Commission launches infringement procedures against six Member States over agreements with Russia

16-Feb-2011 The European Commission has today launched infringement procedures against Cyprus, Ireland, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia and Spain over their bilateral air service agreements with Russia, sending each of these Member States a formal request for information known as a 'letter of formal notice'. The Commission is concerned that the agreements may hinder competition between European airlines and provide the basis for Siberian overflight charges that may be illegal under EU anti-trust rules. Similar letters of formal notice were already sent in October 2010 to Austria, Finland, France and Germany and in January 2011 to Belgium, Denmark, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Sweden and the UK. The Commission is now assessing the compliance with EU law of the remaining Member States' bilateral aviation agreements with Russia. The fact that European Union airlines have to pay to fly over Siberia on their way to Asian destinations can not only make the flights more expensive, but can also lead to unfair competition between EU and non-EU airlines.