Activites

• 2002/12/30 Final act published in Official Journal
  • Regulation 2002/2320
  • OJ L 355 30.12.2002, p. 0001-0022
• 2002/12/16 Final act signed
• 2002/12/16 End of procedure in Parliament
• #2473
• 2002/12/09 Council Meeting
• 2002/12/05 Decision by Parliament, 3rd reading
  • T5-0584/2002 summary

    The European Parliament, with the agreement of the rapporteur Jacqueline FOSTER (EPP-ED, UK) approved the joint text and drew attention to the statement on the text.�

• 2002/11/14 Joint text approved by Conciliation Committee co-chairs
  • 3660/2002
• #2460
• 2002/11/05 Council Meeting
• 2002/10/24 Report tabled for plenary, 3rd reading
  • A5-0402/2002
• 2002/10/24 Final decision by Conciliation Committee
• 2002/09/19 Formal meeting of Conciliation Committee
• 2002/08/02 Parliament's amendments rejected by Council
• 2002/05/14 Decision by Parliament, 2nd reading
  • T5-0217/2002 summary

    The European Parliament adopted the report by Jacqueline FOSTER (EPP-ED, United Kingdom) and backed amendments retabled from its first reading to ensure that operators will not pay the costs of additional security. (Please refer to the document dated 18/04/02.) Parliament stated that effective, uniform application of security measures will entail substantial costs for all operators. If implementation of the Regulation is found to jeopardise the survival of airports, the cost of additional security measures could be met in the short term by public authorities. Both users of air transport and the air transport sector should in the medium term contribute to the ensuing costs. The financing of the cost of additional security measures should not lead to the distortion of competition between operators and between airports. Member States must adopt a clear, coordinated approach towards financial compensation. Amongst the technical amendments adopted was one stating that air carriers must ensure that any co-mail or co-mat shipment made on behalf of the carrier by a contract organisation such as catering equipment or cleaning supplies, are inspected prior to loading on board an aircraft. Articles considered dangerous or hazardous should not be permitted on board as co-mail or co-mat.�

• 2002/05/13 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament
• 2002/04/18 Vote in committee, 2nd reading
  • A5-0134/2002
• #X016
• 2002/03/25 Council Meeting
• 2002/02/06 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 2nd reading
• #2406
• 2002/01/28 Council Meeting
  • 15029/4/2001 summary

    In its common position adopted unanimously, the Council accepts the 2 amendments rejected by the Commission, while rejecting 10 amendments that the Commission had accepted, albeit that the Commission gave its agreement in principle to some of these amendments. The Council agrees to 2 amendments agreed by the Commission. The 2 rejected amendments concern the transposition by reference of standards produced by an external organisation (ECAC) and the deletion of a Community control mechanism aimed at verifying that more stringent measures adopted by Member States remain proportionate and do not affect the proper functioning of the internal market. The 10 amendments rejected by the Council and previously accepted by the Commission may be placed into 4 groups: 1) where they raise the important issue of public financing of security measures; 2) where they refer to current budgetary practice; 3) where the Council had modified the text of the original proposal in a way that largely responds to Parliament's amendment; 4) amendments which seek to enhance the effectiveness of security measures in general. Furthermore, in its common position, the Council does not accept 12 amendments proposed by the European Parliament. These are as follows: - including a reference to the financing of additional security measures; - the confidentiality aspects included in a new Article "Dissemination of information"; - unannounced inspections; - third-country dimensions; - the reference of standards produced by an external organisation (ECAC); - Community control mechanisms aimed at verifying that more stringent measures adopted by Member States remain appropriate and do not affect the functioning of the internal market. In addition, the Annex to the common position contains common basic standards on air security measures. In the Commission proposal, the standards were similar to those in ECAC Document 30. It was proposed that, at a later date, a committee procedure could be used to bring the standards into line with the Community's current needs. The Council felt that a committee procedure would considerably delay the introduction of measures that were required urgently. it therefore instructed the ad hoc multi-disciplinary Working Party set up following the extraordinary Council on 14 September 2001 to start work at once on bringing the standards into line with current requirements. �

• 2001/11/29 Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
  • T5-0628/2001 summary

