SESAR Joint Undertaking : single programming document 2019-2021.
Date: 2019-10-07
Institutions: Single European Sky ATM Research 3 Joint Undertaking
Subjects: European Joint Undertaking, aeronautical industry, air safety, air traffic, air traffic control, air transport, industrial research, innovation, public-private partnership, transport regulations

SESAR JOINT UNDERTAKING 

Single Programming Document 
2019-2021 

Edition date:  
Edition:  
Status: 

24 April 2019 
03.00 
Approved 

Abstract  

This document is the second amended version of the Single Programming Document of the SESAR Joint 
Undertaking (SESAR JU) for the 2019-2021 period. 

It provides multi-annual (2019 to 2021) and annual (2019) programming components and forms the 
multi-annual  and  annual  work  programmes  of  the  SESAR  JU.  This  Single  Programming  Document 
replaces the Single Programming Document 2018-2020 insofar as it refers to the years 2019 and 2020. 

FINAL DOCUMENT – SECOND AMENDED VERSION 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
EDITION 03.00 

© SESAR Joint Undertaking, 2019 

Reproduction is authorised, provided the source is acknowledged. 

For any use or reproduction of photos or other material, permission must be sought directly from the 
copyright holder. 

PDF: 

ISBN 978-92-9216-096-8     doi: 10.2829/158329  

catalogue number: MG-03-19-320-EN-N 

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SINGLE PROGRAMMING DOCUMENT 2019-2021 

Contents 

Abstract ................................................................................................................................... 1 

Foreword .......................................................................................................................... 5 

Document history ............................................................................................................. 6 

List of acronyms and definitions ........................................................................................ 7 

Mission Statement .......................................................................................................... 12 

Section I – General Context ............................................................................................. 14 

1 

2 

High-level policy objectives: achieving the EU Aviation Strategy ....................................... 14 

Drivers shaping the European aviation landscape: targets for air traffic management ....... 15 

Section II – Multi-annual programming 2019 – 2021 ........................................................ 19 

1  Multi-annual objectives ................................................................................................... 19 
The SESAR innovation pipeline ........................................................................................................ 19 
The four SESAR Key Features .......................................................................................................... 20 
The European Master Plan performance framework ..................................................................... 21 
SESAR delivery: Upgrade phases of the European air traffic management system ........................ 22 

1.1 
1.2 
1.3 
1.4 

2  Multi-annual programme ................................................................................................ 23 
Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 23 
2.1 
Strategic Area of Operation 1: Provide strategic steering for the SESAR programme .................... 31 
2.2 
Strategic Area of Operation 2: Deliver Exploratory Research (ER) .................................................. 38 
2.3 
Strategic Area of Operation 3: Deliver Industrial Research and Validation (IR) .............................. 47 
2.4 
Strategic Area of Operation 4: Deliver Very Large-Scale Demonstration activities (VLD) ............... 65 
2.5 
Strategic Area of Operation 5: Deliver SESAR Outreach ................................................................. 77 
2.6 
2.7 
Strategic  Area  of  Operation  6:  Deliver  effective  financial,  administrative  and  corporate 
management ................................................................................................................................................ 78 

3 

Human and financial resources outlook for the 2019-2021 period..................................... 79 
Overview of the past and current situation .................................................................................... 79 
Resource programming for the years 2019-2021 ........................................................................... 79 

3.1 
3.2 

Section III – Work Programme Year 2019 ........................................................................ 84 

1 

2 

Executive summary ......................................................................................................... 84 

Activities in 2019 ............................................................................................................. 86 
2.1 
Strategic  Area  of  Operation  1  (operational  activity):  Provide  strategic  steering  for  the  SESAR 
programme ................................................................................................................................................... 86 
Strategic Area of Operation 2 (operational activity): Deliver Exploratory Research....................... 89 
2.2 
Strategic Area of Operation 3 (operational activity): Deliver Industrial Research and Validation .. 90 
2.3 
2.4 
Strategic  Area  of  Operation  4  (operational  activity):  Deliver  Very  Large-Scale  Demonstration 
Activities ....................................................................................................................................................... 91 
Strategic Area of Operation 5 (operational activity): Deliver SESAR Outreach ............................... 92 
2.5 
2.6 
Strategic Area of Operation 6 (transversal activity): Deliver effective financial, administrative and 
corporate management ............................................................................................................................... 98 

