A4-0381/96

Resolution on the Commission's White Paper on Air Traffic Management - Freeing Europe's airspace (COM(96)0057 - C4-0191/96)

The European Parliament

- having regard to the Commission's White Paper (COM(96)0057 - C4-0191/96),

- having regard to the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) INSTAR Working Group report of 31 May 1996,

- having regard to the public hearing on this subject on 30 September 1996 (PE 218.713),

- having regard to its resolutions of 18 September 1992 on saturation of airspace and air traffic control ((OJ C 284, 2.11.1992, p. 170.)), 27 September 1994 on air traffic control in Europe ((OJ C 305, 31.10.1994, p. 24.)), 14 February 1995 on the way forward for civil aviation in Europe ((OJ C 56, 6.3.1995, p. 28.)), and 16 November 1995 on congestion and crisis in air traffic ((OJ C 323, 4.12.1995, p. 92.)),

- having regard to the motion for a resolution on the air disaster in the Caribbean, B4-0305/96,

- having regard to the report of the Committee on Transport and Tourism and the opinions of the Committees on Environment, Public Health and Consumer Protection and the Committee on External Economic Relations (A4-0381/96),

A. whereas the provision of efficient air transport services is a fundamental element to support the single market in the civil aviation sector and is necessary to improve the competitiveness of the European economy and the mobility of persons and goods,

B. whereas air traffic management (ATM) is of vital importance for the development of European air transport, and whereas the lack of capacity and efficiency of the present ATM system is one of the obstacles to a well- balanced development of the air transport system,

C. whereas the present fragmentation of the European ATM system has drastic effects on passengers' convenience, airlines' costs and the environment,

D. whereas the ATM network is considered to be an integral part of the trans- European transport network (cf. European Parliament and Council Decision No 1692/96/EC of 23 July 1996 on Community guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network ((OJ L 228, 9.9.1996, p. 1.))),

E. whereas Community involvement for the improvement of the present ATM system is fully consistent with the principle of subsidiarity and should be considered an integral part of the common air transport policy,

F. whereas the number of routes and airlines is constantly increasing,

G. whereas air traffic demand will continue to grow in the coming decades and is expected to double by 2010,

H. whereas any solution to the problems connected with air traffic control (ATC) must also involve the European countries which are not members of the Union,

1. Takes note of the White Paper on ATM which describes in detail the present situation of ATM in Europe and identifies the shortcomings of this situation;

2. Notes that the White Paper indicates that the cost of ATC delays to airlines has steadied at around ECU 2 billion annually;

3. Points out that the overall purpose of ATM is to provide the best level of service to the travelling citizen at the lowest cost compatible with the required level of service;

4. Stresses that all the necessary developments in the area of ATM must ensure the maintenance of the highest possible level of safety and increase this safety level whenever possible;

5. Expresses great concern for the increase in the number of air accidents and incidents (in particular near misses) that took place during 1996;

6. Points out that air transport is international, not to say global, in scope, which means that procedures, standards, regulations and technical resources must cover the widest possible geographical area;

7. Considers it vital, therefore, for the European Union to guarantee harmonization and establish cooperation schemes for ATM with the central and eastern European countries and with the Mediterranean countries in the context of the common policy on external relations in civil aviation and also under the PHARE, TACIS and MEDA programmes;

8. Takes the view that European airspace must be considered a common resource, regardless of national borders, and that Member States should exercise their sovereignty collectively in the field of air navigation to optimise the use of airspace and satisfy all users on the basis of clear policies on access to it;

9. Considers that access to European airspace can no longer be subject to bilateral agreements between the EU Member States and third countries but must be negotiated by the European Union on behalf of all fifteen Member States;

10. Recognises the efforts made by ECAC and Eurocontrol to manage the existing airspace more effectively and to try to make more capacity available; considers in this regard that the EU should try to avoid costly duplication of work and activities;

11. Recognises that the existing programmes and arrangements go some way towards soloving European ATM problems in the short- and medium-term; is persuaded, however, that only a single European ATM regulatory system will reduce fragmentation and ensure a consistent and uniform ATM system throughout Europe;

