EC MAY NEGOTIATE NEW BILATERAL AVIATION AGREEMENT WITH U.S.

EC MAY NEGOTIATE NEW BILATERAL AVIATION AGREEMENT WITH U.S.    The European council of transport ministers said that national governments within the European Union would cooperate with the European Commission to resolve the legal conflict concerning bilateral aviation agreements made with the United States.
   On Nov. 5, the European Court of Justice, Europe’s highest court, declared that several aspects of “open skies” agreements concluded between individual European member governments and the United States are contrary to European law.
   The European council of transport ministers requested a committee to continue work on a negotiating mandate that would be given to the European Commission to conclude an aviation agreement with the U.S.
   The EC has long argued that national-level aviation bilateral agreements should be replaced by EU-wide agreements with other countries.