3 

Budget & Resource Information 2019 ............................................................................. 150 
Budgetary Information for 2019 ................................................................................................... 150 
Staff Establishment for 2019 ......................................................................................................... 150 

3.1 
3.2 

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Annexes ......................................................................................................................... 151 

Annex I: Resource Allocation (budget and human resources) per Area of Operation ................ 151 

Annex II: Financial Resources (Tables) 2019 – 2021 ................................................................. 154 
Table 1 – Expenditure ................................................................................................................................. 154 
Table 2 – Revenue ...................................................................................................................................... 159 
Table 3 – Budget Outturn and Cancellation of Appropriations .................................................................. 162 

Annex III: Human Resources (Tables) 2019 - 2021 ................................................................... 163 
Table 1 – Staff population and its evolution; Overview of all categories of staff....................................... 163 
Table 2 – Multi-annual staff policy plan Year 2019 - 2021 ......................................................................... 165 

Annex IV: Human Resources Policy ......................................................................................... 168 
A. Recruitment Policy ................................................................................................................................. 168 
B. Appraisal of performance and reclassification/promotions .................................................................. 175 
C. Mobility policy (internal mobility, between EU Bodies and between EU Bodies and the institutions) . 177 
D. Gender and geographical balance ......................................................................................................... 178 
E. Schooling ................................................................................................................................................ 179 

Annex V: Buildings (table) ...................................................................................................... 180 

Annex VI: Privileges and Immunities (table)............................................................................ 181 

Annex VII: Evaluations ........................................................................................................... 182 

Annex VIII: Risk Management in 2019 .................................................................................... 183 

Annex IX: Procurement plan for 2019 ..................................................................................... 185 
Operational expenditure ............................................................................................................................ 185 
Administrative expenditure........................................................................................................................ 188 

Annex X: 2019 SESAR JU Organisation Chart ........................................................................... 191 

Annex XI: List of Members of the SESAR Joint Undertaking ..................................................... 192 

Annex XII: Results of closed projects under the SESAR 2020 Programme ................................. 194 
Projects under the ER1 call for proposals .................................................................................................. 194 

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Foreword 

The  SESAR  Joint  Undertaking  (SESAR  JU)  is  a  key  enabling  organisation  for  the  modernisation  of 
European and global air traffic management, and the coordination and concentration of all air traffic 
management-related research and innovation efforts in the EU.  

Since its establishment in 2007, the SESAR JU, together with its Members and partners, has provided 
a significant return on the original EU investment. It delivers high-performance solutions in accordance 
with  the  European  Air  Traffic  Management  Master  Plan  and  its  performance  ambition  in  terms  of 
capacity,  cost-efficiency,  environmental  efficiency  and  safety.  It  thus  stimulates  growth  across  the 
aviation sector and generates employment. It also firmly contributes to other tangible societal benefits 
such as decarbonisation and the reduction of aviation’s environmental footprint.  

By successfully implementing the SESAR 2020 Programme, the SESAR JU leverages digital technology 
in air traffic management. It will continue to provide the most efficient way of implementing research 
and innovation for Europe,  further contributing  to  the delivery of  the Single European Sky and  the 
broader  EU  Aviation  Strategy,  while  providing  investors  with  a  sound  return  on  investment. 
Additionally, the SESAR JU continues to reinforce the role of the EU as a global actor in the field of 
aviation. 

The  SESAR  JU’s  Single  Programming  Document  2019–2021  (SPD  2019-2021)  builds  upon  previous 
successes  and  outlines  the  ongoing  roadmap  to  the  successful  implementation  of  the  SESAR  2020 
Programme and of the other SESAR JU missions over the next three years. This document describes six 
strategic areas of operation (the ones already described in the SPD 2018-2020) that the SESAR JU will 
pursue during the reporting period.  

While delivering on its strategic objectives, the SESAR JU will remain committed to strengthening its 
effective and efficient organisation by continually improving its processes, procedures, performance 
and risk management, and ICT infrastructure, and by investing in its talented people. 

