The EU Council gave the mandate to the European Commission to start negotiations on comprehensive air transport agreements with third countries including Turkey.

The Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council adopted mandates that allow the European Commission to start negotiations on comprehensive EU-level air transport agreements with four key partners of the EU which are ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), Qatar, the UAE and Turkey on 7 June 2016.

The agreement with ASEAN countries is set to become the first EU bloc-to-bloc aviation agreement signed by the EU. The Council also stressed that the UAE, Qatar and Turkey represent some of the most dynamic and fastest growing aviation markets.

The Council explained that these agreements aim at creating new business opportunities, improving market access along with ensuring fair competition under transparent market conditions. Moreover, it also highlighted the fact that the agreements are set to increase Europe’s international connectivity in terms of air transport and ensure a higher quality of service for air passengers.  In that context, it is assumed that airlines, airports and air passengers will benefit from enhanced regulatory cooperation along with convergence in areas pertaining to aviation safety, aviation security and economic regulation.

From Turkey’s perspective, it is alleged that the agreement would increase and diversify the number of air connections between Turkey and the EU, also further strengthening Turkey’s position as a potential aviation hub in the region.