European Union–Armenia Common Aviation Area Agreement

SUMMARY OF:

Common Aviation Area Agreement between the European Union and Armenia

Decision (EU) 2021/2102 on the signing and the provisional application of the agreement

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE AGREEMENT AND THE DECISION?

The agreement aims for:

the gradual opening of the market for direct flights for all European Union (EU) and Armenian airlines between the EU and Armenia;
providing a regulatory framework and setting out standards for a wide range of aviation issues with which Armenian law will be gradually aligned, such as
- aviation safety,
- security,
- passenger rights,
- air traffic management,
- economic regulation,
- the environment and noise,
- consumer protection, and
- social aspects;
non-discrimination and a level playing field for businesses.

The decision approves the signing and the provisional application of the agreement.

KEY POINTS

The agreement covers three main areas of cooperation.

1.
Economic rules
The agreement sets out rules on several aspects of economic cooperation between the EU and Armenia, including:
- traffic rights – including the unlimited right to fly between the EU and Armenia or over the other party’s territory or to make a stop in the other party’s territory for non-traffic purposes;
- operational flexibility – including carrying transit traffic through the territory of the other party, combining traffic on the same aircraft regardless of where such traffic originates and serving more than one point on the same service;
- authorisations – for air carriers of each party to operate in the territory of the other;
- commercial opportunities – guaranteeing all EU air carriers access to commercial opportunities, such as ground handling, code-sharing* and intermodality*, and the possibility to price freely;
- rules to ensure fair competition and facilitate business activities;
- rules on user charges for airport and aviation facilities and services.
2.
Regulatory cooperation (including aviation safety, security and air traffic management, the environment, consumer protection and social aspects).
Both parties must:
- conform with certain EU safety legislation, as listed in an annex to the agreement;
- recognise each other’s safety certificates;
- cooperate on security and work towards mutual recognition of one another’s security standards;
- cooperate in air traffic management with a view to extending the single European sky to Armenia, and conform with the EU’s legislation on air traffic management, as listed in an annex to the agreement;
- cooperate in environmental, consumer protection and social matters – additionally, Armenia has agreed to implement certain aviation-specific EU environmental, social and consumer protection standards and measures.
3.
Institutional rules (administration and enforcement)
- Each party is responsible for enforcing the rules of the agreement on its territory.
- A joint committee comprising representatives of both parties, and meeting at least yearly, is responsible for administering the agreement and ensuring its proper implementation.
- The agreement includes a dispute resolution mechanism and allows for the possibility for either party to take safeguarding measures if the other party does not fulfil its obligations.

DATE OF ENTRY INTO FORCE

The agreement will apply when the ratification procedures are completed by both sides (pending notification of the completion of national and EU procedures and official ratification by Armenia). Armenia has committed to implementing EU aviation acquis.

BACKGROUND

This is one of a number of bilateral agreements strengthening air relations between the EU and its eastern neighbourhood countries in the context of the European Commission communication on developing the agenda for the EU’s external aviation policy.

For further information, see:

The EU’s external aviation policy – addressing future challenges (European Commission)
An aviation strategy for Europe (European Commission)
EU–Armenia aviation relations (European Commission).

KEY TERMS

Code-sharing. An arrangement under which an operator places its designator code on a flight operated by another operator, and sells and issues tickets for that flight.

Intermodality. The ability to move freight in containers that can be used seamlessly between several modes of transport (such as planes, trucks and trains).

MAIN DOCUMENTS

Common Aviation Area Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Armenia, of the other part (OJ L 429, 1.12.2021, pp. 17–64).

Council Decision (EU) 2021/2102 of 28 June 2021 on the signing, on behalf of the European Union, and provisional application of the Common Aviation Area Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Armenia, of the other part (OJ L 429, 1.12.2021, pp. 15–16).