Florian Guillermet 

Executive Director 

SESAR Joint Undertaking 

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Document history 

Edition 

Date 

Status 

Justification 

00.01 

15/12/2017 

Draft 

Initial  Draft  version 
Administrative Board for review and comments 

submitted 

to 

the  SESAR 

JU 

00.02 

00.03 

00.04 

00.05 

31/01/2018 

Draft 

Integration of Administrative Board comments 

15/06/2018 

Under review 

Integration of new annual planning elements 

28/09/2018 

Under review 

Integration of new annual planning elements 

31/10/2018 

Under review 

Integration  of  comments  from  final  review  by  Corporate 
Management Team 

00.06 

23/11/2018 

Under review 

Integration of comments from final review by Administrative 
Board members 

00.07 

10/12/2018 

Under review 

Integration  of  comments  from  final  review  by  European 
Commission 

01.00 

01.01 

12/12/2018 

Approved 

Adoption by the Administrative Board 

23/01/2019 

Under review 

Proposed amendment to the SESAR JU Administrative Board 
related to budget, Staff Establishment Plan and 2019 events 

02.00 

07/02/2019 

Approved 

02.01 

10/04/2019 

Under review 

03.00 

24/04/2019 

Approved 

Adoption of the Amendment no. 1, related to budget, Staff 
Establishment  Plan  and  2019  events,  by  the  SESAR  JU 
Administrative Board 

Proposed amendment related to ER4 call conditions (Section 
III,  paragraph  2.6.1.3),  call  off  of  the  ER5  call  and 
Procurement plan update (Annex IX) 

Adoption  of  the  Amendment  no.  2  related  to  ER4  call 
conditions (Section III, paragraph 2.6.1.3), call off of the ER5 
call and Procurement plan update (Annex IX) 

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List of acronyms and definitions 

Acronym 

Long name/definition 

4D  

ABAC  

ACAS  

ADB 

ADS-B  

ADS-C  

four-dimension 

accrual-based accounting  

Airborne Collision Avoidance System  

Administrative Board 

automatic dependent surveillance — broadcast  

automatic dependent surveillance — contract  

AeroMACS  

Aeronautical Mobile Airport Communications System  

A/G 

AI 

AIM 

air/ground 

artificial intelligence 

aeronautical information management 

AMAN  

arrival management 

AMQP 

ANSP 

A-PNT 

AR 

ASBU 

ATC 

advanced message queuing protocol 

air navigation service provider 

alternative position, navigation and timing 

assigned revenue 

aviation system block upgrade 

air traffic control 

ATFCM 

air traffic flow and capacity management 

ATM  

ATN 

ATS 

ATSU 

AU  

air traffic management  

aeronautical telecommunication network 

air traffic services 

Air Traffic System Unit 

airspace users (civil) 

BVLOS 

beyond visual line of sight 

CA 

CCO 

contractual agent 

continuous climb operations 

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CDO 

CDTI 

CEF 

CNS  

continuous descent operations 

cockpit display of traffic information 

Connecting Europe Facility 

communication, navigation and surveillance  

Conops 

Concept of operations 

CSA 

DART 

DCB  

coordination and support action 

data-driven aircraft trajectory 

demand and capacity balancing  

DFMC 

dual-frequency multi-constellation 

DMAN  

departure management 

DMSC 

Delivery Management Sub-Committee (see definition in Section II, Paragraph 2.1.5.3) 

DME 

EASA 

EDA 

distance measurement equipment 

European Union Aviation Safety Agency 

European Defence Agency 

E-OCVM 

European operational concept validation methodology 

E-TMA 

extended TMA (terminal manoeuvring area) 

EATMA 

European ATM (air traffic management) architecture 

eFPL 

extended  flight  plan  (flight  and  flow  information  for  the  collaborative  environment/flight 
information exchange model-based flight plan) 

EGNOS 

European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service 

ER 

EU 

EUR 

exploratory research 

European Union 

Euro (currency) 

EUROCAE 

European Organisation for Civil Aviation Equipment 

FAA 

FCI 

FIS-B 

US Federal Aviation Administration 

future communication infrastructure 

flight information service — Broadcast 

Flightpath 
2050 

report of the High Level Group (HLG) on Aviation and Aeronautics Research established by the 
European Commission in December 2010, setting out a new vision for the aviation sector by 
2050 

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GA 

GA/R 

GANP 

GAP 

GAST 

GBAS  

G/G 

GNSS  

GSA 

H2020 

HMI  

IA 

IAS 

general aviation 

general aviation and rotorcraft 

global air navigation plan (from the International Civil Aviation Organisation) 

