newstodate.aero
Dec 16, 2008 (newstodate): The Russia/EU Aviation Summit, originally slated for November 16-17, 2007, but postponed on Russian initiative, is still a dead issue.
-Until the Russian government has signed and implemented the overflight agreement according to the Agreed Principles, there will be no EU-Russia aviation summit, says a source within the European Commission's Directorate-General for Energy and Transport.
On March 22, 2007, the Council of EU Transport Ministers gave its unanimous approval to the "Agreed Principles" on Siberian overflights, negotiated by Vice-President Barrot and the Russian Transport Minister Levitin on November 24, 2006 in the margins of the EU-Russia summit.
The "Agreed Principles" provide for the abolition of payments for overflights for EC carriers not later than December 31, 2013, and ensures that newly operated overflights by EC carriers in the transition period until 2013 will be free of payments.
But - so far the Russian party has still not signed the protocol, leaving the crucial issue in a limbo.
In the meantime, European airlines still have to pay more than 225 mio euro annually to Russia for en-route navigation charges.
-Until the Russian government has signed and implemented the overflight agreement according to the Agreed Principles, there will be no EU-Russia aviation summit, says a source within the European Commission's Directorate-General for Energy and Transport.
On March 22, 2007, the Council of EU Transport Ministers gave its unanimous approval to the "Agreed Principles" on Siberian overflights, negotiated by Vice-President Barrot and the Russian Transport Minister Levitin on November 24, 2006 in the margins of the EU-Russia summit.
The "Agreed Principles" provide for the abolition of payments for overflights for EC carriers not later than December 31, 2013, and ensures that newly operated overflights by EC carriers in the transition period until 2013 will be free of payments.
But - so far the Russian party has still not signed the protocol, leaving the crucial issue in a limbo.
In the meantime, European airlines still have to pay more than 225 mio euro annually to Russia for en-route navigation charges.