OPEN SKIES - AMENDING BILATERAL AGREEMENTS TO

UNCLAS ROME 000280 SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAIR ECON ETRD IT EUN AVIATION FAA SUBJECT: OPEN SKIES - AMENDING BILATERAL AGREEMENTS TO UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 ROME 00280 231837Z COMPLY WITH ECJ DECISION REF: SECSTATE 16394 ¶1. THIS MESSAGE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFED - PROTECT ACCORDINGLY. NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION. ¶2. ECONOFF DELIVERED TEXT OF PROPOSED AMENDMENT ON JANUARY 21 TO DR. ALDO SANSONE (TRANSPORT MINISTRY DIRECTOR GENERAL FOR INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS),TO DR. LUISA TIMPONE (INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS DIRECTOR FOR THE ITALIAN CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY ENAC) AND CONS. ARNALDO ABETI (FOREIGN MINISTRY DIRECTOR RESPONSIBLE FOR INTERNATIONAL AVIATION ISSUES). DR. TIMPONE WILL BE AT THE EU MEETING IN ATHENS ON JANUARY 24. DR. SANSONE WILL BE AT THE ATHENS MEETING AND ALSO IN BRUSSELS ON JANUARY 28. ¶3. THE RESPONSE WAS NON-COMMITTAL. SANSONE, TIMPONE AND ABETI ALL SAID THAT THE GOI WOULD CONSIDER THE PROPOSAL INTER-AGENCY AND DISCUSS IT WITH OTHER MEMBER STATES AND THE COMMISSION. TIMPONE CAUTIONED THAT THE COMMISSION LIKELY WOULD ARGUE STRONGLY AGAINST THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS. SEMBLER UNCLASSIFIED > 2003ROME00280 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED