EU and Israel signed "horizontal" civil aviation agreement

The new agreement will allow any EU airline to operate flights between any EU Member state and Israel where a bilateral agreement with Israel exists and traffic rights are available
 
EC Vice-President Antonio Tajani of The European Community and Israeli Minister for Transport, Shaul Mofaz, signed last week an aviation agreement which will remove nationality restrictions in the bilateral air services agreements between EU Member States and Israel. The new agreement will allow any EU airline to operate flights between any EU Member state and Israel where a bilateral agreement with Israel exists and traffic rights are available. In parallel, the EU and Israel started today negotiations on a comprehensive aviation agreement.
 
EC Vice-President Antonio Tajani responsible for transport policy said following the signing ceremony that: "The agreement signed today is good news for Israeli and European airlines and passengers, as it remove the legal uncertainty from the bilateral air services agreements”            
 
This so-called "horizontal" aviation agreement does not replace the bilateral agreements in place between the Israel and 27 EU Member States, but brings these in line with European law. Horizontal agreements have been negotiated with 38 countries worldwide. Nearly 800 bilateral air services agreements have already been modified by the joint efforts of the European Commission and Member States to replace nationalityrules with the principle of EU airline designation.
 
Transport Minister Shaul Mofaz noted that "The agreement is an important step towards further strengthening the EU-Israel aviation relations and will encourage traffic between the EU and Israel."