The signing of the agreement on a common aviation area between Ukraine and the European Union is one of Ukraine’s top priorities in the field of European integration. Following the full implementation of the agreement, Ukrainian air carriers will enjoy unlimited commercial rights when operating from Ukraine to the EU and between any EU member states, provided that the flight is part of the service serving the point in Ukraine.
Ukraine proposes to sign the Agreement on Common Aviation Area with the EU at the Eastern Partnership summit, scheduled for June 18, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said during a telephone conversation with Croatian Prime Minister Andrey Plenkovich this week.
Ukraine is committed to further work on the implementation of the Association Agreement and sectoral integration with the EU in accordance with the principles and priorities of the 6th meeting of the EU-Ukraine Association Council, held on Jan. 28, 2020.
The Open Sky negotiations with Ukraine ended in 2013, and the signing of the agreement was blocked because of a conflict between the United Kingdom and Spain on the status of the Gibraltar airport. On Jan. 31, 2020, Great Britain, following Brexit, terminated its EU membership.
Why is the Open Sky Agreement crucial?
The Common Aviation Agreement is comparable to the Free Trade Area Agreement. The agreement aims at establishing common standards and liberalizing the air transport market.
In particular, it stipulates that, after full implementation, European carriers will have unlimited commercial rights to operate flights between airports of Ukraine and the EU and between airports within our country, and Ukrainian – between airports of Ukraine and the EU and between EU countries, but without rights for domestic flights within the member states.
Unrestricted rights here mean a much-simplified procedure for the access of air carriers to transportation routes, when, in order to perform a particular flight, it is actually necessary to negotiate only at the airport level, without direct negotiations and agreements between state aviation services.
Ukrainian ministries of foreign affairs and infrastructure discuss the following Action plan:
- Approval by the European Commission of an acceptable wording on Gibraltar airport with Spain;
- Submission of the draft Open Sky Agreement for approval by the government of Ukraine;
- Initiation by the European Commission of the approval procedure by the EU Council;
- Signing the Open Sky Agreement simultaneously with representatives of 27 EU Member States and Ukraine (during the Eastern Partnership Summit in June 2020);
- Ratification of the Open Sky Agreement by all EU member states and Ukraine.
The European Commission expects the EU Council to agree to the approval of the draft agreement initialed in 2013, without additional amendments. At the request of Ukraine or the EU, the annexes to the Open Sky Agreement may be updated at the first meeting of the Joint Committee.
The signing of the agreement and further liberalization will give a proper impetus to the development of the aviation passenger service, which is still underdeveloped in Ukraine compared to the EU countries and has also been affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
Viktor Dovhan is an adviser to the minister of infrastructure of Ukraine
