Proposal for a Council Decision on the fulfilment by the Republic of Croatia of the conditions for completing the first transitional period under the Multilateral Agreement on the establishment of a European Common Aviation Area

In 2006, the Council adopted the European Common Aviation Area (ECAA) Multilateral Agreement between the European Community and eight Associated Parties making up the Western Balkan region, namely Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro and the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo.

The objective of the Agreement is to integrate the EU's neighbours into the European Union's existing internal aviation market involving all 27 Member States of the EU, Norway and Iceland. The eight South-East European Associated Parties agreed to the full application of the European Union's aviation law. Once the acquis is fully implemented, ECAA airlines will have open access to the enlarged European Single Market in aviation.

The Agreement grants airlines from all parties access to direct services between their own territory and those of the other Parties. Further rights are associated with completion of the individual associated party's specific transitional arrangements as set out in the agreement, which differ between the parties. In the case of Croatia, completion of the first transitional phase requires implementation of elements of the core European aviation acquis, as well as, inter alia, ratification of the Montreal convention and the establishment of an independent air traffic management regulatory body. Confirmation of these steps triggers enhanced commercial rights for European and Croatian airlines, notably onward services within certain territories covered by the Agreement.

In November 2009, a delegation of experts from Member States and the European Commission visited Zagreb to undertake an extensive assessment of the state of Croatia's implementation of the European Union's aviation acquis. The assessment confirmed that the Republic of Croatia had fulfilled the conditions for completing the first transitional period as set out in Protocol IV of the Agreement. The positive conclusions from that assessment have been shared with Member States and the Croatian Government and will be presented at the meeting of the ECAA Joint Committee scheduled to be held in December 2010.

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