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Reuters: EU bars Bulgarian airlines from single market

Bulgaria's aviation sector falls short of EU safety standards and its airlines will not enjoy some of the benefits of the single aviation market when the country joins the bloc next month, news agency Reuters quoted the EU Commission as saying Wednesday, December 20.
'The Commission considers that there is a considerable risk that Bulgaria will not be able to ensure full compliance with the Community rules on aviation safety and on the internal aviation market,' the EU executive said in a statement cited by Reuters.
The Commission said it had invoked a safeguard clause meaning Bulgarian airlines would continue to be treated as if they were from a non-EU country on some aviation regulations.
Bulgaria's transport minister Petar Mutafchiev said the measure would prevent Bulgarian air carriers operating flights within the bloc other than the ones they had already agreed under bilateral arrangements.
'It is a temporary measure, until the Bulgarian airlines get certified,' transport ministry spokeswoman Valia Luleva quoted him as saying.
'The good news is that the safeguard clause does not have a time frame, so whenever the airlines are ready to fully meet all EU requirements, it will be lifted'.
Bulgaria and Romania are due to join the EU on January 1, taking the bloc to 27 member countries. Aviation safety in Bulgaria was cited as a concern by Brussels when it approved the two countries' accession.
Sofia has around 15 small passenger and cargo airlines, of which only three are ready to apply for EU certification at the moment, the ministry said.
'It's up to the companies to take steps and meet the EU aviation safety rules. But we will provide support,' Luleva was quoted as saying by Reuters.(Dnevnik)