PURPOSE: to conclude a Protocol amending the Agreement between the European Community and the Kingdom of Morocco on certain aspects of air services, in order to take account of the accession to the European Union of the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania.

LEGISLATIVE ACT: Council Decision 2008/275/EC on the conclusion of a Protocol amending Annexes I and II to the Agreement between the European Community and the Kingdom of Morocco on certain aspects of air services, in order to take account of the accession to the European Union of the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania.

CONTENT: following the judgments of the Court of Justice in the “Open Skies” cases, on 5 June 2003 the Council granted the Commission a mandate to open negotiations with third countries on the replacement of certain provisions in existing Agreements by a Community Agreement (the “horizontal mandate”). The objectives of such Agreements are to give all Community air carriers non-discriminatory access to routes between the Community and third countries, and to bring bilateral Air Service Agreements between Member States and third countries into line with Community law.

The European Community and Morocco signed a horizontal Air Service Agreement which amends certain provisions of the bilateral Aviation Agreements between the Member States and Morocco (see CNS/2005/0161 ).

This Decision aims to bring this Agreement into line with the fact that Bulgaria and Romania have joined the Community. It specifically aims to meet this objective by incorporating, into the horizontal agreements, the necessary technical and linguistic adaptations of the Agreement for the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the European Union. The corresponding provisions will be added to the Annex of the Agreement concluded between Morocco and the European Community.

The European Parliament adopted a resolution drafted by Paolo COSTA (ALDE, IT) approving the proposal for a Council decision on the conclusion of a Protocol amending the Agreement between the European Community and Morocco on certain aspects of air services in order to take account of the accession to the EU of Bulgaria and Romania.

The Committee on Transport and Tourism adopted the report by Paolo COSTA (ALDE, IT) approving without amendment - under the consultation procedure - the proposal for a Council decision on the conclusion of a Protocol amending the Agreement between the European Community and the Kingdom of Morocco on certain aspects of air services in order to take account of the accession to the European Union of the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania.

PURPOSE: to conclude a Protocol amending the Agreement between the Community and Morocco on certain aspects of air services to take account of Bulgaria and Romania acceding to the EU.

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision

BACKGROUND: the Community and Morocco signed a horizontal Air Service Agreement in 2006, which amends certain provisions of the Aviation Agreements between the EU’s Member States and Morocco, largely in response to a 2003 ECJ judgement in the “Open Skies” cases. (See CNS/2005/0161 ). Bulgaria and Romania, who became EU Members in January 2007, already had separate aviation agreements with the Kingdom of Morocco signed in 1966 and 1971 respectively.

CONTENT: the purpose of this proposal is to bring the Bulgarian and Romanian Agreements into line with Community law and to enable these two new Member States to become parties to the horizontal EC-Morocco Air Service Agreement. In order to do so the Annexes to the EU-Morocco Air Agreement will need to be revised. Once adopted the amended Agreement and Protocol will supersede existing provisions in the bilateral Aviation Agreements concluded between the Republic of Bulgaria, Romania and Morocco.

PURPOSE: to conclude a Protocol amending the Agreement between the Community and Morocco on certain aspects of air services to take account of Bulgaria and Romania acceding to the EU.

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision

BACKGROUND: the Community and Morocco signed a horizontal Air Service Agreement in 2006, which amends certain provisions of the Aviation Agreements between the EU’s Member States and Morocco, largely in response to a 2003 ECJ judgement in the “Open Skies” cases. (See CNS/2005/0161 ). Bulgaria and Romania, who became EU Members in January 2007, already had separate aviation agreements with the Kingdom of Morocco signed in 1966 and 1971 respectively.

CONTENT: the purpose of this proposal is to bring the Bulgarian and Romanian Agreements into line with Community law and to enable these two new Member States to become parties to the horizontal EC-Morocco Air Service Agreement. In order to do so the Annexes to the EU-Morocco Air Agreement will need to be revised. Once adopted the amended Agreement and Protocol will supersede existing provisions in the bilateral Aviation Agreements concluded between the Republic of Bulgaria, Romania and Morocco.