Open Skies UE-Canada


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Dovrebbe essere un accordo similare a quello UE-USA.

Canada concludes historic air transport negotiations with European Union

OTTAWA, Dec. 9 /CNW Telbec/ - Canada's Transport Minister John Baird,
today announced that Canada has successfully concluded negotiations with the
European Union (EU) on a comprehensive air transport agreement. The EU is
Canada's second largest bilateral aviation, trade and investment market.
"The successful conclusion of air transport negotiations with the
European Union is another step forward in our ongoing efforts to facilitate
growth in trade, investment and tourism for Canadian business," said Minister
Baird. "In these uncertain times, closer global partnerships will help
stimulate our economy and expand commercial links. This is why our government
celebrates this historic air transport agreement with the EU, which will open
access to all 27 Member States for Canadian carriers and all points in Canada
for EU carriers."
A comprehensive Canada-EU air transport agreement will benefit travellers
and shippers by providing more choices in terms of destinations, flights and
routes, more direct services, and the potential for lower fares.
"Without question, these times call for closer economic cooperation among
key players in the global economy," said the Honourable Stockwell Day,
Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway.
"This comprehensive air transport agreement helps to bring Canada and the EU
to a new level of cooperation. It will help create new jobs for our economy, a
competitive market for our businesses, and connections for our citizens."
This agreement, which is consistent with Canada's Blue Sky policy and
current Canadian legislation, allows the development of new markets, new
services and greater competition. This includes:

- unrestricted direct air services between Canada and EU Member States;
- flexible pricing arrangements; and
- improved flexibility for cargo.

The agreement also covers eight EU Member States (Cyprus, Estonia,
Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Slovakia and Slovenia) with which Canada
did not previously have air agreements.
This historic agreement is evidence that the Blue Sky policy is producing
positive results for the Canadian air industry, travellers and shippers.
A backgrounder with further information about the Canada-EU Comprehensive
Air Transport Agreement is attached.
<<

Backgrounder
------------
------------

CANADA-EUROPEAN UNION (EU)
--------------------------

COMPREHENSIVE AIR TRANSPORT AGREEMENT
-------------------------------------

The Canada-EU Comprehensive Air Transport Agreement is unique in terms of
the breadth of its elements and its architecture. It provides for:

- increased traffic rights, initially allowing for unrestricted direct
services (on an airline's own aircraft or that of another carrier)
between Canada and the EU, without any limitations on the number of
flights operated or the prices to be offered. All-cargo airlines will
also be permitted to operate to or from third countries on flights
involving Canada or the EU.
- strong provisions related to safety, security and a competitive
environment, reflecting the importance of these areas. In particular,
both sides agreed to aim for deeper cooperation, such as eventual
mutual recognition of safety standards and harmonization of approaches
to aviation security.
- to the extent possible, additional flexibility for the commercial
operating environment of airlines, such as stationing of airlines
representatives, ground handling of aircraft and access to ground and
marine modes of transportation associated with air services.
- the establishment of a joint committee that will facilitate
cooperation, information-exchange, consultations and the overall
implementation of the agreement.

The agreement also includes provisions regarding consumer interests,
international cooperation, the environment, cooperation in the area of air
traffic management, as well as the effective availability of airport and
aviation facilities and services.

December 2008
>>


For further information: Chris Day, Press Secretary, Office of Transport
Minister John Baird, Ottawa, (613) 991-0700; Media Relations: Transport
Canada, Ottawa, (613) 993-0055; Transport Canada is online at www.tc.gc.ca.
Subscribe to news releases and speeches at www.tc.gc.ca/e-news and keep up to
date on the latest from Transport Canada. This news release may be made
available in alternative formats for persons with visual disabilities.



http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/December2008/09/c8344.html
 
EU reaches air services 'breakthrough' with Canada, inks accords with Armenia, Israel

