Single European Sky

Air traffic management in the European Union is currently undertaken by member states, co-operating through EUROCONTROL, an intergovernmental organisation that includes most of the European countries. European air spaces are some of the busiest in the world, and the current system of air traffic management allegedly suffers from several parameters, such as using national borders in the sky, and having large areas of airspace reserved for national military use when in fact they may not be needed. This has created 'an outdated patchwork of airspace blocs and inefficient flight paths [which] impose significant financial and environmental costs on the sector.' • Security and sovereignty: Some EU member states, mostly larger ones, have expressed certain objections to relinquishing their current systems, For example, the SES could create problems concerning territorial sovereignty, such as over Gibraltar; Brexit seems to have removed this problem, however (see below). == History ==

Origins (1999–2004) After the Prodi Commission took office in September 1999, Transport Commissioner Loyola de Palacio launched efforts to structurally reform air traffic management across Europe, as she and many others had concluded that Eurocontrol was incapable of effectively carrying out its duties, particularly its decision-making and its failure to implement agreements. By the end of 1999, the European Commission had obtained the consent of all EU Transport Ministers for the 'creation of a single European sky', encompassing structural ATM integration and reform, and established a high level group of senior civil and military air traffic authorities representing the member states to prepare concrete policy proposals. After the high level group had completed its report in late 2000, the Commission used its recommendations to develop legislative proposals for regulating the SES. There are discussions about enlarging the initiative to cover the Balkan and Mediterranean countries. Gibraltar issue (2000–2020) One report from the British Parliament, dated 2000, reported that Spain blocked the inclusion of Gibraltar Airport in the Single European Sky, meaning the whole package was suspended. Due to Brexit, formally completed on 31 January 2020, this stumbling block was removed. Focus is here on four areas: • The existing Single Sky legislation is sharpened to deal with performance and environmental challenges. • The Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR) programme is to provide the future technology. • The competence of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is to be extended to aerodromes, air traffic management and air navigation services. • The 'action plan for airport capacity, efficiency and safety' is to be implemented thus providing ground capacity. The SES-II aimed to merge 36 national airspaces into 9 Functional Airspace Block (FABs) in order to provide better performance, On 2 December 2010, France, Germany, Switzerland and the Benelux countries agreed to form the FABEC (Functional Airspace Block Europe Central), the third FAB to be created after the Dano-Swedish and Anglo-Irish block. The FABs were supposed to enter into effect by 2012, but delays were expected due to protests from ATC labour unions. The FAB CE, consisting of Austria, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, was formed in 2011. By 26 October 2012, only the Anglo-Irish and Dano-Swedish FABs had been fully implemented, while the other 7 FABs were still in various stages of development; the deadline for the full realisation of the Single European Sky on 4 December 2012 was missed. SES 2+ (2013–2018) On 10 June 2013, the European Commission presented its plan "B" to speed up the implementation process of SES. The so-called SES 2+ is a package of measure which aim at challenging the current situation with state owned monopolies responsible for providing air navigation services. At the same time, transport workers' union ETF announced mobilising its members to protest against the suggested package. Negotiations on SES 2+ stalled in the Council in 2015. In 2017, the European Court of Auditors determined that the functional airspace blocks have failed to defragment European airspace as they have not been fully implemented, with aircraft still being serviced by a different air navigation provider in each member state with different rules and requirements. This was due to a "lack of commitment on the part of the member states". Amended SES 2+ (2019–present) By 2019, nothing of the plan had yet been officially realised, adding an extra 6 billion euros in costs, and 11.6 million megatonnes of excess emissions for that year alone. In September 2019, 21 aviation organisations including Airlines for Europe (A4E), AIRE, ACI Europe, CANSO, ERA and IATA, signed an agreement in Brussels to urge the creation of an SES, and to work together with EU institutions and member states to achieve it. The Commission appointed 15 experts in the field to form a Wise Person's Group to assess the current situation and future needs. == Timeline ==

• Late 1999: European Commission appoints expert group to study the creation of a single European sky. == See also ==