WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3861/97 by Kirsi PIHA to the Commission. Air traffic in the EU's air space
Date: 1997-12-05
Institutions: European Parliament, PIHA
Subjects: Central and Eastern European countries, Community budget, EU programme, Eurocontrol, European Union, air safety, air traffic, research and development, traffic control, transport policy

C 174/146

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

8. 6. 98

(98/C 174/218)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3861/97

by Kirsi Piha (PPE) to the Commission

(5 December 1997)

Subject: Air traffic in the EU(cid:146)s air space

Air traffic in the EU has grown from year to year and is still growing. The air space has become crowded and (cid:145)air
misses(cid:146) are becoming more common. What does the Commission propose to do to ensure that the growth in air
traffic  in  the  EU  area  does  not  lead  to  an  environment  more  susceptible  to  accidents  as  a  result  of  air  space
congestion, and how has it prepared for the growth in air traffic from the countries of Central and Eastern Europe
in the near future?

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(22 January 1998)

The Commission is not aware of any sustained trend in the Community of an increased occurrence of air-misses
which could indicate a deterioration in the level of safety in air traffic. However the Commission shares the
concerns of the Honourable Member about the possible future consequences of the steady growth in air traffic
and the related congestion of infrastructure and air space.

That  is  why  the  Commission  considers  that  the  Community  should  play  a  prominent  role  in  air  traffic
management  (ATM)  as  part  of  its  air  transport  policy  and  has  consequently  taken  several  relevant  policy
initiatives including the following:

1.  The  fourth  framework  programme  for  research  and  technological  development  (FPRD) (1)  has,  as  the
aviation industries recognise, made a large contribution to supporting the development of new tools and
concepts for ATM. The Commission will continue with these efforts during the fifth FPRD (2) so that further
technical solutions can be found to cope with the increase in traffic.

2.  Following the conclusions of the 1994 Essen European Council, the Commission has been giving a high
priority to ATM projects in the allocation of the trans-European transport network budget in order to assist
the investments required to increase air traffic control capacity.

3.  The  Commission  has  taken  several  initiatives  to  support  a  significant  re-organisation  of  the  present
institutional framework in which air traffic is managed at European level. This was the aim of the 1996 ATM
white paper (3) and of the recommendation made by the Commission for a Council decision authorizing the
Commission to start negotiations with a view to establishing Community membership of Eurocontrol. These
initiatives have been largely supported by the Parliament in various resolutions over recent years and have
certainly helped Eurocontrol in gaining the necessary powers and efficiency which are now enshrined in the
revised Eurocontrol Convention signed on 27 June 1997 when enables it to act as the single body in Europe
responsible for the safe and efficient use of European airspace.

This is equally valid for central and eastern European countries which are now joining Eurocontrol but have for
years been associated, through the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC), with the joint efforts developed
in Europe to harmonise and integrate the various ATM systems.

It  is  also  in  this  framework  that  these  countries  have  received  advice  from  Eurocontrol  for  upgrading  their
systems, with the financial support of the Community Phare programme.

(1)  COM(93) 459 final.
(2)  OJ C 173, 7.6.1997.
(3)  COM(96) 57 final.