we can start the procedure, in order to have not just
a national ban, since at the national level, its up to the
state to take the appropriate measures, but a European
level," Calleja said.
Commission transport spokesman Stefaan de Rynck said
the measures could be in place by early next year. The
European Parliament is scheduled to vote on them in
November and a meeting of EU transport ministers would
follow that.
Switzerland, Iceland, Norway, Romania and Bulgaria also
participated in the meeting.
The European Union wants the list to be made available
to the public so passengers would know the identity of the
unreliable airlines before choosing to board them.
The debate comes a few weeks after an aircraft crashed
in Greece killing 121 people last month. The Times
newspaper reported that a British engineer cleared the
aircraft for take-off after being unable to find the cause
of a fault reported by the crew who had flown the jet from
London to Cyprus on its penultimate journey.
He is also believed to be the last person to have had
radio contact with the aircraft's German pilot, who had
reported an air-conditioning problem seven minutes after
take-off from Cyprus. The aircraft was bound for Prague via
Athens.
Investigators believe that the pilot and co-pilot lost
consciousness, possibly after the air pressure system and
back-up oxygen supply failed. The aircraft flew on
autopilot for almost three hours before running out of fuel
and crashing into a hill north of Athens. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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