EU wil luchtverkeersysteem moderniseren (en)

On 16th September, the EU Transport Ministers met in the informal meeting and high-level debate entitled Single European Sky. Delivering the future: Vision 20XX, held in Vilnius. In the debate, ministers expressed their views on Single European Sky concept capable of ensuring the safety and efficiency of air traffic management system.

“One of the main drivers of European economical growth is the implementation of the common air transport space. In order to ensure economic growth and effective functioning of single market, the European air navigational service system should act consistently in this way creating the necessary preconditions for easier transportation of goods, people and services.”- said the Minister of Transport and Communications Rimantas Sinkevičius.

The participants of the high-level thematic debate discussed the progress in strengthening the European single air transport market and further action plans. In addition, the EU Transport Ministers, air carriers and civil aviation navigation service providers exchanged their views on the tangible results that SES initiative has already produced and stressed the need to accelerate the modernization of EU air traffic management system.

In support of single European air transport initiative, the ministers agreed that the most important goals of the SES initiative remain unchanged: it is necessary to improve the air safety, increase the capacity of air space, and reduce the cost of travelling, as well as the negative environmental effect of aviation emissions. Also the air carriers - major users of the SES -expressed their support for the further development of initiative.

According to the Minister of Transport and Communications Rimantas Sinkevičius, the creation and development of the European single air transport market should take into account the interests of different EU countries, as well as airline companies and EU citizens. Despite the different opinions on some of the newest components offered by the commission “it is clear that the further development of Single European Sky remains out common priority.” - stressed the Minister.

The main strategic goals of this initiative, formed in 2004 with the first strategic package and later supplemented in 2009, focused on: the improvement of existing safety standards, increase of the European air traffic efficiency, achievement of the optimal airspace capacity and the reduction of air traffic delays.

The Lithuanian Presidency i of the EU Council intends to focus more on the third package Single European Sky II plus. This initiative is planned to be further developed within working group.

The Lithuanian Presidency will seek to improve the European air traffic management system and address the problems of its fragmentation. The European traffic management system involves 28 national administrational institutions with different systems and rules that overlook more that 100 air navigation service providers. In this regard, Europe is still behind U.S. which covers the airspace of similar size. Experts say that the fragmentation or airspace brings circa 5 billion euro damage to Europe. Therefore, the solution to this problem would increase the competitiveness of European air transport system.

The civilian aviation sector makes great impact on the European economy. This sector employs about 7.8 million workers and contributes 475 billion euro to the European GDP.