Commission puts forward strategy to develop external aspect of internal aviation market

Background and further information:

In addition to bringing the existing bilateral agreements between Member States and non-EU countries into line with European law, the Commission's policy targets two main objectives:

+ The creation of a common airspace with the EU's neighbouring countries in the Mediterranean and along its eastern borders, including common security and safety rules and forming a sectoral contribution to the European Union's neighbourhood policy;

+ The start of negotiations of global agreements with major world regions, aimed at opening up world markets gradually and in fair conditions.

The Commission was at this stage already negotiating air agreements with Morocco and the countries of the Western Balkans. Negotiations leading to an air agreement with the United States also started in 2003. The Commission recommended to the Council of the European Union that negotiations should be opened with China and Russia.

The European Commission put forward on 14 March 2005 a strategy to expand the external aspect of the European Union's internal aviation market.