ABSTRACT
Ever since the EC was created the European Commission1 was of the opinion that the Treaty applied to air transport. However, in spite of this nothing happened in respect of air transport for many years. It was only when the Commission won a case2 against France in 1974 that the development of an air transport policy began to take shape. The ruling stated in clear terms that the general rules of the Treaty did apply to both air and maritime transport. This produced a protracted series of consultations on the need to create an air transport policy. Finally in 1978 the Council of Ministers3 found it necessary to adopt a priority list for such a policy. In 1979 the Commission followed this up with a Memorandum on Air Transport, ‘A Community Approach’.