    In approving the report by Mrs Jacqueline FOSTER (EPP-ED, UK) by 398 to 100 with 21 abstentions, the European Parliament adopted numerous amendments. A majority of MEPs did not agree with the Transport Committee that the costs of security in civil aviation should be borne by the Member States. It was pointed out that is was essential that both users of air transport and the air transport sector would, in the medium term, have to contribute to the ensuing costs. MEPs felt that the financing of the cost of certain additional air security measures might not lead to distortion of competition between operators and between airports. It was therefore necessary that Member States adopted, in close cooperation with the Commission, a clear, coordinated approach towards financial compensation. If implementation of this Regulation was found seriously to jeopardise the survival of airports, the cost of certain additional air security measures could be met in the short term by public authorities. But this financial compensation could only be granted on a one-off basis and could not be greater than the level of investment committed pursuant to this Regulation. An amendment was also passed, calling on the Commission to submit, within six months of entry in to force of the Regulation, proposals to introduce uniform arrangements in the Member States for the financing of security measures in order to avoid any distortion of competition between operators and Member States within the Community. Parliament also adopted an amendment that specifically recognised the role of the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) regarding common standards for security measures at airports and the technical equipment used for aviation security. Another amendment was adopted demanding that checks on airports by EU inspection teams should be unannounced. It should also be added that it is proposed that the Commission develop a mechanism to assess, together with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and ECAC, whether third-country airports meet the essential security requirements. Finally, Parliament called for measures of an administrative nature to be implemented immediately. Where measures might require changes to airport infrastructure, immediate implementation would not be practicable but implementation should apply six months after entry into force of this regulation.�

• 2001/11/28 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament
• 2001/11/21 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
  • A5-0415/2001
• 2001/10/25 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
• #2374
• 2001/10/15 Council Meeting
  • 2374
• 2001/10/10 Legislative proposal published
  • COM(2001)0575 summary

    PURPOSE : to establish common rules in the field of civil aviation security. CONTENT : in light of the 11 September attacks in the USA, air transport must respond to the threat which it may face as a symbol of freedom of movement and trade in order to restore public confidence and to help keep businesses operating. It is against this background to this decision, taken the day after the attacks by the Heads of State and Government, the President of the European Parliament, the President of the Commission and the High Representative responsible for the common foreign and security policy, the European Union must take urgent decisions to respond to the new challenges facing it. For its part, the Council asked the Ministers of Transport to evaluate the measures taken to ensure air transport security and any additional measures which should be taken. As requested by the European Council on 21 September 2001, the Community will therefore give itself to ensure civil aviation security through the following rules. The common measures will be based on the rules set out in Document 30 of the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) and will aim at the increased control of both international and domestic flights. They will chiefly be concerned with: - control of access to sensitive areas of airports and aircraft; - control of passengers and their hand luggage; - control of monitoring of hold luggage; - training of ground staff; - definition of specifications for the quipment for the above controls; - classification of weapons and other items which it is prohibited to bring on to aircraft or into the sensitive areas of airports. There may be exceptional cases, however, where the common measures are not fully suitable for dealing with a particular threat on certain flights. The Member States must therefore be able to take additional measures to deal with such events. It should be pointed out that the Community can only legislate for the territory for which it is competent. It therefore cannot impose measures to be taken in third country airports for flights which land at Community airports or overfly the Member States. It will therefore be necessary to establish bilateral and multilateral arrangements necessary to guarantee civil aviation security throughout the world. Lastly, the Commission will immediately set up a peer review of the effective and uniform application of air security measures. It will also propose measures to ensure the protection of European Union citizens throughout the world by means of appropriate bilateral or multilateral arrangements.�

  • DG ['Energy and Transport'],

Documents

• Legislative proposal published: COM(2001)0575
• Debate in Council: 2374
• Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading: A5-0415/2001
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T5-0628/2001
• Council position published: 15029/4/2001
• Committee recommendation tabled for plenary, 2nd reading: A5-0134/2002
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 2nd reading: T5-0217/2002
• Report tabled for plenary, 3rd reading: A5-0402/2002
• Joint text approved by Conciliation Committee co-chairs: 3660/2002
• Decision by Parliament, 3rd reading: T5-0584/2002
• : Regulation 2002/2320
• : OJ L 355 30.12.2002, p. 0001-0022

History

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