newstodate.aero
Mar 29, 2006 (newstodate): The EU pressure on Russia to agree on an immediate start of the process to gradually abolish Siberian overflight charges is a significant move.
In May 2004 EU and Russia agreed that the charges should be fully abolished by 2013. But since then Russia has remained silent about how to implement the agreement.
In effect, Russia still extorts some USD300 million annually from western airlines using the new Arctica routes over Siberia, and the money is collected by Aeroflot.
EU has now made it clear that the process of gradually reducing the charges to a flat Zero in 2013 has to start this year already, and the issue is now a prerequisite to a positive approach to Russia's application for WTO membership.
In May 2004 EU and Russia agreed that the charges should be fully abolished by 2013. But since then Russia has remained silent about how to implement the agreement.
In effect, Russia still extorts some USD300 million annually from western airlines using the new Arctica routes over Siberia, and the money is collected by Aeroflot.
EU has now made it clear that the process of gradually reducing the charges to a flat Zero in 2013 has to start this year already, and the issue is now a prerequisite to a positive approach to Russia's application for WTO membership.