During the plenary session (5-8 July 2021) of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, MEPs debate on the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on the aviation: opening statements by Lucia ĎURIŠ NICHOLSONOVÁ (Renew, SK) and Karima DELLI (Greens/EFA, FR), authors and by Adina VĂLEAN, European Commissioner for Transport. This transcription is the result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

Joint debate - Impact of the Covid-19 crisis on the aviation: opening statements by Lucia ĎURIŠ NICHOLSONOVÁ (Renew, SK) and Karima DELLI (Greens/EFA, FR), authors and by Adina VĂLEAN, European Commissioner for Transport

SOUNDBITE (English), Lucia ĎURI&Scaron; NICHOLSONOV&Aacute; (Renew, SK), Thank you very much for giving me the floor, dear colleagues. We all know that the Covid 19 pandemic has severely affected the EU aviation sector, with the loss of more than two thirds of traffic and many jobs as carriers seek to maintain viability and reduce the costs.

SOUNDBITE (English),  Lucia ĎURIŠ NICHOLSONOVÁ (Renew, SK), Despite the state aid schemes, most of the airlines are still struggling to return to pre pandemic activity levels, despite some improvements regarding the travel restrictions and the vaccination campaign. It is feared that the difficulties that the airline sectors are facing could lead to more job cuts and further downgrading of terms and conditions.

SOUNDBITE (English),  Lucia ĎURIŠ NICHOLSONOVÁ (Renew, SK), Therefore, it is our duty to ensure a fair competition. It is our duty to ensure that companies receiving public financial support fully respect the workers rights and labour laws. Against this background, the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs has the following questions to the commission, taking into account the evaluation of regulation.

SOUNDBITE (English),  Lucia ĎURIŠ NICHOLSONOVÁ (Renew, SK), Number one thousand eight. How will the commission ensure effective enforcement of applicable EU legislation? And what legal measures are being considered to ensure a level playing field and legal certainty for air crews, including the requirement to know which labour law is applicable to air crews?

SOUNDBITE (English),  Lucia ĎURIŠ NICHOLSONOVÁ (Renew, SK), Second, when will the Commission put forward a revision of regulation No. 1008 in order to ensure decent working and employment conditions in the aviation sector? Third, when will the Commission publish the findings of the ad hoc group of Member States' experts on aviation and labour law? And how will it remedy the lack of reliable data on the number of air crews jobs, outsource jobs and the agency's staff? Thank you very much.

SOUNDBITE (French), Karima DELLI (Greens/EFA, FR), Commissioner, honourable members. On behalf of the Committee on Transport and Tourism, we would like to discuss this point with you, Commissioner. Just ahead of the summer season, one of the most important for aviation, the pandemic has seen air traffic slump by over two thirds compared to 2019 levels.

SOUNDBITE (French), Karima DELLI (Greens/EFA, FR), This has been financially disastrous for the aviation sector and on working conditions. The Commission tabled emergency measures such as decreasing slot usage thresholds for airlines, preventing infamous ghost flights, which would be awful for the environment. And we all criticised that here in this chamber.

SOUNDBITE (French), Karima DELLI (Greens/EFA, FR), The Commission also promoted the digital green certificate and coordination on health measures around Europe. What we've seen now is an increase in variance. Moreover, some countries are slow in rolling out vaccinations, and so uncertainty is rife.

SOUNDBITE (French), Karima DELLI (Greens/EFA, FR), We need measures to ensure recovery in this sector, responsible, sustainable recovery in line with the EU's goals to this end. Commissioner, we would like to know, what does the Commission plan to do to support the recovery of the aviation cert sector? What does it plan to do beyond the introduction of the digital green certificate?

SOUNDBITE (English),  Lucia ĎURIŠ NICHOLSONOVÁ (Renew, SK), Does it plan to improve coordination of travel restrictions and health restrictions and requirements across member states? How can it ensure fair competition and guarantee jobs and Workers Rights?

SOUNDBITE (French), Karima DELLI (Greens/EFA, FR), Commissioner, at your first hearing in the Transport Committee, a number of my colleagues talked about the lack of social measures at EU level, the need to tackle the issue of the bogus self-employed, we cannot allow these companies to outsource their workers and their basis pilots for example.

SOUNDBITE (French), Karima DELLI (Greens/EFA, FR), We are halfway through the Commission's term. And the Commission, I regret to note, has not come forward with proposals yet. Will the Commission look at economic social issues linked to aviation, for example, review of regulation 1008/2008 and ensure greater coordination between EU and national transport authorities?

SOUNDBITE (French), Karima DELLI (Greens/EFA, FR), And now I'm going to switch caps, if you like, and speak on behalf of my group. I am a member of the Green Party and I would like to talk about conditionality of any aid issued to the aviation sector. The aviation sector has received some 30 billion in public aid around Europe with no counter requirements, be it social or environmental commissioner.

SOUNDBITE (French), Karima DELLI (Greens/EFA, FR), When it comes to the green deal, we cannot sign a blank cheque using taxpayers' money without expecting that airlines do something in return to further the green transition. We need to ensure that we make the green transition, the success story in this sector.

SOUNDBITE (French), Karima DELLI (Greens/EFA, FR), Commissioner, will you take genuine steps to combat social dumping, social environmental externalities? Very often, airline have an unfair advantage compared to other modes of transport, such as rail. This is, after all, the European Year of Rail.

SOUNDBITE (French), Karima DELLI (Greens/EFA, FR), Commissioner. I hope we can count on your support and that we will begin considering, for example, a kerosene tax or the end of free pollution quotas issued to the aviation sector in the ETS system. We will not all agree on the philosophy across political groups, but I think we all share the same group.

