Doc. 8090

23 April 1998

Travel to Assembly and committee meetings

Motion for a recommendation

presented by Mr Wilshire and others

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only the members who have signed it

      The Assembly,

1.       Noting that the headquarters of the Council of Europe, the seat of its Assembly and the premises of its Court of Human Rights are located in Strasbourg ;

2.       Noting that Strasbourg’s location and history are powerful symbols of the task of forging close co-operation between the sovereign States of Europe ;

3.       Noting that there is no direct air service between London Heathrow Airport (Europe’s busiest airport) and Strasbourg ;

4.       Further noting that the only direct air service (operated by Air France) between the United Kingdom and Strasbourg is totally unreliable ;

5.       Considering that everything possible should be done to discourage members of the Assembly from demanding that its meeting are held in a city with more and better quality air links to the capitals of the United Kingdom and other Member States.

      Recommends that the Council of Ministers

(i)       Encourages the relevant French authorities to end the Air France monopoly air services between the United Kingdom and Strasbourg ;

(ii)       Encourages the relevant French authorities to make available to foreign airlines the same assistance as is currently provided to Air France for operating direct air services between the United Kingdom and Strasbourg ;

(iii)       Requests Air France to end the repeated delay to and cancellations of their direct air service between London City Airport and Strasbourg ;

(iv)       Requests Air France and/or their Handling Agents (Servisair plc) to adequately compensate their many customers who have been seriously inconvenienced when trying to use the direct air service between London City Airport and Strasbourg.

Signed¹:

Wilshire, United Kingdom, EDG

Atkinson, United Kingdom, EDG

Colvin, United Kingdom, EDG

Cunliffe, United Kingdom, SOC

Dundee, United Kingdom, EDG

Gill, United Kingdom, EDG

Hancock, United Kingdom, LDR

Pickles, United Kingdom, EDG

Taylor J., United Kingdom, EPP/CD

Townend, United Kingdom, EDG

______________________________

Total = 10

¹        SOC: Groupe socialiste

      PPE/DC: Groupe du Parti populaire européen

      GDE: Groupe des démocrates européens

LDR: Groupe libéral, démocrate et réformateur

      GUE: Groupe pour la gauche unitaire européenne

      NI: non inscrit dans un groupe