Activites

• 2004/01/09 Additional information
• 2000/06/09 End of procedure in Parliament
• #2142
• 1998/11/30 Council Meeting
  • 2142
• 1998/10/14 Modified legislative proposal published
  • COM(1998)0597 summary

    In its re-examined proposal following the opinion at second reading of the European Parliament, the Commission decided to take up all the amendments adopted by Parliament. These were amendments seeking to: - provide for controls for all aircraft suspected of non-compliance with international safety standards landing at any airport open to international traffic; - protect the safety information to avoid a drying up of the sources of information and giving the public the information on the safety of air carriers; - adopt measures vis-à-vis third countries or third country operators found non-compliant with international safety standards. �

• 1998/09/15 Decision by Parliament, 2nd reading
  • T4-0466/1998 summary

    Adopting the recommendation for second reading by Mr Antonio GONZALEZ TRIVINO (ARE, E) on the common position establishing a safety assessment of third country aircraft using Community airports, the European Parliament called for the public to be informed of the safety problems of third country aircraft and airline companies. Parliament proposed a set of basic amendments which the European Commission could adopt and which the Council could then adopt by qualified majority. The following amendments were adopted: a) each Member State should publish half-yearly information on the following: - the number of aircraft grounded, stating the type of aircraft, the number and country of the operator, the reason for grounding, the airport and date of grounding and any corrective measures notified as a consequence of the grounding; - the type of aircraft, the state of registration and the name and country of the operators whose aircraft has been detained more than once during the past 24 months, the reasons for grounding, the airport and the date of grounding and any corrective measures notified; - a list of airports open to international traffic, the number of ramp inspections carried out and the number of movements of third country aircraft at each airport on the list; - the number of ramp inspections communicated. b) the Commission may decide on the release of supplementary information to third parties such as safety and air passenger associations if it is deemed to be in the interest of air safety; c) the European Commission should identify the Community-wide implications of the safety hazard of a third country aircraft and propose any Community measures deemed necessary.�

• 1998/09/14 Debate in Parliament
• 1998/09/02 Vote in committee, 2nd reading
  • A4-0295/1998
• 1998/06/18 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 2nd reading
• #2102
• 1998/06/04 Council Meeting
  • 08387/1/1998 summary

    The common position incorporates, in whole or in part, 10 of the 15 amendments adopted by the European Parliament at first reading. In addition, the Council makes certain amendments to the Commission proposal. The scope of the common position is restricted to third-country aircraft, i.e. aircraft not used or operated under the control of a competent authority of a Member State, with the proviso that aircraft registered in the Community must comply not only with the relevant international safety rules but also with the stricter standards laid down in Regulation (EEC) No 3922/91. To ensure the strictest possible compliance with international safety standards by third-country aircraft, the common position provides for a system to gather and exchange all relevant information, while ensuring that the information gathered is adequately protected. It requires Member States to introduce a system for carrying out ramp inspections on third- country aircraft suspected of non-compliance with the appropriate safety standards; these must be carried out under a standardised procedure. Where a ramp inspection reveals non-compliance with international safety standards which is clearly hazardous to safety, the aircraft is to be grounded and must not leave the airport until the risk has been remedied. In cooperation with a committee of representatives of the Member States, the Commission may adopt appropriate measures to facilitate the implementation of the provisions on data gathering and exchange and the performance of ramp inspections. Under the same procedure, one or more operators of a given third country may be subjected to inspections or other surveillance measures. The committee must also exchange information on the decisions taken by the various Member States to ban one or more operators of a given third country from flying from their airports, or to impose conditions on such flights. On the basis of this exchange of information, the committee is to examine the measures which the Member States deem necessary. The common position contains a revision clause, calling on the Commission to draw up a report, if appropriate accompanied by proposals for revision of the Directive, within two years of its entry into force. �

