European Parliament
A6-0201/2006
Antonio López-Istúriz White (PPE-DE ). –
(ES)
Mr President, I am pleased with this Parliament's opinion report aimed at seeking alternatives and measures to alleviate the negative effects of aviation on the environment and its impact in terms of climate change.
I would like to point to the danger of proposing measures aimed at increasing kerosene prices, take-off and landing fees or flight ticket prices, since these measures would have a direct impact on users, who would have to shoulder any increase in prices by airlines.
This increase would harm tourist areas, such as the islands, and would increase the costs of imported products, which would have a negative impact for consumers living in island regions. It would also mean a loss of competitiveness for the islands and it would slow down accessibility to continental markets and the full integration of the island regions into the so-called ‘motorways of the sea’.
I would call upon the Commission and the European Parliament, before taking the measures proposed, to carry out a study of their economic impact on all regions and to pay particular attention to regions with structural disadvantages due to natural, geographical and permanent conditions, as in the case of the islands.

