European Union Affairs Committee supports more flexible state aid rules in aviation

The Committee sees a need to review and modernise the current state aid guidelines for aviation because the sector has undergone significant changes since their adoption in 2014. The current guidelines are valid until 2027, and the purpose of the public consultation is to collect the opinions of stakeholders, Member States, airports, airlines, and organisations of the industry on the relevance and application of the current state aid guidelines.

The Chairman of the EUAC Peeter Tali stressed the importance of the smooth functioning of Estonia’s main airport in Tallinn, as well as our regional airports. “Living on the edge of Europe in the logistical sense gives us insight about how difficult it is to keep and introduce new flight connections from Tallinn. Therefore, there is all the more reason to give more state aid to regional airports in Pärnu, Tartu, Kärdla, Kuressaare, Kihnu, and Ruhnu,” the Chairman said in sympathy of the government’s position that the EU aviation state aid rules should be amended to allow countries to quickly intervene and support connections in the Member States on the outskirts of the EU if the market is unable to ensure their stability and quality. “We must be able to continue supporting regional airports after 2027 as well,” he insisted.

The current three-year support programme for successfully launching new routes is insufficient and the start-up aid could last for four years in the future to make sure the companies are interested in keeping up the flights. The Committee would like to see the state aid system for airports to become more flexible, to allow quick intervention in case of market failures or crises—such as the past Covid crisis. The state aid rules are so complicated that both businesses and the state find these difficult to follow; yet these should allow for a quick intervention without months of deliberation. The EUAC amended Estonia’s positions at the sitting, adding the proposal that the state aid rules should be indefinite in duration.

The Ministry of Climate Deputy Secretary General for Transport Sander Salmu and DG of the Aviation Department Taivo Linnamägi gave an overview of the positions of the government at the sitting. Member of the Economic Affairs Committee Tarmo Tamm expressed the position of his Committee.

In its further work, the European Commission will proceed from the responses received through public consultations and might introduce changes in the state aid guidelines. The state aid guidelines in aviation industry are in the exclusive competence of the European Commission, with Member States only playing a consulting role.

Riigikogu Press Service
Maris Meiessaar
+372 631 6353, +372 5558 3993
maris.meiessaar@riigikogu.ee
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Link uudisele: European Union Affairs Committee supports more flexible state aid rules in aviation

Source: Parliament of Estonia