SOUNDBITE (French), Karima DELLI (Greens/EFA, FR), We don't want anyone to be left behind. We don't want anyone to struggle with the green transition, we don't want to trigger a new social crisis in the sector, we have a wonderful opportunity to support this sector. Now is the time to take action. Commissioner, we cannot waste this opportunity. We will regret it if we do so. Thank you.

SOUNDBITE (English), Adina VĂLEAN, European Commissioner for Transport, Thank you so honourable members, the Covid 19 pandemic has been a major shock for the aviation industry. Demand for air travel, in particular for passengers, collapsed in a matter of weeks and the recovery has been slow and fluctuating.

SOUNDBITE (English), Adina VĂLEAN, European Commissioner for Transport, Until recently, the aviation sector is not expected to fully recover before 24/26. On the short term, air traffic recovery, the Commission is giving its priority to the best use of airport capacity and traffic increase. As you are aware, the slot regulation has been amended to decrease the slot usage threshold.

SOUNDBITE (English), Adina VĂLEAN, European Commissioner for Transport, The Commission is currently working on a delegated act to extend the slot relief rules for the winter 21/22 scheduling season. The Commission has also proposed a number of measures aiming at facilitating free movement in the EU, including the introduction of the new digital Covid certificate.

SOUNDBITE (English), Adina VĂLEAN, European Commissioner for Transport, On 28 June this year, the services issued guidance for member states to facilitate a smooth rollout of the EU digital covid certificates and to harmonise the different national regimes, notably in aviation. In addition, the state data temporary framework adopted in March last year enables member states to give support also to the aviation sector.

SOUNDBITE (English), Adina VĂLEAN, European Commissioner for Transport, We have extended the temporary framework to enable member states to use the full flexibility foreseen under the state aid rules to support the economy, including the aviation sector, until the end of this year.

SOUNDBITE (English), Adina VĂLEAN, European Commissioner for Transport, Member states can also compensate undertakings for damages suffered directly as a result of government restrictions put in place to contain the spread of the covid-19 based on Article 107 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.

SOUNDBITE (English), Adina VĂLEAN, European Commissioner for Transport, In addition, member states may also provide rescue or restructuring support to specific airlines or airports, just as they do with other sectors impacted by the crisis. Furthermore, additional financial support to the sector, including the support of the employees, can be provided from the Recovery Assistance for Cohesion and Territories of Europe, European Social Fund Plus, or from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Displaced Workers.

SOUNDBITE (English), Adina VĂLEAN, European Commissioner for Transport, To give you an example, the latter has already supported 1200 displaced workers from the aviation sector in the Netherlands. Five hundred displaced workers from the aviation sector in Finland and 1500 displaced workers in ground handling in Belgium.

SOUNDBITE (English), Adina VĂLEAN, European Commissioner for Transport, As you know this Commission is determined to deliver a strong EU special agenda in air transport. Airline practises, which constitute abuse of circumvention of applicable law, have no place in the EU's single market for aviation. The Commission made its position very clear already in the report from March 2019 called Aviation Strategy for Europe maintaining and Promoting High Social Standards for Air Crews, the so-called social report.

SOUNDBITE (English), Adina VĂLEAN, European Commissioner for Transport, The conclusion of this report remain valid. Substantial EU and national legislation already protects air crews. However, effective enforcement of these rules, which would avoid abusive practises and ensure a level playing field, depends primarily on the member states to support member states in appropriately enforcing rules.

SOUNDBITE (English), Adina VĂLEAN, European Commissioner for Transport, The Commission established an expert group working on social matters related to the aircrews. The expert group has already yielded concrete and important results by delivering three papers. Two of these are published and available in the Commission Expert Group Registry website, and the third one will soon be made available as well. It was a reference to that.

SOUNDBITE (English), Adina VĂLEAN, European Commissioner for Transport, In the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy adopted in December last year, we have reaffirmed the strong commitment towards promoting high social standards in the aviation sector. The strategy stipulates that we will propose a revision of the service regulation in 21 22 within this revision.

SOUNDBITE (English), Adina VĂLEAN, European Commissioner for Transport, The commission may propose legislative measures to further clarify or strengthen the effective enforcement by the member states of relevant national labour law rules in relation to air crews, for instance, the defining the notion of operational base, as called for by the expert group on social matters related to air crews.

SOUNDBITE (English), Adina VĂLEAN, European Commissioner for Transport, The aim of the proposal will be to support the functioning of the market, not only in normal times, but also during sudden and unexpected shocks. So we are committed to deliver a proposal as soon as possible and in line with the commission's better regulation standards.

SOUNDBITE (English), Adina VĂLEAN, European Commissioner for Transport, But before we present a proposal, it is therefore crucial to assess the structural impacts of the Covid 19 crisis on the sector and how we can help support recovery and resilience of aviation in the medium and long term. For that purpose, the Commission services will shortly launch a study to that effect. It will be based on a wide sectoral consultation.

SOUNDBITE (English), Adina VĂLEAN, European Commissioner for Transport, And in addition, in light of the EU's sustainable smart mobility strategy, we also need to assess how we can further promote social responsibility as well as environmental sustainability. Suboptimal rules may result in loss of connectivity, competitiveness, a global aviation markets and jobs.

SOUNDBITE (English), Adina VĂLEAN, European Commissioner for Transport, So, as I said, we also need to assess how we can further promote social responsibility as well as environmental sustainability while avoiding suboptimal rules. Thank you very much, President.

Joint debate - Impact of the Covid-19 crisis on the aviation: opening statements by Lucia ĎURIŠ NICHOLSONOVÁ (Renew, SK) and Karima DELLI (Greens/EFA, FR), authors and by Adina VĂLEAN, European Commissioner for Transport

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