Wednesday December 10, 2008
The EU yesterday announced a far-reaching air services agreement with Canada that includes reciprocal investment and signed new air services accords with Armenia and Israel.
A European Commission statement hailed "a breakthrough in the EU-Canada negotiations. . .[that] both completes the transatlantic market started with the EU-US first stage aviation agreement and goes well beyond it." Under terms of the agreement expected to be signed soon, all EU airlines will be able to operate direct flights to Canada from anywhere in Europe and all restrictions on routes, prices or weekly flight numbers between Canada and the EU will be eliminated.
"Other traffic rights will be liberalized gradually in parallel with the opening up of investment opportunities," the EC said, adding, "EU nationals will be able to establish operations in Canada and freely invest in Canadian airlines and vice versa." VP and Commissioner for Transport Antonio Tajani called the accord "groundbreaking in the aviation world as the agreement includes all possible aspects of aviation, including investment." Air Canada commented that it will open "a realm of new commercial opportunities. . .in Canada's second-largest travel market after the US."
The agreement signed with Armenia will allow all European airlines to fly between Armenia and any EU state. The pact signed with Israel "will remove nationality restrictions. . .[allowing] any EU airline to operate flights between any EU member state and Israel where a bilateral agreement with Israel exists and traffic rights are available," the EC said.

by Aaron Karp
 
Canada-EU open skies deal under dark cloud

Historic agreement seen as a bonus for fliers, but turbulent economy rules

Dec 10, 2008 04:30 AM

Chris Sorensen
Business Reporter

A historic "open skies" pact between Canada and the European Union promises to offer Canadian air travellers more choice and lower prices, but industry observers warn that a slumping global economy will prevent airlines from taking full advantage of the new freedoms in the near term.
The agreement, the initial stage of which is expected to go into effect next year, would allow European airlines to fly to Canada from anywhere in the 27-member bloc while reciprocal rights would be granted to Canadian carriers.
The pact also envisions lowering barriers to foreign investment in Canadian airlines by raising foreign ownership limits to 49 per cent from 25 per cent.
"That's something we'd like to move forward on, but it requires Parliament to approve it so I'll be working with my colleagues in cabinet to approve it in the House," John Baird, the federal transport minister, said in an interview.
He said the combined measures – reducing restrictions on airlines flying between Canada and Europe and triggering foreign investment – should help to foster competition in the Canadian aviation market and stimulate economic growth through increased tourism and business connections.
Studies commissioned by the EU showed that nine million people travelled between Europe and Canada in 2007 and that an open skies agreement would generate an additional half a million passengers in its first year. After a few years, an estimated 3.5 million more passengers are expected to take to the skies between the two markets, according to the EU.
But while industry observers agreed that fewer restrictions should help to boost transatlantic flying, they warned that a bleak global economy means that most foreign carriers aren't in a position to experiment with new routes to a relatively small market such as Canada's.
"I just don't think (Germany's) Lufthansa is going to get all excited about flying from London, England, to Toronto," said Robert Kokonis, the president of AirTrav, an aviation consulting firm. "If anything, right now carriers are focused on their home markets."
As well, he added that Air Canada has historically had a tough time flying to European destinations outside of big centres such as London, Paris and Frankfurt.
Air Canada and Transat AT said in separate statements yesterday that they welcomed the liberalized agreement.
WestJet Airlines also praised the accord, but stressed that Ottawa must also address the issue of high industry fees and taxes to ensure a level playing field with other countries.
The accord is to be implemented in four phases, according to the EU. The first phase will give airlines "unlimited freedom" to fly between any point in Europe and any point in Canada, while doing away with restrictions on the number of flights operated by any airline and the fares that can be charged to passengers.
The second phase deals with foreign investment while the third begins once both sides enable investors to set up and control new domestic airlines in each others' markets.
The final phase deals with the thorny issue of cabotage, which would allow foreign airlines to fly domestic routes in Canada.
Andrea Maresi, a spokesperson for the EU Transport Commission, said Ottawa has agreed to pursue cabotage rights, but cautioned that they likely won't be implemented for some time because cabotage requires legislation permitting complete foreign ownership.
However, Baird said the federal government doesn't intend to pursue either foreign ownership of domestic airlines or cabotage at this time.
"I think this was something that was important for the EU to lay out the architecture, but at this time we're not moving forward."
AirTrav's Kokonis said there is bound to be stiff opposition from Canadian carriers on the cabotage question, which would force Air Canada and WestJet to compete head-to-head with giants such as Air France-KLM on domestic routes.
"I'll believe it when I see it," he said.

