This article from NYTimes.com has been sent to you by psa188@juno.com. Europeans Told to Avoid U.S. Accords on Airlines January 30, 2003 By THOMAS FULLER International Herald Tribune BRUSSELS, Jan. 29 - The European Union warned the governments of its 15 member nations today that it would take legal action against any of them that make individual "open skies" airline agreements with the United States. The move is the latest effort by the European Commission, the union's executive body, to do for air transportation what it has done for years with merchandise trade: negotiate collectively. In a confidential and blunt letter to the 15 nations' ambassadors in Brussels, François Lamoureux, director general for transportation at the commission, said, "Member states should not engage in negotiations with the U.S. on a unilateral basis." Otherwise, he said, the commission "will have no alternative" but to take them to court. A copy of the letter was obtained by The International Herald Tribune. "Open skies" agreements give permission for airlines to fly between countries. Existing agreements between the United States and 11 European nations have drawn criticism for being one-sided, restricting the European carriers from carrying passengers between points in America while the American carriers are free to fly between points in Europe. A European court struck down the existing agreements in November, saying that they violated the union's principle of equal treatment for all members in trade relations. American officials have been mounting a stepped-up campaign since then to replace the old agreements with new ones, offering more attractive terms. "I am writing to caution your governments against entertaining any such approach from the United States," Mr. Lamoureux wrote to the member ambassadors. The European Commission has argued that the agreements have blocked the consolidation of the European airline industry by creating obstacles for cross-border mergers. The United States has offered to remove ownership restrictions and otherwise modify the agreements to pass muster with the European courts, according to John R. Byerly, deputy assistant secretary of state for transportation affairs. Mr. Lamoureux, in his letter, described these concessions as "minimalist proposals." But there were signs that some European Union members preferred new bilateral deals rather than bargaining collectively through the union. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/01/30/business/worldbusiness/30JETS.html?ex=1044936198&ei=1&en=a9abbfc7c977f05b HOW TO ADVERTISE --------------------------------- For information on advertising in e-mail newsletters or other creative advertising opportunities with The New York Times on the Web, please contact onlinesales@nytimes.com or visit our online media kit at http://www.nytimes.com/adinfo For general information about NYTimes.com, write to help@nytimes.com. Copyright 2002 The New York Times Company