Strasbourg showdown over airports

MEPs to vote on controversial airport regulations.

A 3,000-strong crowd of airport baggage-handlers is expected to demonstrate outside the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Tuesday (11 December), ahead of a crucial vote on whether to liberalise the market for ground handling services at EU airports.

Last month, the Parliament’s transport committee rejected by just two votes a measure that would introduce further liberalisation, by forcing large airports to open the market more widely to companies not affiliated with the airport or the national carrier. Member states have already confirmed their support for the measure, which was proposed by the European Commission.

The Commission’s proposal has run into massive opposition from what has been termed an ‘unholy alliance’ of trade unions and German and Austrian airports.

Four airports in particular – Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich and Vienna – have lobbied intensively against the proposal. Frankfurt Airport owns 85% of its own ground handling services, and Munich owns 70%.

Trade unions say a 1996 liberalisation has been detrimental to workers’ social protection, and merely saves money for airlines. “A further opening of the market combined with a vague legal framework would open the path for service providers in European airports that are much less concerned about safety levels and working conditions,” said François Ballestero of the European Transport Workers’ Federation, which is organising the Strasbourg protest.

Secret vote

A similar protest was held in Brussels the day before the committee vote. The vote was secret, but it is believed that German and Austrian MEPs across the political spectrum voted to reject the proposal, along with the Socialists and Greens.

Siim Kallas, the European commissioner for transport, has threatened to withdraw the entire package of airports proposals – which also includes slot liberalisation and noise restrictions – if the ground handling proposal is rejected by the Parliament next week. He says airports and airlines across Europe have asked for this liberalisation, and a small minority of German and Austrian airports are dominating the debate. “They are saying it is labour concerns, but it is not,” he told European Voice. “If the package gets thrown out, it will be worse for the working people. But the airlines who wanted this have not been so active in lobbying.”

The Association of European Airlines has criticised the transport committee’s vote, saying it is “protecting existing monopolies and depriving both passengers and airlines of more efficient and competitive ground handling services.”

Kallas will meet MEPs in Strasbourg next week, and will urge them to overturn the transport committee’s decision. The full plenary can back the committee’s position, override the rejection through amendments, or send the legislation back to the transport committee. Overriding the committee’s vote and adopting a different position for negotiations with member states may be overly sensitive politically. The Commission says it will work with MEPs to allay their concerns if the issue is sent back to committee.