EU and West African Economic and Monetary Union sign horizontal agreement on air services

European Union and the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) signed (17-Dec-2009) an aviation agreement which will provide "legal certainty to bilateral air services agreements between the Member States of both the EU and WAEMU". The agreement brings several provisions of the 47 existing bilateral air services agreements between EU and WAEMU Member States in line with EU law. It will also remove nationality restrictions and allows EU airlines to operate services between any EU Member State and any WAEMU Member State where a bilateral agreement between the two countries concerned exists and traffic rights are available. The agreement also provides WAEMU carriers with increased opportunities to operate to the EU from WAEMU countries other than their licensing state, in a reciprocal recognition of a WAEMU designation.The agreement is the first horizontal agreement with another regional organisation. Currently, the European Commission has negotiated 42 horizontal aviation agreements with third countries. [more]