TheStar.com
 
AVIATION: CANADA-EU PACT
Rules relaxed, but will it open up the skies?

BRENT JANG
TRANSPORTATION REPORTER
December 10, 2008

Canada and the European Union heralded their aviation pact yesterday, expressing hope that liberalized rules will lead to more flights and heightened competition, despite airlines struggling during the recession.
EU Transport Minister Antonio Tajani said the agreement is a breakthrough that opens up markets for EU and Canadian airlines while Canadian Transport Minister John Baird said he's counting on expansion of trade and tourism, noting there would be more choices for destinations and flights, and perhaps lower fares.
The Canadian Airports Council said the agreement, which replaces a patchwork of bilateral pacts signed over the years between Canada and 19 of 27 EU members, is an important policy initiative that loosens restrictions.
Industry analysts agreed that the deal sounds fine on paper but cautioned that, in reality, most airlines are scaling back and not adding overseas routes, citing weakened travel demand. The world's airline industry remains protectionist, and allowing full-fledged competition within Canada isn't in the cards, analysts say.
Still, the EU-Canada pact is seen as a step forward. Japan and South Korea are just two examples among dozens of other markets in which Canada could use better bilateral agreements.
There's also the possibility of foreign investment in individual carriers in Canada and Europe. The agreement could eventually clear the way for increasing the limits on foreign ownership of airlines, notably Air Canada and WestJet Airlines Ltd.
In January, Canada's Competition Bureau called on Ottawa to raise those voting limits to 49.9 per cent from 25 per cent. However, no foreign carriers have indicated interest so far in buying even small stakes in either of Canada's two largest airlines.
Hans de Roos, KLM's senior vice-president of strategy and corporate development, said in an interview yesterday that the Canada-EU deal didn't spur his airline's decision to start Calgary-Amsterdam service next May.
"It's pure coincidence," he said.
Mr. de Roos said both Air France and KLM are holding talks with WestJet, but declined to speculate on the timing of any alliances. Calgary-based WestJet could benefit because code-sharing agreements are expected to be easier to reach with potential partners such as Air France-KLM and British Airways PLC.
Cash-strapped Air Canada of Montreal already flies to key European destinations and could face increased competition during a vulnerable period, analysts say.
But Yves Dufresne, Air Canada's vice-president of international and regulatory affairs, said he's optimistic that the airline will be able to capitalize on other new opportunities. Other industry officials complained that Ottawa still needs to reduce the ground rent that it charges to the country's major airports.
Although WestJet chief executive officer Sean Durfy welcomed the relaxation of international restrictions, he urged Ottawa to review the domestic taxes and fees imposed on Canada's airline industry and passengers.

© Copyright 2008 CTVglobemedia Publishing Inc.
 
EU Backs ‘Open-Skies’ Airline Agreement With Canada (Update1)

By Jonathan Stearns

March 30 (Bloomberg) -- The European Union agreed to deregulate air travel with Canada, expanding trans-Atlantic competition in the face of an industry slump after a similar EU- U.S. “open-skies” deal.

National governments approved a treaty letting EU airlines such as Air France-KLM Group and British Airways Plc fly to Canada from any airport in the 27-nation bloc, a step European regulators predict will increase passenger numbers by almost 40 percent within several years. Current rules force EU carriers to serve Canada from their home country, restricting competition among European operators as well as between them and Air Canada.

