Luxembourg's Minister for Transport and Sustainable Development, François Bausch, has once again expressed his hesitancy at the implementation of the new European aviation strategy at a summit dedicated to the subject held at Schiphol airport on 20 and 21 January 2016.
The aviation summit was organised by the Dutch Presidency of the Council of the European Union, and brought together European Ministers and the Commissioner for Transport, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), as well as several stakeholders.
Minister Bausch was in attendance to explain and defend the interests of Luxembourg, after casting doubts as to whether the new European strategy for aviation was fair and beneficial to all Member States when the Commission presented it at the Transport Council in December 2015. The strategy included the Commission's vision for European policy in aviation, a proposal for the revision of the regulation on aviation security as well as applications for negotiating mandates with third countries. The proposal will serve as a legal basis for detailed regulation on drones at the European level.
Discussions were held amongst ministers and industry actors and whilst the proposed regulation was welcomed, positions were more mixed with respect to mandates. Minister Bausch for his part critised the Commission's approach which he deemed as ignorant of the numerous connectivity needs of Member States, particularly those which are smaller and with fewer means.
Luxembourg's Transport Minister therefore touched on an issue faced by other countries and which the Ministry claimed would prompt them to join forces with the Grand Duchy in order to seek better solutions. The Minister demanded that the EU act in accordance with a coherent and sound strategcy and in full respect of related skills and procedures, and stated his belief that negotiations with Brazil should be finalised first before the EU agrees to new projects.
Negotiations at the EU level have resulted in the freezing of the bilateral actions of Member States and could affect Luxembourg's bilateral relations with many international destinations. According to the Ministry, if these European negotiations are prolonged without result this could become harmful and has done so in similar situations in the past.
François Bausch additionally stated his clear position against the economic model pursued by some 'low cost' airlines which he claimed ignored social and environmental aspects and have attacked regulation and public action to continue benefitting from subsidies from regional airports. According to the ministry, "this fact directly contradicts the image they like to unduly appropriate themselves".
Photo by Sarah Graham /François Bausch in 2015)
