European Commission: Israel to join Europe Aviation

As part of the process of creating a wider Common Aviation Area with its Eastern and Southern Neighbours by 2010, the EU's aim is to establish an open aviation area between the EU and Israel. To this end, the European Commission adopted in November 2007 a Communication on developing a Common Aviation Area with Israel, and requested a mandate from the Council to negotiate a comprehensive EU-Israel Euro-Mediterranean aviation agreement providing for gradual market opening and a high level of regulatory convergence in the areas of aviation safety, security, air traffic management, competition, state aid, environmental and consumer protection and research.

With its changing aviation policy and high regulatory standards, Israel is a strong candidate for the next Euro-Mediterranean aviation agreement with the EU. Air traffic between the EU and Israel has increased in recent years (ca. 5.5 M passengers to/from the EU in 2007, more than half of all passengers to/from Israel), and further demand for air travel cannot be satisfied any more through the traditional bilateral framework.

Negotiations of such an agreement were officially launched on 9-10 December 2008 in Brussels.

The results of a study prepared for the Commission show that in the first year after opening the aviation market between the EU and Israel more than 220.000 additional passengers could be expected. In addition, a comprehensive aviation agreement could generate consumer benefits up to 96 million Euros through lower fares and new services, and could create more than 1000 jobs in the EU and Israel.

A "horizontal" air transport agreement with Israel was signed on 9 December 2008. This agreement will bring all existing bilateral air service agreements between EU Member States and Israel in line with EU law. Most importantly, it will remove nationality restrictions in the bilateral agreements and thereby allows any EU airline to operate flights between Israel and any EU Member State where it is established if traffic rights under the relevant bilateral agreement are available.