12. Identifies as basic goals for the single European regulatory system:

(a) defining high safety standards;

(b) providing sufficient capacity in accordance with the foreseeable traffic growth;

(c) being flexible enough to cope with unforeseen short-term changes in demand;

(d) promoting the most efficient routing of flights through a rational use of airspace;

(e) promoting optimum cost efficiency by establishing cost and quality control systems, whilst taking into account the constraints associated with the maintenance of the public air traffic control service;

(f) using the most advanced and proven technologies;

(g) applying common rules on standardisation and procurement for ATM systems, facilities and procedures, and controlling their implementation;

(h) ensuring compatibility between the various systems used by the air traffic controllers of the Member States;

(i) promoting, in the interests of greater safety, the harmonization of the working methods of air traffic controllers and, in particular, the terminology used;

13. Agrees with the Commission's approach that there should be a separation between the 'regulatory¨ and 'operational¨ tasks of ATM; considers nevertheless that the three options discussed by the Commission for the single ATM system are by no means comprehensive and asks the Commission to assess the institutional model currently under consideration by ECAC States, in order to determine to what extent this model could fulfil the requirements of high safety levels, economic efficiency, social dialogue and freedom of movement in the single market;

14. Considers that an ATM authority should be responsible for the major policy and regulatory/legislative aspects required to attain the basic goals of the single ATM system; this would imply responsibility inter alia for establishing:

(a) common ATM safety rules;

(b) ATM policies, procedures and standards, including airspace design and route structure, and performance and productivity standards to be achieved by the providers of services;

(c) research, development, trials and evaluation policies, including the introduction of new technologies, in particular satellites and digital data networks with European common specifications;

(d) policies for financing ATM and common rules for the allocation of costs and charges to the users in a transparent manner;

(e) common standards of training for air traffic controllers;

15. Points out that such an authority must be democratically accountable at European Union level and include mechanisms to guarantee transparent decision-making and funding both internally and externally, including in particular consultation with the airspace users and all parties involved, including ATM personnel representatives, to respond to their needs;

16. Notes that satellite-based technologies and digital data networks offer enormous potential for increased efficiency in the field of ATM and for an 'open airspace concept¨; stresses that this implies an European Union industrial policy to ensure an effective process for technology selection and should lead to the establishment of common rules on standardisation and procurement that will enable the European industries to develop their competitive capacity to satisfy demand and achieve economies of scale while maintaining high safety levels;

17. Considers that the revision of the Eurocontrol International Convention relating to Cooperation for the Safety of Air Navigation should serve as a vehicle for the setting up of a new European regulatory central ATM organisation which would allow the Community to achieve its policy objectives and asks all Member States to ensure that such revision will improve the democratic decision-making procedure and efficiency of the future central ATM organization;

18. Reiterates its previous resolutions calling on all European Union Member States to join Eurocontrol without discrimination of any kind and under the same terms which have generally characterized successive incorporations;

19. Considers that the Eurocontrol International Convention relating to Cooperation for the Safety of Air Navigation should be revised to allow a new coordinating body to be set up to replace Eurocontrol;

20. Believes that increased investment is urgently needed to improve airspace and airport infrastructures, especially in view of the expected growth in air traffic demand and the increase in the Union's internal and external economic relations and trade;

21. Welcomes the recent initiative by the Benelux countries and Germany to implement an 'integrated ATC - centre concept' that will allow a free route airspace in the upper airspace (above 30,000 feet) of these countries, improving the capacity and efficiency of air traffic flow for the users, and hopes that other Member States will join this initiative;

22. Believes that passengers have the right to receive factual information on the length and causes of delays and therefore calls on Member States to establish the regular publication of statistics on air transport delays;

23. Stresses the need for central regulation of the European airspace for the benefit of all its users, civil and military, regardless of borders; calls therefore for the new central ATM authority to be empowered with the design of the route network and the airspace structure; supports the integration of military air traffic services into the single system to the maximum possible extent;

24. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Governments of the Member States, the European Civil Aviation Conference and Eurocontrol.