FARE and EU Government Relations Promoting and defending the interests of regional airports

1. FARE and EU Government RelationsPromoting and defending the interests of regional airports Ronald Schnitker Forum of European Regional Airports AER 12th September 2007 - Poznań

2. FARE Who we are? • Founded in 2004, response to increased EC regulation • Membership covers over 50 regional airports from throughout the Europe and continues to grow What we do? • Promoting and safeguarding the interests of European regional airports • Active engagement with policymakers, positively shaping new airports regulation

3. FARE’s objectives • To act as an independent body on behalf of European regional airports • Continue to influence European regulatory bodies to the benefit of regional airports sector • Fundamentally change perception of regional airports among European decision – makers • Forcefully target administrative burdens that are to be placed upon the European regional airports sector • Continue to grow in order to become a truly representative body, gathering regional airports from throughout the Europe • Engage regional airports from Poland and other EU New Member States

4. European regulatory process –- key issues • Airport Charges • Slot Allocation • Airport Capacity and Groundhandling • Aviation and the ETS

5. Airport Charges Directive • The proposed Directive is to set common principles for the levying of airport charges at all Community airports • The Commission proposal is expected to increase significantly regulatory burden and disadvantage regional airports which are not ‘natural monopolies’ and operate in already highly competitive environment FARE position and action: • FARE lobbying against proposed Directive’s application threshold • Parliamentary report backs FARE position by increasing the application threshold to minimum 5 millions passengers a year

6. Slot Allocation • Commission is likely to propose the introduction of secondary trading and other market mechanisms (such as auctioning) regarding slots FARE position and action: • FARE has been working closely with European Commission to shape proposal and include provisions to protection regional airports from harmful effects

7. Airport Capacity and Groundhandling • The Commission exercises 5 -point approach • The Groundhandling Directive – substantive changes to airlines delivered without necessity to apply it to regional airports • Competition among regional airports strong enough to make liberalisation of groundhadling services irrelevant FARE position and action: • FARE has begun a communication process by identifying and reaching out to key policymakers

8. Aviation and the ETS • Commission proposes to include aviation sector in the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) • The proposal itself is not keen to put specific regulatory burden on the regional airports sector • Issue of concern: one particular amendment included in parliamentary Draft Report (amendment 4 recital 8 D (new)) concerning subsidies to regional airports and effects of these subsidies on creating so called “artificial traffic” FARE position and action: • FARE has reacted very quickly and forcefully to the attempted inclusion of the abovementioned amendment in the parliamentary report • Good response!

9. Going Forward • Change perceptions • Make regional airport development a key regional policy priority • Build a strong constituency of support (EU Institutions, governments, industry and others) To do this: • FARE will continue to build the organisation’s capabilities • FARE to bring in more regional airport members • Make FARE the voice of Europe’s regional airports

10. Questions and Comments Dziękuję Państwu za uwagę