EC WANTS TO CREATE UNIFIED AIR TRAFFIC AGENCY

   The European Commission plans to propose that the European Union create a single body to oversee air traffic control for all 15 countries of the union, European news sources have reported.
   Europe’s airlines have pressured the EU to take action as flight delays
on the continent have worsened considerably this year, costing carriers
millions of dollars.
   Last month, Loyola de Palacio, vice president of the EC and the
commissioner responsible for transport, called for a single EU air
transport market. The fragmented European markets are an obstacle for
implementation of the internal market and the competitiveness of Europe’s transport industry with the world, de Palacio said.
   The commission also wants to open more European military air space for commercial use.
   A common security agency and environmental issues are other priorities, the EC said.