NEWSLETTER

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the European Union (EU) and its Member States concluded negotiations on the ASEAN-EU Comprehensive Air Transport Agreement (AE CATA) at the Extraordinary ASEAN-EU Senior Transport Officials Meeting held virtually on 2 June 2021. The AE CATA is the world’s first bloc-to-bloc air transport agreement and will bolster connectivity and economic development among the 37 member states of ASEAN and the EU. Under the agreement, airlines of ASEAN and the EU will have greater opportunities to operate passenger and cargo services between and beyond both regions. ASEAN and the EU airlines will be able to fly any number of services between both regions. In addition, airlines will be able to fly up to 14 weekly passenger services, and any number of cargo services via and beyond, to any third country. The Agreement will help rebuild air connectivity between ASEAN and Europe, which has been decimated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Of all types of road user, cyclist are the only type where there has been no decline in fatalities since 2010. The number of cyclist fatalities has fluctuated between 1,900 and 2,100 since 2010. Although there are no data available at EU level on the trend in cycling kilometres travelled, it is widely recognized that cycling gas increased in popularity over the decade. This may partly explain the stagnation in levels of cyclist fatalities together with other factors such as insufficient investment in safe cycling infrastructure.