International Aviation - EU-ASEAN Seminar on EU Economic Regulation for Air Transport

International Aviation - EU-ASEAN Seminar on EU Economic Regulation for Air Transport

Sharing experiences in regional, liberalised aviation markets

13 and 14 December 2007

An aviation seminar for senior officials of countries of ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, was held on 13th-14th December 2007 in Brussels. The event was organised jointly by the European Commission and ASEAN in order to share information on the regulation and functioning of the EU internal aviation market and its relations with third countries. The seminar brought together the aviation authorities from 8 Southeast Asian countries (Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam) as well as officials from the ASEAN Secretariat.

15 years ago, a single, integrated market for aviation was created within the EU based on common rules and market opening. This has resulted in the largest and most successful regional aviation market in the world creating significant benefits for consumers and operators.

ASEAN has set the target of developing an ASEAN Economic Community by 2015 which will include a single market for aviation based on market liberalisation and regional integration. In this respect, the EU experience with regulation of its single market is considered a useful reference.

The seminar provided insights into the functioning of the EU single aviation market and regulatory issues in the context of market integration and liberalisation.

European Commission senior officials and external experts presented EU regulatory experiences in areas such as liberalising market access; main elements in EU economic regulation; application of competition law; EU passenger rights and consumer protection; insurance and air carrier liability; EU aviation safety and security policies; EU environmental policy for air transport; EU policy on airports and EU external aviation policy.

The seminar also addressed future EU-ASEAN technical cooperation including the priorities of a new technical assistance project envisaged to support ASEAN in meeting the challenges it is facing in its aviation sector.

The seminar was hosted by the Directorate-General for Energy and Transport of the European Commission with the support of the ASEAN-EU Programme for Regional Integration Support - Phase II - APRIS II as part of the Regional EU-ASEAN Development Instrument.

The seminar was organised following the launch of an EC-ASEAN Dialogue on Civil Aviation, under the Regional EC-ASEAN Dialogue Instrument, or READI. The event was part of the EU-ASEAN Joint Plan of Action endorsed by the EU-ASEAN Summit on 22 November 2007.