According to the EU Press Room, “The European Commission has today adopted an ‘airport package’ consisting of three key initiatives: a proposal for a directive on airport charges, a communication on airport capacity, efficiency and safety in Europe and a report on the implementation of the groundhandling directive. The package focuses on the role of airports in the further development and competitiveness of the European internal aviation market and will mark the future of airport regulation in Europe by ensuring regulatory convergence between Member States.Commission Vice-President Jacques Barrot, in charge of transport said: ‘In compliance with the Lisbon agenda objectives, Europe’s airports have a vital role to play as a key driver for ensuring the economic and social competitiveness of Europe. Until now European airports have been faced with diverse regulatory, commercial and external challenges regarding issues such as capacity, financing and the environment. The aim of these new measures is to offer a common set of rules to be applied and enforced uniformly throughout Europe.’ ‘Much deliberation, thought and consultation has gone into preparing this package and I truly believe that it represents a milestone in the formation of a pan-European regulatory framework for European airports’, he added.”This Press Release is available in full text.
