Ukrainian NGOs Call for EC Review of German Aviation Policy

Today eight Ukrainian NGOs appealed to the European Council to
look into a conflict in passenger air transportation between Ukraine
and Germany. Led by representatives of the Civic Committee for
National Security Protection, the Centre for Corporate relations
research, and the European Association of Ukrainians, the Ukrainian
NGOs are disturbed by of the actions of the German aviation
authorities and appeal to European bodies to contribute to restoring
international aviation ties between the two countries.

The international aviation conflict escalated early in 2006, after
the German government forbade Ukrainian state-owned company
"Dniproavia" from operating flights to German cities. Similar
decisions had previously been taken toward some other Ukrainian air
carriers.

"These decisions by the German authorities break the principles
regarding the parity of flights, create discriminatory conditions
against Ukraine and breach the provisions of the Open Air agreement,"
the head of the Civic Committee for National Security Protection
Oleksii Tolkachev stated during a press-conference in Kyiv, -
"finally, German rulings harm our policy of friendly relations between
the two countries".

Ukraine's attempts to handle the problem at the negotiating table
have not resulted in moving the problem forward - German
representatives have refused to reach a compromise.

The sharpening aviation conflict has caused a wave of protests in
Ukraine against the unfriendly policy led by Germany. Forced by civic
pressure, state authorities in Ukraine appealed to Germany with new
initiatives on overcoming the problem. However, Germany did not
respond to proposals forwarded by the State Aviation Service of
Ukraine on December 20-22, 2006 to conduct negotiations.

According to Rostyslav Ischenko, the Vice-president of the Centre
for Corporate Relations Research, "we see a significant threat to
equal access to market principles envisaged by German-Ukrainian
treaties in the transportation field".

On November 22, 2006 Ukrainian MPs appealed to the European
Parliament with a request to carry out a rigorous investigation of
German aviation policy regarding Ukraine and call the Germans to cease
discriminating against Ukrainian air carriers. The appeal, which is
now being considered in the European Parliament, includes violations
on the German part, including Lufthansa's breach of provisions
stipulated in the Agreement on international air connections and the
rules established by ICAO and IATA. At the same time, Ukrainian MPs
have stated that they are now taking an active role in the situation
and have called for the establishment of a Supreme Council of Ukraine
- European Parliament joint commission to ensure the comprehensive and
unbiased examination of the situation.

"The general public in Ukraine expresses hope that the situation,
which has affected aviation transportation between Ukraine and
Germany, will become the subject of further examination not only in
the European Parliament and European Commission, but in the Council of
Europe as well" - notes Myhailo Kuzmin, President of the European
Association of Ukrainians

In an appeal dated January 30, 2007, the Ukrainian NGOs call on
the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council to give the situation
appropriate consideration and appeal to German officials to reconsider
their rulings regarding Ukrainian airlines,"