Press Release: Open sky: Jacques Barrot welcomes the draft aviation agreement reached by the EU-US negotiators

Jacques Barrot, Vice-President of the Commission in charge of Transport, warmly welcomes the draft aviation agreement reached on 5 March 2007 by negotiators for the European Union and the United States of America : ''I am delighted with the progress that has been made this week by the European and American negotiating teams. It is my intention to submit this draft agreement to the Transport Council at its next meeting on 22 March. We have an opportunity to unlock major benefits on both sides of the Atlantic. In economic terms, this unprecedented agreement would represent a step change - it could be worth up to 12 billion euro in economic benefits and up to 80,000 new jobs. The decision of the next Transport Council will be crucial. The open aviation area could be a centrepiece for a reinvigorated transatlantic relationship."

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