EU Approves Agreements for Armenia, Ukraine, and Tunisia to Associate with Internal Aviation Market

The Council of the European Union approved on June 29 agreements to create a common aviation area with three neighboring countries - Ukraine, Armenia, and Tunisia - as well as a decision to sign an air transport agreement with Qatar.

The mentioned agreements will open the aviation transport market, providing new opportunities for consumers and airlines. With more effective connectivity, a new impetus will be given to trade, tourism, investment promotion, and socio-economic development.

This information was reported by the EU delegation in Armenia. "The EU Council is now ready to sign four essential agreements related to aviation, which will ensure market accessibility for air carriers and enhance connectivity and citizens' freedom of movement. The agreements will also ensure the highest level of safety and security, and measures will be taken to provide equal competitive conditions," stated Portugal's Minister of Infrastructure, Nuno Santos, who currently presides over the EU Council.

Through the three agreements being signed with neighboring countries, market restrictions on EU neighboring countries will be lifted, allowing them to associate with the EU's internal aviation market, as they will implement EU aviation standards and comply with EU aviation regulations.

The agreement with Qatar will equally open the market for all 27 member countries, ensuring the modernization of regulations and standards governing air transport between Qatar and the EU. This agreement will be the first of its kind between the EU and Gulf countries.

All four agreements will enshrine environmental, social, and fair competition requirements and establish a robust mechanism for their implementation to avoid any distortion of competition or other abuses.

According to the adopted decisions, the agreements with Ukraine, Armenia, and Qatar may be temporarily applied until the domestic legislative procedures necessary for the documents to enter into force are completed. The four agreements are expected to be signed in the autumn of 2021. Subsequently, the agreements must be ratified by all EU member states, the Union, and the signing country.