91998E0001

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0001/98 by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission (15 January 1998)

Subject: Inspection of third countries' aircraft

On 17 December 1997, a Ukrainian 'Yakovlev' crashed in Greece killing all passengers and crew. Although the findings of the official investigation into the accident have not been published, there are a great many question marks hanging over whether safety regulations were observed, whether the aircraft was adequately inspected prior to the flight and whether the crew had a satisfactory command of English.

On 17 February 1997, the Commission submitted a proposal for a Council directive establishing a safety assessment of third countries' aircraft using community airports which was debated in plenary by Parliament at its part-session in November 1997.

According to the Commission's surveys, which Member States of the Union already carry out checks on third country aircraft and of what do these checks consist in the main? Does Greece number among those countries carrying out effective checks? In view of the seriousness of this issue and the length of time before full adoption and implementation of the directive in the Member States, will the Commission take steps to ensure the immediate adoption by the Member States of a package of measures concerning the inspection of third countries' aircraft so as to minimize forthwith the likelihood of further accidents?

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission (6 February 1998)

According to the Chicago Convention governing civil aviation, when it is suspected that a foreign aircraft does not comply with international safety standards, states have the right to perform a ramp inspection. The proposal ((COM(97) 55 final, 17.2.1997. )) from the Commission enhances the value of this existing right by requiring Member States to perform such inspections when certain conditions exist, to participate in the collection and exchange of information, to ground unsafe aircraft and to decide on eventual collective measures.

The Commission understands that most, if not all, Member States have been performing ramp inspections on an individual basis for some time. The Commission is not always informed of these inspections and does not know if such inspections are performed in Greece.

The Commission is however informed of the Member States which already participate in an exchange of information without awaiting the entry into force of the proposed Directive. To date, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden and the United Kingdom are participating in this exercise. The Commission is aware that at least two other Member States perform ramp checks although for legal reasons, they do not participate already in the exchange of information.

In order to enable Member States to apply some of the measures before the entry into force of the Directive, the Commission is giving financial support to the establishment and operation of a database which has already received more than 1400 inspection reports resulting in at least five groundings of unsafe aircraft.