Probe into European Union/Qatar aviation agreement

European parliamentarians want to investigate whether Qatar influenced the comprehensive air transport agreement that was signed between Europe and Qatar granting Qatar Airways unlimited access to the European market. 

The deal was heavily criticised by European airlines, unions and other parts of the aviation sector as they feared unfair competition from Qatar Airway’s connections to destinations throughout Asia and by Qatar Airways’ direct Gulf competitors, whose connections to Europe remain capped.

Political journalism newspaper POLITICO knows more: Karima Delli, chair of Parliament’s transport committee which negotiated the deal, has raised the alarm in an e-mail obtained by POLITICO. Delli, a French MEP from the Greens group, warned that Qatar may have interfered in Parliament’s internal deliberations on the agreement.

“Given the recent developments, granting the consent to this agreement at this stage could be difficult until it is established that conditions were transparent and unbiased,” Karima Delli, chair of Parliament’s transport committee, wrote in a letter to political group coordinators in her committee.

Read more: Scandal pushes MEPs to review Qatar Airways’ access deal with EU (Politico.eu)

In the investigation into possible corruption inside the European Parliament, the Belgian federal police have already seized more than €1.5 million in cash strengthening the accusations that the Gulf emirate bought influence. Former Parliament Vice-President Eva Kaili and three other people were arrested.