EU to seek single 'open skies' air pact with U.S. LUXEMBOURG (Reuters) =97 The European Union agreed on Thursday to seek a=20 single air-traffic rights deal with the United States, a move that could=20 reshape the transatlantic air market and boost mergers within the bloc.=20 "This is a historic date," European Transport Commissioner Loyola de=20 Palacio told a news conference after EU transport ministers agreed to seek= =20 a single "open skies" accord. The Commission, the executive arm of the EU,= =20 will negotiate on behalf of the bloc. A deal, to include the 10 new=20 countries due to join the EU next year, would give all EU carriers open=20 access to any U.S. airport and vice-versa. De Palacio said the EU-U.S. air= =20 market accounted for 40 percent of global aviation. The Commission also=20 believes such an agreement would help consolidation in the EU industry as,= =20 under the bilateral pacts, companies had been afraid to lose U.S. slots by= =20 linking up with an airline in another EU state. "Mr Minetta (U.S. transport= =20 secretary) has a counterpart to talk to, and her name is Loyola de=20 Palacio," said Greek Transport Minister Christos Verelis, whose country=20 holds the rotating EU presidency and chaired the ministers' talks. The move= =20 follows a European Court of Justice ruling that parts of existing airline=20 treaties between individual EU and states and the U.S. violated EU law. *************************************************** The owner of Roger's Trinbago Site/TnTisland.com Roj (Roger James) escape email mailto:ejames@xxxxxxxxx Trinbago site: www.tntisland.com Carib Brass Ctn site www.tntisland.com/caribbeanbrassconnection/ Steel Expressions www.mts.net/~ejames/se/ Mas Site: www.tntisland.com/tntrecords/mas2003/ Site of the Week: http://www.natalielaughlin.com/ TnT Webdirectory: http://search.co.tt *********************************************************