JULIAN MOXON / BRUSSELS
Memorandum of co-operation brings implementation closer, but some states could still be reluctant to concede airspace
Eurocontrol and the European Commission have signed a memorandum of co-operation after a two-year delay, clearing the way for implementation of the Single European Sky (SES) regulations by year-end. SES go-ahead still depends on crucial agreement between the European Parliament and European Council, however, said to be in "tough negotiations" to meet the European Parliament deadline.
According to Eurocontrol director general Victor Aguardo, the SES agreement "will mean we can go ahead with the SES work programme". The deal with the EC means the two will be "in a dynamic process and will create new ways of doing business".
Aguardo admits, however, that implementation of the full SES plans will be hampered by the continued reluctance of some Eurocontrol member states to give up their airspace to more practical, frontier-busting functional blocks of airspace (FBA), fundamental to the success of SES. "It is an issue, but we believe we are making progress. Flexible use of airspace has been widely accepted, but it is needed in all states if we are to have a dynamic system," Aguardo says.
"We're trying to be pragmatic, but the bottlenecks in the system can only be resolved if there are transnational skies," he adds. He says the SES agreement means the EC "will be in a position to enforce certain rules. I believe this is a major step forward. The SES is a powerful tool for improving the system."
On 11 November, Nato's air traffic management committee and Eurocontrol met to continue talks on resolving civil/military airspace issues. "We have an increasingly close working relationship," says Eurocontrol. "Both parties recognise the benefits of a seamless system."
The SES regulatory work programme will be carried out by a newly formed regulatory committee, headed by Ole Asmussen, who says the issue of airspace sovereignty is "crucial" to the future of the SES. "Maybe there'll be a compromise in December, which will just set the broad principles," he says. "Currently, the text under discussion gives states the final right not to propose FBAs. The European Commission can't do anything about that." He adds that the military question is a "cultural and economic matter. They don't like the idea of giving up their training areas and they don't want to spend money training somewhere else."
Asmussen says: "We want to take a much more proactive role in capacity management." The regulatory work committee's first initiative will be to issue an "advanced notice of proposed rulemaking" at the end of the year, inviting industry feedback on its plans for "encouraging better adherence to ATFM measures".
Source: Flight International
