Explanatory note

These Regulations revoke and replace the Civil Aviation (Route Charges for Navigation Services) Regulations 1997 (S.I. 1997/2920), as amended.

New unit rates are introduced, reflecting forecasts of costs and traffic for 2000, and taking into account the balance of over and under recoveries of revenue as compared with costs experienced by the countries participating in the Eurocontrol charging system in 1998 (regulation 6 and Schedule 2).

The rate of interest if the amount of the charge is not paid in cleared funds by the operator of the aircraft within 30 days of the date payment is demanded by Eurocontrol is increased from 6.75% to 7.82% (regulation 5(4)).

The unit rates in euros set out in Schedule 2 are calculated by reference to the costs of provision of en-route navigation services in the participating countries in the Eurocontrol charges system, the amount of traffic using each country’s airspace and the relationship of each country’s currency to the euro over a period agreed by Ministers of the participating countries. The interaction of these elements varies in each country. In calculating the revised charges the average of the exchange rates between the euro and the currencies of the participating countries obtaining in the month of July 1999 have been used. In the case of Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey the unit rate is established in euros (regulation 6 and Schedule 2).

The unit rates of Austria, Belgium and Luxembourg, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Sweden and Turkey decrease on average by 7.4%. The unit rate for Portugal (Santa Maria FIR) decreases by 17.8%. The unit rates of Croatia, Denmark, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Greece, Hungary, Netherlands, Norway, Slovakia, Spain (Madrid and Barcelona FIRs) and Switzerland increase on average by 17.8%. The unit rate for Spain (Canaries FIR) increases by 1.6%. The unit rate for the United Kingdom increases by 6.3%.

The United Kingdom Air Pilot and the Foreign Aeronautical Information publications referred to in the Regulations can be purchased from Westward Digital Limited, 37 Windsor Street, Cheltenham, Glos GL52 1DG and can be inspected at major aerodromes in the United Kingdom. The office of Eurocontrol is at Rue de la Fusée 96 B-1130, Brussels.