“This represents a huge leap forward,” Transport Minister Petr Bendl of the Czech Republic, which holds the EU’s rotating presidency, said after he and his counterparts from across the bloc gave the go-ahead to the market-opening agreement today in Brussels. The accord, drafted by EU and Canadian negotiators in December, will take effect after being signed by both sides at a May 6 summit.

The EU is opening international airline markets after its high court struck down aviation agreements between individual European nations and other countries. The European Court of Justice said in 2002 that the nationality-based route restrictions in these accords violated rules making the EU a single market.

The EU and the U.S. opened their trans-Atlantic air routes in March 2008 after four years of negotiations. This encouraged the European Commission, the EU’s regulatory arm that led the push for an accord with the U.S., to seek a similar agreement with Canada.

Economic Bite

Since then, airlines worldwide have eliminated jobs, cut routes and grounded planes because of the recession. Global airline losses may total $4.7 billion this year, the International Air Transport Association said on March 24.

The EU-Canada agreement may increase the number of passengers traveling between the two regions from 9 million in 2007 to 12.5 million within “a few years,” according to the commission. The deal could also generate more than 1,000 jobs and bring economic benefits of at least 72 million euros ($95 million) in the first year, the commission said.

Investment Rights

In addition to deregulating trans-Atlantic air routes, the accord allows cargo carriers to fly onward to third countries and foresees future steps in which both sides will allow investors to set up and control airlines in each other’s markets.

As these investment rights are established, EU and Canadian passenger airlines will gain the right to fly onward to third countries and to operate domestic flights in each other’s markets. This goes further than the EU-U.S. accord, which committed both sides to talk about a second-stage agreement involving domestic market opening.

European Transport Commissioner Antonio Tajani said the accord with Canada could help spur a deeper EU agreement with the U.S. “It’s a clear signal,” he said.

Like the deal with the U.S., the EU-Canada accord also involves regulatory cooperation in areas such as security, safety, environmental and competition policies.

Last Updated: March 30, 2009 13:22 EDT
 
Open skies tra Canada e EU

May 6, 2009
Canada and the European Union signed an "open skies" agreement on Wednesday under which Canadian and EU airlines will be able to fly freely between any airport in the 27-country EU and any Canadian airport, officials said.

The deal will replace an existing patchwork of bilateral agreements between Canada and European states, which include restrictions on routes, prices and the number of weekly flights.

The agreement will also ease restrictions on control and ownership of airlines.

(Reuters)
 
Questa é la ratifica dell'accordo che era stato raggiunto qualche mese fa.
Accordo che, in diverse fasi, prevede che si arrivi anche al cabotaggio, cioé alla possibilitá per tutti i vettori EU e canadesi di operare qualunque rotta (anche domestica) in EU e in Canada.
 
Decolla l'Open sky Ue-Canada: via libera anche ai capitali


È stato siglato oggi l'accordo di Open sky fra l'Unione europea e il Canada. Si tratta di un'intesa che va ad aggiungersi a quella già operativa tra il Vecchio Continente e gli Stati Uniti, creando un ponte aperto nei voli tra i due continenti. Come nella precedente intesa ogni vettore delle due aree potrà operare voli tra le due sponde senza alcuna restrizione. Inoltre, e questa è una particolarità in più rispetto agli accordi con gli Usa, sono state allentate anche le restrizioni che riguardano il controllo o la proprietà delle compagnie, con il libero flusso dei capitali. TTG

Quindi una compagnia europea potrà prendere il controllo di una canadese e viceversa?
 
The New York Times

May 7, 2009

Europe and Canada Reach ‘Open Skies’ Pact on Air Travel

By MATTHEW SALTMARSH

PARIS — The European Union and Canada agreed on Wednesday to liberalize airline travel between the two regions in a pact that goes further than a similar “open skies” agreement between Europe and the United States.
The agreement allows airlines from Europe and Canada to fly point-to-point without restrictions. Previously, such arrangements were governed by bilateral agreements, which limited routes, and eight European Union countries did not have such deals.
It will also allow European Union investors over time to acquire up to 49 percent of their Canadian rivals; foreign ownership rights had previously been restricted to 25 percent. Ultimately, full ownership rights are envisaged.
The United States limited foreign ownership rights at 25 percent in its deal with the European Union, which allows American investors to take 49 percent of European carriers.
The deal “will stimulate aeronautical industrial activity, cut costs and alleviate the administrative burden in air transport,” leaders from the two sides said in a joint statement signed at a meeting in Prague.
The accord also opens the way for more code-sharing agreements, lifts most restrictions governing the setting of ticket prices and establishes a joint committee to adopt and monitor the deal. It will also avoid the need for double checks on safety and security by authorities in Europe and Canada, allowing for joint inspections.
It will take effect immediately, but the steps to open up the two markets will be carried out in four phases. No deadlines were immediately provided.
In 2007, nine million people traveled between Europe and Canada. Despite the current slump in air travel as a result of the economic downturn, the European Commission estimated that the deal could increase that number by half a million during the first year, generating 72 million euros, or roughly $95 million, in additional business and adding 1,000 jobs, as flights are added between the regions.
The agreement between the United States and the European Union, which came into force in March 2008, also allows airlines to serve any point-to-point trans-Atlantic route.
That agreement will allow any American carriers to fly among European cities, though not between a pair of cities within an individual country, while European airlines will not be allowed to fly between two American cities.
This accord is also being carried out in phases, the first of which will automatically end if there is no agreement between negotiators from the United States and the European Union on a second phase of the pact, which is scheduled to be in place by 2010.
At the meeting in Prague, Canada and Europe also agreed Wednesday to start talks on a broader trade pact, estimated to be worth more than $27 billion a year, despite a looming trade dispute between the two partners over a European Union ban on seal products.
Canada and the European Union first agreed in October 2008 to seek a "comprehensive economic partnership agreement” to lift two-way trade by lowering tariffs on goods and services, and encompassing areas like investment, regulatory cooperation and rules of origin.
The two sides set a deadline of two years in which to reach the broad deal. It would be the most significant trade agreement for Canada since the North American Free Trade Agreement.
 
Canada and EU sign deal to open aviation market

Wed May 6, 2009 4:43pm BST

By David Brunnstrom

PRAGUE (Reuters) - Canada and the European Union signed an "open skies" pact on Wednesday under which airlines from the two trading partners will be able to fly freely between any airport in the 27-country EU and any in Canada.

"This will generate major benefits for consumers and airlines ... and will make the EU-Canada aviation market one of the most open in the world," European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso told a news conference.

The deal will replace an existing patchwork of bilateral agreements between Canada and European states, which include restrictions on routes, prices and the number of weekly flights.

The agreement will also ease restrictions on control and ownership of airlines and follows a similar pact between the European Union and the United States in March last year.

The deal came at the start of talks on a trade pact worth an additional $27 billion (17.9 billion pounds) each year to the combined economies of Canada and the EU, suffering from weakening trade amid the financial crisis.

"We were trying to reach this agreement somewhere from the 1970s," Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said of the trade deal. "Finally this agreement we have is a glimmer of light in the darkness of the global recession."

A study by the executive European Commission suggested the aviation agreement would generate an additional 500,000 passengers in its first year, plus over 1,000 jobs and economic benefits of at least 72 million euros ($96 million).

Canada already plans to raise the foreign ownership limit to 49 percent of an airline's voting stock from 25 percent -- a move welcomed by the country's main carriers, Air Canada and WestJet Airlines, which want more inward investment.

In a later phase of the deal, investors will be able to set up and control airlines in each other's markets, and in a final stage, airlines will be able to fly freely within each other's markets and onwards from there to other regions.

(Writing by Pete Harrison, editing by Dale Hudson)

REUTERS UK
 
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