(2004/C 84 E/0607)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0079/04

by Proinsias De Rossa (PSE) to the Commission

(20 January 2004)

Subject:   Flight Times and Duty Limitations Proposal — COM(2002)0030.

Could the Commission outline the Council's reaction to its current proposal (1) to update Council Regulation 3922/91/EEC (2)? When does it envisage agreement on this proposal within Council? Does it intend revising its proposal and if so, how?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(18 February 2004)

The Council has been unable to adopt the proposal, essentially because it is linked to a proposal for a directive on the recognition of cabin crew qualifications. For that reason, and despite the Commission's efforts to overcome this position, which was expressed in December 2001, the dossier has remained frozen. In a bid to resume work on the dossier, and taking account of the amendment Parliament adopted in September 2002 on the limitation of flight time, which the Council did not wish to take into consideration, the Commission will in the next few days be putting forward a revised proposal incorporating Parliament's amendment.

(1)  COM(2002)0030, OJ C 227 E, 24.9.2002, p. 1.

(2)  OJ L 373, 31.12.1991, p. 4.