Johannes Laitenberger, a spokesman for the European Commission, told a regularly scheduled news conference today “we obviously want to make progress” in trans-Atlantic ties including the “open-skies” accord. He also repeated the EU's aim of securing increased US cooperation on world trade talks. The commission is the EU's executive branch in Brussels. A trans-Atlantic “open-skies” agreement would let European airlines fly to the US from any EU nation instead of just their home country. It would also scrap limits that allow only British Airways, Virgin Atlantic Airways, United Airlines and American Airlines to operate between the US and London's Heathrow airport, Europe's busiest. The US government pledged to give foreign investors more say in marketing, routes and aircraft. The US plans no change to a law that limits foreign investors to 25% of voting equity.