madam president this report is supposed to prevent individual airports from abusing their dominant position in the market and to create a level playing field for operators and safeguard consumer interests
how many times have we heard those kind of arguments before
if implemented this harmonisation of airport charges is likely to be as successful as the harmonisation that brought us the common agricultural policy the common fisheries policy and the ever-increasing burden of eu regulation on businesses which costs the uk at least gbp twenty-six billion per annum
what it will do is require a completely unnecessary change in british law relating to airport charges and transport-related matters
it will require the setting-up of a supposedly independent supervisory authority that will add yet another layer of bureaucracy and the inevitably increased costs that will follow
there is of course existing price-cap regulation in the uk designed to incentivise airport operators to achieve cost efficiencies
the objective of this continual torrent of legislation is to harmonise every aspect of life in the european union and bring it under the ultimate authority of the european union
any other consideration is secondary or unimportant
what we can be absolutely sure of is that these measures will mean increased costs to the air traveller
