Changes from report parliamentary committee draft to plenary report

The EU- People's Republic of Bangladesh Agreement

Negotiations on an EU Horizontal Aviation Agreement were initiated in March 2007 and a draft agreement was initialled in December 2013, with the aim of restoring legal certainty to the bilateral air services agreements between the People’s Republic of Bangladesh and 8 EU Member States. The Council adopted its Decision on signature of the agreement in December 2015. However, following the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union and the expiry of the transition period on 31 December 2020, it was necessary to remove the references to the United Kingdom from the text of the Agreement before its formal signature. Bangladesh agreed to the removal of those references. On 18 September 2023, the Council took note of the intention to present for signing a text which differed from the text approved by the Council insofar as the references to the UK were concerned.

On Friday 7 June 2024, the European Union and Bangladesh signed the “Agreement between the European Union and the People's Republic of Bangladesh on certain aspects of air services”. Subject to the availability of traffic rights in the respective bilateral air services agreements, this EU agreement will allow any EU airline to fly between Bangladesh and the seven concerned EU Member States whose bilateral air services agreements with Bangladesh do not already allow this (Belgium, Denmark, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, France and Slovakia).

Pending the entry into force of the horizontal agreement, the bilateral air services agreements which it covers only authorise airlines owned and controlled by the signatory Member State or Bangladesh or their nationals to operate flights between that Member States and Bangladesh.

Procedure

On Friday 6 September 2024, the ambassadors of the Member States to the EU (Coreper) approved the conclusion of the horizontal aviation agreement between the European Union and Bangladesh.

In accordance with Rule 107(1) and (4), and Rule 117(7) of Parliament’s rules of procedure, the committee responsible (TRAN) shall submit a recommendation for the approval or rejection of the proposed act. Parliament shall then take a decision by means of a single vote, and no amendments to the Agreement may be tabled. Amendments in committee shall be admissible only if their aim is to reverse the recommendation proposed by the rapporteur.

Rapporteur’s position

By granting all EU air carriers non-discriminatory access to routes between the EU and Bangladesh, this agreement promotes competition on air routes between the EU and an important EU partner from Asia and will, consequently, improve connectivity.

Standard EU clauses on aviation safety, aviation fuel taxation and compatibility with competition rules are included in the agreement, to ensure compatibility of the bilateral air services agreements with EU policies and standards.

Based on all the above mentioned, the rapporteur recommends that the Committee on Transport and Tourism give its approval for the conclusion of this agreement.