Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

European Aviation Safety Agency Membership

Thursday 12 March 2020 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 0 Not answered 0

Key points

  • UK participation in EASA is not viable due to ECJ rulings and European Commission lawmaking.
  • The UK will have a bilateral aviation safety agreement and a comprehensive air transport agreement instead of EASA membership.
  • Shapps argues that the Civil Aviation Authority can manage the system and fill any role left by EASA.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Alistair Carmichael Lib Dem Orkney and Shetland
Brexit
Context

The UK is set to leave EASA at the end of the transition period, which has raised concerns within the aviation industry.

Question

Carmichael inquires about the Government's stance on a full membership arrangement with Switzerland as an example and asks why it would not be viable from the Government's perspective.

Answer from The Prime Minister (Grant Shapps)

The EU stated that UK participation in EASA is not viable, as it would subject us to ECJ rulings and European Commission lawmaking. The UK will instead have a bilateral aviation safety agreement (BASA) and a comprehensive air transport agreement (CATA).

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Q2 Karl Turner Ind Kingston upon Hull East
Economy Brexit Business & Trade
Context

The UK is set to leave the European Aviation Safety Agency, which has raised concerns about job losses in the aviation sector.

Question

Turner asks if the Secretary will halt the plan to withdraw from EASA due to warnings from the industry and potential financial costs. He emphasizes 84,000 jobs at risk and the high cost of leaving EASA compared to staying within it.

Answer from The Prime Minister (Grant Shapps)

Shapps argues that the Civil Aviation Authority already manages the system and can fill any role left by EASA. He insists on leaving Europe despite industry warnings, citing voter decisions from referendum and general election.

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