Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 394: To ask the Minister for Transport the position of the EU-US open skies negotiations. [36134/06]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The EU US Open Skies deal was discussed at the Transport Council on 12 October 2006. The Council underlined the importance it attaches to the conclusion of the EU US air transport agreement. It reaffirmed its unanimous satisfaction with the text of the draft agreement negotiated in November, 2005 but regretted the further delay in the US rule-making procedure relating to the ownership and control issue. The November, 2005 text includes the transitional measures relating to Ireland that I had agreed with my counterpart in the U.S. relating in particular to a phased change in the arrangements relating to Shannon.

The Council requested the Commission to continue its efforts, on the basis of further contacts with the United States to secure a satisfactory and balanced outcome with the necessary safeguards, including the transitional provisions, with a view to a decision at the December Transport Council. This would fulfil the commitments set out in the conclusion of the June 2006 EU US Summit in which both parties reaffirmed the commitment to reach agreement by the end of the year.

I again drew attention to the negative consequences of failure to finalise the agreement for those Member States that do not have open skies agreements in place already. I emphasized therefore the urgency of concluding this matter in December. In the meantime the existing arrangements in the Ireland US bilateral agreement will continue to apply.