| Taken Questions Office of the Spokesman Washington, DC November 20, 2002 Question Taken at Daily Briefing of November 20, 2002 Open Skies Agreements in Europe (Taken Question)Answer: Our civil aviation agreements with European Union member states provide the legal basis for air services between the U.S. and individual member states. Our Open Skies agreements, in particular, offer both countries’ airlines, consumers, shippers, and national economies the enormous benefits of a market-based approach to international civil aviation.
The European Court of Justice decisions do not call for European Union member states to denounce these agreements. The court also ruled against the commission's assertion that member states lack competence to negotiate agreements. Instead, the court found that our agreements are consistent with EU law, except in three areas.
We see no utility in denunciation of our aviation agreements.
The United States is prepared to discuss with European Union member states on a bilateral basis how to accommodate the European Court of Justice’s specific legal findings. Such discussions can occur without denunciation. |
 | |||
|
