BRUSSELS, Sept. 8 (Xinhuanet) -- The European Commission (EC) has got the backing of aviation authorities for the need for a common EU blacklist for unsafe airlines, the Brussels-based newsletter service Euractiv reported on Thursday.

    Eurativ said the Aviation Safety Committee, representing national aviation authorities, has agreed to the EC's push for common criteria to identify unsafe airlines, which would then be put on a black list and banned from flying over EU air space.

    Airlines on the list could be banned from European Union air space from early 2006, said Eurativ.

    The Aviation Safety Committee has discussed the guidelines for establishing common criteria.

    Although issuing the black list is a national responsibility, the EU executive has long stressed the need to go beyond national black lists as they risk being incoherent.

    A recent example has proved this point: when France and Belgiumpublished their respective black lists at the end of August, theirlists did not include the same airlines.

    In May, a Turkish airline which was banned by four European countries redirected its flights to Belgium where no ban was in place.

    According to the EU rules, EU member states need to give their final approval to the blacklist initiative.

    The EC hopes that there will be a political agreement on the details of a blacklist before the end of the year, to enter into force in early 2006. Enditem