The EU Directive on Airport Charges: Principles, Current Situation, and Developments
20 January 2009
By Dr. Francesco Lo Passo and David Matthew
In this paper, NERA Director Dr. Francesco Lo Passo and Associate Director David Matthew review the proposal for the EU Directive on airport charges, which was approved by the European Parliament in October 2008 and sent to the European Council, which is expected to approve it by February 2009. The objective of the Directive is to establish a general framework setting common principles for the levying of airport charges. These principles will need to be transposed into national law by each EU Member State within 24 months of the Directive's entry into force. The authors note that the Directive will be implemented in the context of a long history within the EU of disputes between airports and airlines regarding airport charging, whether under competition law, national regulatory requirements, or other avenues. They note that the proposed Directive will impose new obligations on many airports regarding transparency, consultation, non-discrimination, and arbitration, and that it opens up a new avenue for airlines to pursue their grievances.