Grant Agreement Phase 

GBAS approach service type (of different types GAST-C, GAST-D, GAST-F) 

Ground-Based Augmentation System  

ground/ground 

global navigation satellite system  

European GNSS Agency 

Horizon 2020 framework programme 

human–machine interface  

innovation action 

Internal Audit Service of the European Commission 

ICAO 

International Civil Aviation Organisation 

ICT 

IFR 

IGS 

INAP 

IOP  

IPS 

IR 

JU 

KTN 

information and communication technologies 

instrument flight rules 

increased glide slope  

integrated network management and extended ATC (air traffic control) planning function 

interoperability  

internet protocol suite 

industrial research and validation 

joint undertaking 

Knowledge Network Transfer 

L-DACS 

L-band Digital Aeronautical Communications System 

LPV 

LVC 

MAWP 

localiser performance with vertical guidance 

low visibility conditions 

multiannual  work  programme  of  the  SESAR  2020  Programme,  as  adopted  by  the  SESAR  JU 
Administrative Board through decision ADB(D)-05-2015 

MC/MF 

multi constellation/multi frequency 

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Members 

Two  founding  members  (the  European  Union  and  EUROCONTROL)  and  19  stakeholder 
members, of which all apart from the EU are signatory to a membership agreement or accession 
agreement 

MET 

MGA 

MoC 

MPC 

MSP  

meteorological/meteorology  

SESAR JU Model Grant Agreement  

memorandum of cooperation 

ATM Master Planning Committee (see definition in Section II, Paragraph 2.1.5.4) 

multi-sector planner  

MUAC 

The Maastricht Upper Area Control Centre 

NAA 

NM 

NMf 

National Aviation Authorities 

network manager 

network management function (organised as integrated regional/subregional/local layers and 
supporting collaborative network management) 

NMOC 

network manager operations centre 

NOP  

OSI 

OTSC 

PC 

PCP 

PinS 

PWS 

R & D 

R & I 

RBT 

RIA 

RNP  

ROT 

RPAS  

RSP 

SBAS 

network operations plan  

open systems interconnection  

Operations and Technical Sub-Committee (see definition in Section II, Paragraph 2.1.5.3) 

Programme Committee (see definition in Section II, Paragraph 2.1.5.3) 

pilot common project 

point in space 

pairwise separation 

research and development 

research and innovation 

reference business trajectory 

research and innovation action 

required navigation performance 

runway occupancy time 

Remotely Piloted Aircraft System 

required surveillance performance 

Satellite-Based Augmentation System 

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SC 

SE 

SES 

The Scientific Committee (see definition in Section II, Paragraph 2.1.5.5) 

system engineering 

single European sky 

SESAR 

Single European Sky ATM (Air Traffic Management) Research 

SESAR 2020 

The  SESAR  2020  research  and  innovation  programme,  also  referred  to  as  the  SESAR  2020 
Programme or SESAR 2020 R & I Programme 

It is the coordinated set of activities described in this document and being undertaken by the 
members and managed by the SESAR JU 

SESAR JU 

Single European Sky Air Traffic Management Research Joint Undertaking 

SMO 

SNE 

SNI 

standard-making organisation 

seconded national expert 

simultaneous non-interfering 

SWIM  

system wide information management  

TA 

TBO 

TMA  

TRL 

UAS 

temporary agent 

trajectory-based operations 

terminal manoeuvring area 

technology readiness level 

unmanned aerial system 

UDPP  

user-driven prioritisation process  

U-space 

A set of new services relying on a high level of digitalisation and automation of functions and 
specific procedures designed to support safe, efficient and secure access to airspace for a large 
numbers of drones, with an initial look at very low-level (VLL) operations 

UTM 

VFR 

VLD 

VLL 

VLOS 

WOC 

unmanned traffic management 

visual flight rules 

very large-scale demonstration 

very low-level 

visual line of sight 

wing operations centre 

Table 1: List of acronyms 

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Mission Statement 

The mission of the Single European Sky Air Traffic Management Research Joint Undertaking (SESAR 
JU), created under Article 171 of the Treaty establishing the European  Community1, is to develop a 
modernised air traffic management (ATM) system for Europe, which will prevent crippling congestion 
of the European sky and reduce the environmental impact of air transport. Established in 2007 as a 
joint undertaking (JU)2, the SESAR JU is responsible for the modernisation of the European ATM system 
by coordinating and concentrating all ATM-relevant research and innovation (R & I) efforts in the EU. 
It aims to develop the next generation of ATM system capable of ensuring the safety and fluidity of air 
transport worldwide over the next 30 years. The SESAR JU is also responsible for ensuring international 
collaboration on ATM modernisation, under the principles established by the European Union. 

