51995AC1299

Opinion on the draft Council Regulation (EC) on statistical returns in respect of carriage of passengers, freight and mail by air

(96/C 39/04)

On 4 October 1995 the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Committee, under Article 198 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, on the above-mentioned draft Council Regulation (EC).

The Section for Transport and Communications, which was responsible for preparing the Committee's work on the subject, adopted its Opinion on 8 November 1995. The Rapporteur was Mr Moreland.

At its 330th Plenary Session (meeting of 22 November 1995), the Economic and Social Committee adopted the following Opinion unanimously.

1. Commission proposal

1.1. The Commission believes that, at present, data collected by Eurostat has led to the establishment of a useful but an incomplete and unharmonized database. In the light of the increased demand for reliable and comparable data, the Commission proposed that Member States will collect data on a harmonized basis for the transmission to the Statistical Office of the European Communities and the Commission shall disseminate appropriate statistical results.

2. Comments

2.1. In the light of better and consistent information on air transport, the Committee welcomes the Commission proposal and consequently believes it should be adopted by the Council.

2.2. The Committee believes the following points should be taken into consideration.

2.2.1. Appropriate funding should be agreed by the Council and the European Parliament.

2.2.2. Without prejudice to commercial secrecy, there should be easy access to the collected data which should not be aggregated to such a degree as to make it of limited use.

2.2.3. In providing estimates of aircraft capacity, the Commission should take into account that airlines have varying seating configurations for similar type of aircraft.

2.2.4. The Committee welcomes the Commission's intention to avoid burdening airports and airlines with extra cost and notes the exemptions of small airports. In this context the Commission should consider excluding air-taxi services from the current definition of non-scheduled services.

2.2.5. The Committee welcomes the report proposed in Article 8 and suggests that the European Parliament and itself should receive a copy in addition to the Council.

Done at Brussels, 22 November 1995.

The President

of the Economic and Social Committee

Carlos FERRER