COUNCIL OF
THE EUROPEAN UNION
Brussels, 3 May 1999 (29.06)
(OR. f)
7070/99
LIMITE
PV/CONS 15
TRANS 75
DRAFT MINUTES 1
of the 2169th meeting of the Council
(Transport)
held in Brussels on Monday 29 March 1999
______________
1
Information relating to the final adoption of Council acts which may be released to the public
is contained in Addendum 1 to these minutes.
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CONTENTS
Page
1.
ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA ....................................................................................... 2
2.
APPROVAL OF THE LIST OF “A” ITEMS ...................................................................... 3
3.
RAILWAY POLICY........................................................................................................... 3
4.
PROPOSALS FOR COUNCIL DIRECTIVES AMENDING
(a) Council Directive 92/106/EEC on the establishment of common rules for certain
types of combined transport of goods between Member States ................................... 4
(b) Council Directive 96/53/EC laying down for certain road vehicles circulating
within the Community the maximum authorised dimensions in national and
international traffic and the maximum authorised weights in international traffic...... 4
5.
PROPOSAL FOR COUNCIL DIRECTIVE CONCERNING THE ORGANISATION
OF WORKING TIME FOR MOBILE WORKERS PERFORMING ROAD
TRANSPORT ACTIVITIES AND FOR SELF-EMPLOYED DRIVERS ........................... 4
6.
RECOMMENDATION FOR A COUNCIL DECISION RELATING TO THE
NEGOTIATIONS FOR A CONVENTION FOR THE UNIFICATION OF CERTAIN
RULES FOR INTERNATIONAL CARRIAGE BY AIR (MODERNISATION OF THE
WARSAW SYSTEM)......................................................................................................... 5
7.
PROPOSAL FOR A DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE
COUNCIL AMENDING DECISION NO 1692/96/EC AS REGARDS SEAPORTS,
INLAND PORTS AND INTERMODAL TERMINALS AS WELL AS PROJECT NO 8
IN ANNEX III .................................................................................................................... 5
8.
COMMISSION COMMUNICATION CONCERNING "GALILEO - INVOLVING
EUROPE IN A NEW GENERATION OF SATELLITE NAVIGATION SERVICES" ....... 6
9.
OTHER BUSINESS............................................................................................................ 7
(a) Transit agreement in the field of goods transport by road between Bulgaria,
Romania and Hungary ............................................................................................... 7
(b)
Implementation of Council Directive 91/439/EEC of 29 July 1991 on driving
licences ...................................................................................................................... 7
(c)
Proposal for a Council Directive establishing a safety assessment of third-country
aircraft using Community airports ............................................................................. 8
(d)
Relations between the European Community and the United States in the field of
air transport............................................................................................................... 8
(e)
Eurocontrol................................................................................................................ 9
(f)
EASA.......................................................................................................................... 9
(g)
Flights over Siberia.................................................................................................... 9
ooOoo
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1.
Adoption of the agenda
6866/99 OJ/CONS 14 TRANS 73
The Council adopted the agenda as set out in the above document.
2.
Approval of the list of "A" items
6867/99 PTS A 12
The Council adopted the “A” items listed in the above document, with the exception of
items and 5, which were withdrawn. The documents relating to item 7 should read as follows:
13382/98 ENV 498
+ COR 1 (es)
+ COR 2 (gr)
6479/99 ENV 72
+ COR 1
+ COR 2 (d)
Information concerning items 2, 8 and 10 on the list may be found in Addendum 1 to these
minutes.
Land transport
3.
Railway policy
- policy debate
10003/95 TRANS 145
6067/97 TRANS 23
11375/98 TRANS 132
+ COR 1
+ COR 2 (f)
6474/99 TRANS 46
6475/99 TRANS 47
6476/99 TRANS 48
6647/1/99 TRANS 61 REV 1
6856/99 TRANS 70
The Council exchanged views on the Commission proposals for Directives on the basis of the
Presidency questionnaire set out in 6647/1/99 TRANS 61 REV 1.
The Council instructed the Permanent Representatives Committee to continue its work so that,
in the light of the Opinion of the European Parliament, agreement could be reached at a
forthcoming meeting.
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4.
Proposals for Council Directives amending
(a) Council Directive 92/106/EEC on the establishment of common rules for certain
types of combined transport of goods between Member States
(b) Council Directive 96/53/EC laying down for certain road vehicles circulating
within the Community the maximum authorised dimensions in national and
international traffic and the maximum authorised weights in international traffic
policy debate
10435/98 TRANS 110
5768/99 TRANS 20
6818/99 TRANS 65
Pending the Opinion of the European Parliament on the proposal for a Directive amending
Directive 96/53/EC, the Council continued examining this dossier on the basis of the
Presidency questionnaire set out in 6818/99TRANS 65, and having regard to the text of the
draft Directives set out in 5768/99 TRANS 20.
Following this examination, the Council instructed the Permanent Representatives Committee
to continue working on the dossier in the light of the discussions held.
5.
Proposal for Council Directive concerning the organisation of working time for mobile
workers performing road transport activities and for self-employed drivers
policy debate
13526/98 SOC 462 TRANS 200 MAR 80 AER 67
+ COR 1 (f,en)
6853/99 TRANS 67 SOC 98
Pending the Opinion of the European Parliament, the Council held an exchange of views on
the Commission proposal for a Directive on the basis of the Presidency questionnaire
contained in 6853/99 TRANS 67 SOC 98.
