[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 187 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 187


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 28, 1999

   Received and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
                             Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of Congress regarding the European Council noise 
           rule affecting hushkitted and reengined aircraft.

Whereas for more than 50 years, the International Civil Aviation Organization 
        (in this resolution referred to as the ``ICAO'') has been the single 
        entity vested with authority to establish international noise and 
        emissions standards and, through the ICAO's efforts, aircraft noise has 
        decreased by an average of 40 percent since 1970;
Whereas the ICAO is currently working on an expedited basis on even more 
        stringent international noise standards, taking into account economic 
        reasonableness, technical feasibility, and environmental benefits;
Whereas international noise and emissions standards are critical to maintaining 
        the economic viability of United States aeronautical industries and to 
        obtaining their ongoing commitment to progressively more stringent noise 
        reduction efforts;
Whereas European Council Regulation No. 925/1999, banning certain aircraft 
        meeting the highest internationally recognized noise standards from 
        flying in Europe, undermines the integrity of the ICAO process and 
        undercuts the likelihood that new Stage 4 aircraft noise standards will 
        be developed;
Whereas while no regional standard is acceptable, European Council Regulation 
        No. 925/1999 is particularly offensive because there is no scientific 
        basis for the regulation and because the regulation has been carefully 
        crafted to protect European aviation interests while imposing arbitrary, 
        substantial, and unfounded cost burdens on United States aeronautical 
        industries;
Whereas the vast majority of aircraft that will be affected by European Council 
        Regulation No. 925/1999 are operated by United States flag carriers; and
Whereas implementation of European Council Regulation No. 925/1999 will result 
        in a loss of jobs in the United States and may cost United States 
        aeronautical industries in excess of $2,000,000,000: Now, therefore, be 
        it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of the Congress that--
            (1) if European Council Regulation No. 925/1999 is not 
        rescinded by the European Council at the earliest possible 
        date, the Secretaries of Transportation and State should take 
        all appropriate actions to ensure that a petition regarding the 
        regulation is filed with the International Civil Aviation 
        Organization pursuant to Article 84 of the Chicago Convention; 
        and
            (2) the Secretaries of Commerce, State, and Transportation 
        and other appropriate parties should use all reasonable means 
        available to them to ensure that the goal of having the 
        regulation rescinded is achieved.

            Passed the House of Representatives September 27, 1999.

            Attest:

                                                 JEFF TRANDAHL,

                                                                 Clerk.