EC Requests Meeting Over NAI Permit Application

Earlier this month the European Commission took the rare step of requesting a meeting of the Joint Committee overseeing the U.S.-EU open skies agreement to discuss Norwegian Air International's pending application for permission to operate to the United States. Article 18 of the landmark 2007 multilateral agreement between the U.S. and the EU created a Joint Committee responsible for reviewing the implementation of the agreement and for holding consultations on any issues that arise. The Joint Committee held its required annual meeting in January, but either party can request additional meetings to resolve questions related to the agreement's interpretation or application. When such a request is made, the meeting is supposed to be held within 60 days of the request, which would allow the U.S. enough time to postpone any confrontations over NAI's bid until after the mid-term elections, which is believed to be a motivating factor behind the delay.