91999E2632

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2632/99

by W.G. van Velzen (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(12 January 2000)

Subject: Millennium-compliance of the Albanian aviation sector

Considerable thought has been given to the question of the millennium, which is a cause of concern to many. Now that there are fewer than thirty days to go, it appears that not all of Europe can make a safe transition to the new century.

Albania has still not submitted a report to the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation) on the millennium compliance of airports in Albania. Clearly, not only the ICAO but the EU, too, has an interest in clear information on whether its neighbour is millennium-compliant.

On 24 November 1999 the Commission referred to negotiations with Albania and the political, institutional and economic problems involved.

1. Is the Commission aware of the possible risks to the Union from this situation in Albania with regard to the millennium question and aviation? Which of these risks does the Commission regard as most important?

2. How does the Commission envisage being able to limit the risks to EU citizens of an aviation system in the immediate vicinity of the European Union which is not millennium-compliant?

3. What role did the millennium question play in the Commission's conclusion (24 November 1999) that at present it is not possible to formulate an official proposal for negotiating guidelines on an agreement with Albania on stability and accession?

4. What action will the Commission take to obtain clarity on whether the Albanian aviation sector is millennium-compliant?

5. In the absence of any clarity on this from the Albanian side, is the Commission prepared to issue a warning not to fly to Albania or use Albanian airlines at the end of the year?

6. Given the special nature of these questions, can the Commission reply before 31 December 1999?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(2 February 2000)

The purpose of the recent Commission report(1) mentioned by the Honourable Member was to assess the feasibility of negotiating a stablisation and association agreement with Albania. It identified important political, institutional and economic requirements for a successful participation of Albania in such perspective. It did not address the specific issue of the millenium bug in relation to Albania.

The Commission did not receive detailed information from the Albanian authorities on their preparedness for the millennium bug. However, landing and take-off at Tirana (Rinas) airport takes place visually and the lighting system at night does not operate by computer. At the current stage, there are only very few flights from Community airports to Tirana and during night hours the airport is normally closed. Check-in systems are compliant given that they are extensions of systems in Western Europe, Swissair being its main user. The air space is controlled by a system of SITA (Société international de télécommunications aérienne) and according to Eurocontrol and other relevant sources it is considered that there is no major risk.

(1) COM(99) 651 final.