'No more EU red tape on regional Airports',
asks AER Secretary General Klaus Klipp in Eindhoven

'European regions do not want more EU regulation on regional airports, if not absolutely necessary. New directives in the EU legislative pipeline, such as the 'Proposal for a Directive on airport charges' (COMM (2006) 820, 24/1/2007), will only make life more difficult for regional airports', said the AER Secretary General Klaus Klipp, speaking today at the FARE, the 'Forum of European Regional Airports' in Eindhoven (The Netherlands).

'Regional airports in Europe flourish thanks also to low-cost airlines, which have been the first to operate flight connections Europe-wide, while national airlines still favour the connections between their country of origin and other European countries.
All this has been possible thanks as well to the work of the European institutions, but now we are afraid that the same EU might be on its way to produce 'overregulation', which can potentially threaten and hamper the development of regional airports', added Mr. Klipp, before making it clear that 'additional regulation would only mean a huge administrative burden and more and more red tape for regional airports'.

The AER Secretary General Klaus Klipp concluded: 'the only stakeholders which can have an interest in overregulation are the national airlines, which feel disturbed in their business. Instead of producing more regulation, the EU should have an airport policy that is supporting competition among airports and airlines. More red tape will not boost the growth of regional airports'.

LINK: 'Proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on airport charges':
eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/com/2006/com2006_0820en01.doc

Other European Commission's initiatives:
Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on common rules for the operation of air transport services in the Community
ec.europa.eu/transport/air_portal/competition/doc/acte_en.pdf

The Assembly of European Regions - AER (www.aer.eu) is the political organisation of Regions in Europe and their spokesperson at European and international level. Its vocation is to defend the Regions' interests in the political process and develop interregional cooperation. The AER brings together 250 Regions from 32 European Countries and 14 interregional organisations.

AER Contacts: Sergio Nava, Spokesperson, s.nava@a-e-r.org - Mobile: +33 678 695235, Tel.: +33 3 88 22 74 36; Francine Huhardeaux, Press Officer, f.huhardeaux@a-e-r.org - Mobile: +33 678 695203, Tel. +33 3 88 22 74 49