Having noted the positions adopted by the various delegations and underlined the need to
examine the proposed Directive in detail, the Council instructed the Permanent
Representatives Committee to continue its work so as to enable the Council to take a decision
on this dossier at its next meeting on 17 and 18 June 1999, in the light of the Opinion of the
European Parliament.
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Air transport
6.
Recommendation for a Council Decision relating to the negotiations for a Convention
for the Unification of Certain Rules for International Carriage by Air (modernisation of
the Warsaw System)
Council conclusions
7165/98 AVIATION 21
RESTREINT
6785/99 AVIATION 7
RESTREINT
The Council adopted the draft conclusions as set out in 7329/99 AVIATION 8
(RESTREINT).
Measures concerning all modes of transport
7.
Proposal for a Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council amending
Decision No 1692/96/EC as regards seaports, inland ports and intermodal terminals as
well as project No 8 in Annex III
policy debate
6874/98 TRANS 35 MAR 27
+ COR 1 (d)
6719/1/99 TRANS 63 MAR 26 REV 1
6863/99 TRANS 72 MAR 31
+ COR 1 (f)
The Council held a preliminary exchange of views on the Commission proposal for a
Decision on the basis of the Presidency questionnaire set out in 6863/99 TRANS 72 MAR 31
+ COR 1(f).
The Council instructed the Permanent Representatives Committee to continue its work in the
light of the discussions held, so as to enable the Council to take a decision on this dossier at
its next meeting on 17 and 18 June 1999.
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8.
Commission communication concerning "GALILEO - Involving Europe in a New
Generation of Satellite Navigation Services"
–
presentation by the Commission and preliminary exchange of views
6528/99 TRANS 56 MAR 23 AER 15
The Commission representative, Mr KINNOCK, briefed the Council on the contents of
the Commission communication entitled "GALILEO - Involving Europe in a New
Generation of Satellite Navigation Services". The communication sets out an
independent Community approach towards the satellite navigation sector in the light of
the conclusions drawn by the Council in 1998.
The President asked each delegation in turn to comment on the main aspects of the
communication and invited delegations to discuss those aspects in detail at the informal
meeting of Transport Ministers to be held in Dortmund on 23 and 24 April 1999, so that
work on this dossier could continue within the Council’s bodies.
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9.
Other business
(a) Transit agreement in the field of goods transport by road between Bulgaria,
Romania and Hungary
–
Commission report
Discussion of this item was postponed until a later meeting.
(b)
Implementation of Council Directive 91/439/EEC of 29 July 1991 on driving
licences
–
progress report from the Commission
The Commissioner, Mr KINNOCK, pointed out that Directive 91/439/EEC on driving
licences 1 did not contain an "acquired rights" clause entitling Member States to renew
licences for drivers under the same conditions – in terms of medical requirements – as
those applying at the time the licences were first issued. Mr KINNOCK said that the
relevant Commission departments had drawn up a draft proposal for a Directive
amending Directive 91/439/EEC so that, as far as the question of eyesight was
concerned, Member States would be able to renew licences for drivers in Group 2
(drivers of lorries, buses, vans and minibuses) under the same conditions as those
applying at the time the licences were issued.
Mr KINNOCK added that, as this was a new initiative, only the new Commission
would be able to submit the proposed Directive referred to.
1
OJ L 237, 24.8.1991, p.1. Directive last amended by Directive 97/26/EC (OJ L 150, 7.6.1997,
p. 41).
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(c)
Proposal for a Council Directive establishing a safety assessment of third-country
aircraft using Community airports
–
Commission progress report
The Council noted a statement by Commissioner KINNOCK indicating that the Commission
was in the process of drawing up a fresh proposal on the safety assessment of third-country
aircraft using Community airports, which was based on the former Council common position
and would shortly be forwarded to the Council. In the meantime, he recommended that
Member States voluntarily apply the provisions in the common position 1, which had not
finally been adopted as a Council Directive.
(d)
Relations between the European Community and the United States in the field of air
transport
- statement by the Commission
Referring to an invitation by the US Administration to attend a forthcoming conference on the
subject "How to go beyond open skies agreements", Commissioner KINNOCK stressed the
need for the Working Party on Aviation, at the level of Directors General of Civil Aviation, to
ensure careful co-ordination of the European Community’s response in order to avoid a
divided approach to this issue as well as any breach of Community legislation.
The President asked the Directors General of Civil Aviation to prepare for that conference in
good time so that the Community’s common interests in the area concerned could be properly
presented.
1
OJ C 227, 20.7.1998, p.18.
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(e)
-
Eurocontrol
progress report on negotiations presented by the Commission
Commissioner KINNOCK informed the Council that two rounds of talks had been held
on the European Community’s accession to Eurocontrol and that an agreed draft
protocol might be available in time for the June Council.
(f)
EASA
-
progress report on negotiations presented by the Commission
The Council noted Commissioner KINNOCK’s statement explaining that the
Commission had drawn up several parts of a draft convention on the setting up of the
European Aviation Safety Authority, and that work was continuing on those sections
covering the institutional aspects of the convention.
The Commissioner expressed the hope that Member States would begin a detailed
examination of the existing sections of the draft convention forthwith.
(g)
Flights over Siberia
statement by the Commission
Commissioner KINNOCK informed the Council of the need to put the issue of the
Russian compensation regime for air transit operations across Siberia on the
ICAO-Council’s agenda, and to link this problem to the discussions currently being held
within the ICAO on the creation of new transcontinental routes through Russian
airspace.
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