EU plans to sanction states

Brussels:

The European Commission plans to sanction EU members to nudge them into action on efforts to create a pan-European airspace that would cut costs and delays, an EU source said on Thursday.

Members of the 27-nation European Union have been lagging at reducing airspace and airport delays towards the goal of a “Single European Sky” that would replace the current patchwork system of national airspace. EU Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas is due to make the announcement about sanctions Thursday at a conference in the Cypriot port city of Limassol. The commission is expected to launch infringement procedures next February against member states for non-compliance, the source said.