Founded  by  the  European  Union  and  EUROCONTROL,  in  2009  the  SESAR  JU  became  a  Community 
Body. It was augmented by 15 stakeholder Members and then in 2016 a further four members acceded 
to membership, all committing to further achieve the mission of the JU to 2024. Together with their 
partners  and  affiliate  associations,  the  Members  represent  over  100  organisations  from  across  the 
ATM community, from civil and military air navigation service providers (ANSPs), to airports, civil and 
military  airspace  users  (AUs),  staff  associations,  academia  and  research  centres.  Through  these 
partnerships  and  further  collaboration  with  staff  associations,  regulators  and  the  larger  scientific 
community, the SESAR JU unites the skills of some 3.000+  experts to fast-track research leading to 
change in European ATM in accordance with a Master Plan, aligned with the EU Aviation Strategy and 
in accordance with the Single European Sky (SES) regulation.  

As an integral part of the SESAR project, the SESAR JU is the technological pillar of the SES policy and 
contributes  to  SES  targets  by  defining,  developing  and  validating  innovative  technological  and 
operational solutions for managing air traffic in a more efficient manner. With an initial budget of EUR 
2,1 billion of which EUR 700 million was from the EU3 (up to 2016), the SESAR JU was then extended 
with an additional approximately  EUR 1,6 billion of which EUR 596,3 million  is from the EU4  (up to 
2024).  Since  2007,  the  SESAR  JU  has  established  a  contiguous  research  ‘pipeline  to  innovation’, 
comprising of three distinct strands of activities with the aim of seeing a flow of R & I activities meeting 
stakeholder  needs  and  citizen  expectations:  Exploratory  Research  (ER),  Industrial  Research  and 

1 Now Article 187 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) following entry into force of the Treaty of 
Lisbon which amended the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty establishing the European Community on 1 December 
2009 

2  The  SESAR  JU  was  established  under  Council  Regulation  (EC)  219/2007  of  27  February  2007  (as  modified  by  Council 
Regulation (EC) 1361 / 2008 (SESAR JU Regulation) and last amended by the Council Regulation (EU) 721/2014) 

3 The EU contribution of EUR 700 million up to 2016 was established for EUR 350 million under FP7 (the 7th EU Framework 
Programme for Research and Innovation) and TEN-T (the EU programme for the upgrade of transport infrastructure) 

4 The EU contribution of EUR 585 million up to 2024 is established under the Horizon 2020 programme.  

In addition, following the delegation agreement EC/SESAR JU ref. MOVE/E3/DA/2016-669/SI2.743803 signed on 06/12/2016, 
SESAR JU has been entrusted in 2016 the implementation of an action ‘Integrating remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) 
in European airspace with and active geo-fencing service (AGS)’ and received EUR 500 000 on budget line 06.027712 (see 
Section II, Paragraph 3.2.1) 

Furthermore, the SESAR JU has been mandated by the European Commission to procure a study to develop a proposal for 
the  future  architecture  of  the  European  airspace  (delegation  agreement  EC/SESAR  JU  ref.  MOVE/E3/DA/2017-
477/SI2.766828 signed on 10/11/2017), with a delegated budget of EUR 800 000 

The European Commission has given an additional mandate to the SESAR JU to organise U-space demonstrations, through 
delegation agreement EC/SESAR JU ref. MOVE/E3/DA/2017-564/si2.771010 signed on 13/12/2016 with a delegated budget 
of EUR 10 million from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) fund  

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Validation (IR), and Very Large-Scale Demonstrations (VLDs). These activities are carried out in line with 
the European ATM Master Plan – the main planning tool for ATM modernisation in Europe – which the 
SESAR JU is responsible for maintaining. 

The  SESAR  JU  is  linked  to  the  European  Commission’s 
Mobility  and  Transport  policy  and  makes  a  positive 
in  terms  of 
contribution  to  the  mission  expressed 
Decarbonisation,  Digitalisation,  Investment  and  People 
objectives. 

