EC external aviation relations: The Community's increasing role, and the new EC/US agreement

In: Common Market Law Review, Band 45, Heft 2, S. 443-463

Abstract

Since the ECJ's "open skies" judgment in November 1992, the EC's role in connection with external aviation relations has increased greatly "Horizontal"agreements have been signed with a number of countries. Essentially they all provide that EC ownership and control of Community carriers will be acceptable, but there are some interesting variations between them in other respects, particularly with regard to safeguards that some countries have succeeded in obtaining.The other principal development has been the EC/US air transport agreement. When this comes into effect at the end of March 2008, it will lead to radical changes in competition on the EC/US market, although the agreement falls short of European expectations in a number of respects, particularly with regard to the ownership and control of US airlines, and it remains to be seen whether progress can be made in these areas in the planned second stage.