• 1998/03/04 Modified legislative proposal published
  • COM(1998)0123 summary

    The Commission's amended proposal takes over almost all the amendments adopted by Parliament where they are consistent with the purpose of the proposed measures, namely to contribute to the improvement of air safety: - by inspecting third countries aircraft whenever there is a suspicion that they are not operating in accordance with international safety standards, - by collecting and disseminating information relating to shortcomings, so that sufficient evidence can be established to decide on measures required to ensure the safety of passengers, - by providing for measures to rectify identified shortcomings. These amendments are essentially intended to specify a number of details in the proposed provisions and the categories of aircraft which should be subject to ramp inspections, to publish information on the results of these inspections and to provide for the drawing-up by the Commission of a report on the operation of the Directive, possibly accompanied by proposals for revising it. The Commission could not, however, accept the amendment calling for the deletion of one article in the proposal which provides for the imposition by the Member States of penalties for breaches of national provisions adopted pursuant to the directive. �

• 1997/11/19 Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
  • T4-0551/1997 summary

    In adopting the report by Mr Antonio GONZALEZ TRIVINO (ARE, E), the European Parliament has approved, subject to certain amendments, the proposal for a safety assessment of third countries' aircraft using Community airports. Through its amendments, Parliament calls for inspections covering such aircraft, their operation and their equipment and for the measures adopted as a result of these inspections also to take account of the safety of persons on the ground. It wants consideration to be given to important safety information accessible through users and residents of areas near airports. In order to provide an effective deterrent, Parliament calls for the competent authorities to carry out ramp inspections on any aircraft which: - shows signs of poor maintenance condition or obvious damage or defect, or where information has been received that this is the case; - has already been subjected to a previous ramp inspection which has revealed deficiencies giving rise to serious concerns that the aircraft does not comply with international standards; - where there is evidence that the competent authorities of the country of registration may not be exercising proper safety oversight; - where safety information collected gives cause for concern about the operator; Parliament also calls for: - Member States to make provision for the exchange of information and cooperation between their competent authorities, the competent authorities of all other Member States and the Commission; - Member States to establish appropriate procedures for appeals against grounding decisions; - the operator and the competent authorities of the operator's country and of the State where the aircraft is registered to be informed in writing if an aircraft is grounded; - each competent public authority to publish, at least quarterly, information (accessible to the public) concerning aircraft which have been grounded, including details of all aircraft, operators, countries of operators and States of registration whose aircraft have been detained more than once during the past 24 months. Finally, Parliament calls on the Commission to draw up an information and revision report no later than two years after the Directive enters into force. �

• 1997/11/18 Debate in Parliament
• 1997/10/29 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
  • A4-0335/1997
• #2016
• 1997/06/18 Council Meeting
  • 2016
• 1997/04/07 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
• 1997/02/17 Legislative proposal published
  • COM(1997)0055 summary

    OBJECTIVE: To contribute to the improvement of air safety by checking the safety of third countries' aircraft using Community airports. SUBSTANCE: The proposal for a directive applies to third countries' aircraft landing at Community airports, apart from State aircraft and aircraft not engaged in commercial air transport. The proposal requires Member States: - to carry out ramp inspections on aircraft suspected of non-compliance with international safety standards: the broad lines of the procedure to be followed appears in an annex containing a standard report form, with the details left up to the discretion of the Member States - to ground dangerous aircraft: the measures to be taken to ensure that an aircraft is grounded are set out in detail, while recognizing the right of appeal of affected operators. The proposal also permits the Commission to address the problems which may have surfaced after the assessment procedure has been applied and a safety hazard has been identified. It gives various possible levels of response according to the severity of the hazard. The proposal also sets out: - all the information which the Member States will collect in order to facilitate the assessment of aircraft, including information that will generally be available on aircraft or operators when an abnormal situation arises, information concerning ramp inspections, follow-up information following initial ramp inspections, and information from sources other than the competent authorities; - how this information should be exchanged to ensure Community-wide coverage for the whole system. Provisions are also made to protect sources of information, and in particular the voluntary contribution of crew of the inspected aircraft. �

Documents

• Legislative proposal published: COM(1997)0055
• Debate in Council: 2016
• Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading: A4-0335/1997
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T4-0551/1997
• Modified legislative proposal published: COM(1998)0123
• Council position published: 08387/1/1998
• Committee recommendation tabled for plenary, 2nd reading: A4-0295/1998
• Decision by Parliament, 2nd reading: T4-0466/1998
• Modified legislative proposal published: COM(1998)0597
• Debate in Council: 2142

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)