European Parliament resolution on hushkitted aircraft
C 378/70 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 29. 12. 2000 Thursday 30 March 2000 3. Hushkitted aircrafts B5-0289/2000 European Parliament resolution on hushkitted aircraft The European Parliament, having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 925/1999 of 29 April 1999 on the registration and operation within the Community of certain types of civil subsonic jet aeroplanes which have been modified and recertificated as meeting the standards of volume I, Part II, Chapter 3 of Annex 16 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, third edition (July 1993) (1), having regard to its resolution of 5 May 1999 on the Transatlantic Economic Partnership and EU-US trade disputes, especially concerning hormones, bananas and hushkits (2), having regard to Oral Question B5-0020/2000 by the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Policy pursuant to Rule 42 of the Rules of Procedure and having regard to the state- ment by the Commission, A. whereas Regulation (EC) No 925/1999, adopted unanimously by the Council and approved almost unanimously by Parliament, must be applied in all Member States by 4 May 2000, B. whereas the date of application of the Regulation has already been postponed by one year at the request of the US Administration in order to reach a common understanding between the EU and the US on the remedies to noise concerns expressed by the EU, C. whereas it seems at present unlikely that progress made within the competent bodies of the Interna- tional Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) will, within the foreseeable future, lead to a global agree- ment at international level on more stringent noise standards for aircraft, D. whereas the ICAO noise certification standards have not been updated since 1977, E. whereas the Commission is making every effort to reach a constructive and acceptable solution with the US, F. whereas the growth of civil aviation must be accompanied by a progressive and credible reduction in noise pollution around airports, Considers that the European Union strategy should be aimed at reaching a global agreement at inter- 1. national level (within the ICAO) on more stringent noise certification standards for aircraft, including a phase-out plan for the least noise-efficient aircraft within the current Chapter 3, including hushkitted air- craft and re-certificated aircraft with low by-pass ratios; this is also necessary if competition is not to be distorted in an increasingly globalised aviation market; Stresses that in the eventual absence of such global agreement, measures taken at the EU level will 2. prove to be the only means to prevent a deterioration in the overall noise situation in the EU; Considers that close cooperation and joint efforts of the EU and the US are fundamental for the 3. creation of more stringent aircraft noise standards suitable for worldwide application; (1) OJ L 115, 4. 5. 1999, p. 1. (2) OJ C 279, 1. 10. 1999, p. 215. 29. 12. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 378/71 Thursday 30 March 2000 4. Considers that the demands made by the US for an indefinite suspension of the EU Regulation are totally unacceptable and will entail an unsustainable situation in the EU exposing people to noise levels which endanger their health and quality of life; Considers that the densely populated areas of the EU pose specific problems, with around 20 % of 5. the Union’s population suffering from noise levels that scientists and health experts consider to be unac- ceptable (1), with an increasing share represented by air traffic noise; 6. Welcomes the progress being made within CAEP (Committee on Aviation Environment Protection) in the ICAO, towards a new standard on noise and strategy for phasing out the noisiest aircraft and calls on the Member States and the US to accelerate the progress towards a successful agreement at the fifth meeting of CAEP; 7. Will only consider a limited review of Regulation (EC) No 925/1999 concerning the provisions for aeroplanes registered in third countries before these provisions enter into force in April 2002, on the condition that the US administration makes a written, binding commitment, including a timetable not exceeding the end of 2001, to attain world-wide standards similar to or more stringent than those laid down in the said Regulation; Underlines its unwillingness to consider a further postponement of Regulation (EC) No 925/1999 8. concerning the provisions for aeroplanes registered in a Member State; Asks the US to withdraw its action under Article 84 of the Chicago Convention on International 9. Civil Aviation pending a global agreement and urges the US not to resort to other retaliatory measures, but instead to take a constructive approach in negotiating high global standards within the ICAO in part- nership with the EU; 10. Calls on the Member States, with the support of the Commission, to coordinate their efforts within the ICAO in order to get the best possible outcome for EU environmental objectives on aircraft noise standards; 11. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council and the govern- ments and parliaments of the Member States as well as to the US Administration, Senate and House of Representatives. (1) Green Paper on Future Noise Policy (COM(1996) 540). 4. Mediterranean policy B5-0297, 0298, 0300, 0303 and 0304/2000 European Parliament resolution on Mediterranean policy The European Parliament, having regard to Articles 17, 18, 21 and 22 of the EU Treaty, having regard to its resolution of 11 October 1995 on the Mediterranean policy of the European Union with a view to the Barcelona Conference (1), having regard to its resolution of 14 December 1995 on the Euro-Mediterranean Conference in Bar- celona (2), having regard to its resolution of 13 March 1997 on the joint report by the Presidency of the Council and the Commission on Mediterranean policy (3), (1) OJ C 287, 30. 10. 1995, p. 121. (2) OJ C 17, 22. 1. 1996, p. 178. (3) OJ C 115, 14. 4. 1997, p. 159