WRITTEN QUESTION E-0632/01 by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Regional Air Traffic Control Centre in Thessaloniki.
Date: 2001-03-06
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Albania, EU aid, Greece, North Macedonia, air traffic control, air transport, cross-border cooperation, eligibility criteria, transport infrastructure

C 261 E/168

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.9.2001

(2001/C 261 E/193)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0632/01

by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(6 March 2001)

Subject: Regional Air Traffic Control Centre in Thessaloniki

On 17 November 1999 a cooperation agreement was signed between the governments of Greece, Albania
and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to set up a regional air traffic control centre in
Thessaloniki. Such an initiative would markedly improve air travel conditions in the Balkans and in
south-eastern Europe, since it has been acknowledged that the existence of a disproportionately large
number of FIRs and air traffic control centres in the region is causing problems for strategic planning and
the overall coordination of flights. Although the agreement has been welcomed by the relevant major
international organisations (ICAO, Eurocontrol and IACA) as a model of regional cooperation in the field
of air travel, this initiative has made no progress so far.

Will the Commission say:

(cid:129) Has it received any information about this particular issue and, if so, what information?

(cid:129) Is there any scope for funding this initiative and, if so, under which Community programme?

(cid:129) Have any requests been made so far for this kind of funding?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(24 April 2001)

The Commission has indeed received notification from the Greek Government that a regional cooperation
agreement on air traffic control has been signed, and is therefore aware of the specific problems that this
region of Europe currently faces in this matter.

At present, priority must go to air traffic control in Bosnia-Herzegovina, which can be described as being
in a state of crisis, operating only thanks to the efforts of the stabilisation force (SFOR) and Croatia.
Similarly, Kosovan airspace is still under the control of the International Security Force in Kosovo (KFOR).
Clearly, a permanent solution must be rapidly found for the airspace of both regions, hence the urgent
need for discussion of the matter at regional level. The cooperation between Greece, the former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia and Albania is an encouraging example of this.

As regards financial support, the construction of an air traffic control centre in Thessaloniki cannot be
funded under the CARDS regulation, since Greece is not a beneficiary under that regulation.

There is little scope for any other Community funding. The strategic plan to prepare for the future
extension of the trans-European Transport Network to candidate countries (TINA, opening the way to
funding under Phare and ISPA, the Instrument for Structural Policies for Pre-Accession) does not apply to
the countries covered by the regional cooperation agreement to which the Honourable Member refers.