EU tekent luchtvaartovereenkomst met Moldavië (en)

European Union signs aviation agreement with Moldova

Today, in Luxembourg, the EU and Moldova signed an aviation agreement which allows European airlines to fly between any EU Member State and Moldova and acknowledges the existence of a single market for air transport with Moldova.

The "horizontal" aviation agreement does not replace the bilateral agreements between the Member States and Moldova but brings them in line with EU law. It removes the nationality restrictions of bilateral air services agreements which the European Court of Justice found incompatible with EU law in its "open skies" judgements of 5 November 2002.

The European Commission has successfully negotiated similar agreements with 22 other countries, including Chili, Ukraine, Australia, Singapore, Morocco and the countries of the Western Balkan.

Today's agreement was signed by Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner i.

Vice-President Jacques Barrot i in charge of transport welcomed the agreement and said: "It will bring further benefits to airlines and passengers and pave the way for a closer integration of Moldova into European aviation".