FOCUS - EU retreats again on aircraft noise law
Date: 07-Oct-99
Country: BELGIUM
Author: Michael Mann
Transport ministers gave the European Commission the green light to
revamp the legislation after receiving assurances from Washington that
it was prepared to work towards international noise standards by
September 2001 at the latest.
"It was considered that new international standards should replace
existing Community legislation in this field," said a statement agreed
by ministers, meeting in Luxembourg.
They invited the Commission, the EU's executive, to bring forward
amended legislation, "in order to facilitate the process of achieving
new international standards on aircraft noise."
This is the second time the 15-member EU has retreated from a
confrontation after intense pressure from the United States, which says
the law restricting the use of older aircraft fitted with noise
mufflers, or "hush kits," discriminates against U.S. companies.
Europe is anxious to avoid another showdown with its biggest trading
partner so soon after damaging spats over hormone-treated beef and
bananas.
Washington says the law, supposed to take effect in May 2000,
discriminates against U.S. companies and has cost industry more than $2
billion even before entering into force, by lowering the value of older
aircraft.
In April, the EU agreed to delay the ban for a year following intensive
lobbying from the Clinton administration.
The latest move comes after the European Commission received a letter
from the U.S. administration saying it was prepared to work towards the
adoption of international noise standards by September 2001.
"We want to assure you of the unequivocal commitment of the United
States to work cooperatively with the Community and other partners to
achieve a new, more stringent noise standard in ICAO as soon as possible
and, in any event, by September 2001," said the letter, signed by
Commerce Secretary William Daley and Transportation Secretary Rodney
Slater.
The EU law, designed to cut noise pollution around congested European
airports, is supposed to prevent the use from April 2002 of hush kitted
aircraft from outside the EU that are not currently operating in the
bloc.
The EU went ahead with unilateral legislation when talks in ICAO (the
International Civil Aviation Organisation) on the next generation of
quiet aircraft ground to a halt.
The U.S. Congress is still considering a retaliatory law that would ban
flights to the United States by the Franco-British Concorde and
Washington has also hinted at action in the World Trade Organisation.
Last month, U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce David Aaron presented a
paper prepared by several U.S. companies - including Nordam, Pratt &
Whitney, a unit of United Technologies, and BF Goodrich - alleging they
had already lost $2.1 billion in sales and reduced fleet value.
