Member states agree on airport charges

European transport ministers are expected to reach agreement on a new EU directive on airport charges at a meeting on Friday (30 November).

Council of Ministers officials said it was likely that a majority of member states would support the proposal.

The goal of the directive is to ensure that European airports set prices for airlines based on common rules in order to promote more transparent pricing and fair competition.

But some smaller member states, such as Latvia and Estonia, have voiced concerns that the scope of the directive is too broad.

Since it was first proposed by the European Commission in January, its application has been narrowed. It was originally intended to apply to airports with more than one million passengers passing through annually; now it will apply to airports with annual footfall of more than five million people, but also to the biggest airport in each member state. A spokesperson for Latvia’s representation to the EU said: "Latvia doubts if [this] second provision would serve as a reasonable criterion for defining the scope of the directive."

Françoise Humbert, of the Association for European Airlines, said that the airlines supported the directive and hoped that it would lead to lower prices. According to Commission figures, 14 of the world’s 25 most expensive airports are located in the EU.

The directive is likely to go to the European Parliament for a first reading in January 2008.

Transport ministers are also expected to discuss on Friday the Galileo satellite navigation system and to agree new rules for ship inspection that could lead to tougher sanctions for shipping operators who breach safety standards.

European transport ministers are expected to reach agreement on a new EU directive on airport charges at a meeting on Friday (30 November).