In addition, the SESAR JU operates in close coordination with 
other European organisations with direct links to the SESAR 
Project,  including  the  European  Union  Aviation  Safety 
Agency (EASA) and the SESAR Deployment Manager. 

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Section I – General Context  

1  High-level policy objectives: achieving the EU Aviation Strategy  

In  December  2015,  the  publication  of  An  Aviation  Strategy  for  Europe  (the  EU  Aviation  Strategy)5 
provided  additional  focus  and  momentum  towards  completion  of  the  SES  to  generate  growth  for 
European economy, foster innovation and allow passengers to profit from safer, cleaner and cheaper 
flights,  while  offering  more  connections.  The  Strategy  contributes  directly  to  the  European 
Commission’s priorities of Jobs and Growth, the Digital Single Market, Energy Union and the EU as a 
global actor with the published strategy containing many explicit references to the SESAR project and 
to the SESAR JU. 

The Aviation Strategy poses challenges and enablers as represented in the figure below. 

Figure 1: Key infographics from ‘An Aviation Strategy for Europe’ 

In this framework, the SESAR JU acknowledges the objectives for the modernisation of ATM. To this 
end, SESAR also remains a flagship project identified within the  European Commission’s ‘Flightpath 
2050’, a roadmap for the provision of a clean, competitive, safe and secure European aviation industry. 
SESAR’s  positive  contribution  to  meeting  the  needs  of  citizens,  and  markets  and  to  maintaining  a 
competitive advantage for Europe is key to the continued successful evolution of ATM.  

5 http://ec.europa.eu/transport/modes/air/aviation-strategy  

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Within the SES legislative framework, the SESAR JU contributes to achieving the SES’s High-Level Goals 
formulated in 2005 with a vision to deliver the following performance improvements by 2035: 

  enable a three-fold increase in capacity which will also reduce delays both on the ground and 

in the air; 
improve safety by a factor of 10;  

 
  enable a 10 % reduction in the environmental impact of flights; 
  reduce the cost per flight by 50 %. 

The SESAR JU transfers the result of its ATM research and innovation activities in the form of SESAR 
Solutions6  made  available  for  deployment,  and  therefore  makes  a  positive  contribution  to  the 
achievement of the SES as well as the wider ambition of FlightPath2050 and the EU Aviation Strategy. 
The contribution of the SESAR Programme to achieving the SES4s High-Level Goals, as reformulated 
under the SESAR performance ambitions in 2012, appears in Figure 4 later in this document. 

2  Drivers  shaping  the  European  aviation  landscape:  targets  for  air  traffic 

management 

Aviation, in particular air transport supported by ATM, is a key driver of EU economic growth, jobs and 
trade, and essential for the life and mobility of its citizens. However, the current ATM system is still 
highly fragmented and largely reliant on ageing technology, leading to inefficiencies of EUR 4 billion 
annually. The role of the SESAR JU, in steering the SESAR R&I programme, is to define and develop 
solutions that meet what is needed and build a more connected, greener, safer ATM system, as well 
as ensuring that the latter is standardised as needed and made globally interoperable.  

This work is undertaken through the SESAR R & I programme (called ‘the SESAR 2020 Programme’ for 
the period from 2015 to 2022), coordinated by the SESAR JU and performed by the industry at large. 
The  activities  performed  by  the  industry  are  funded  mostly  through  the  Horizon  2020  Framework 
Programme (H2020), which means that the SESAR JU operates in accordance with H2020 rules and 
processes,  adapted  for  use  by  partnerships,  for  all  its  activities  relating  to  the  awarding  and 
management of these grants. The European Commission also grants the SESAR JU with additional tasks 
under  a  variety  of  legislative  frameworks;  all  of  the  activities  are  integrated  into  the  SESAR  2020 
Programme. 

Besides the role of technology and innovation, the EU Aviation Strategy also recognises the need to 
secure Europe’s leading role in international aviation. To this end, the SESAR JU also works closely with 
the European Commission and EUROCONTROL on building and executing a coordinated plan of action 
involving  non-EU  countries  and  the  international  aviation  body  known  as  the  International  Civil 
Aviation Organisation (ICAO).  

6 SESAR Solutions are referred to as ‘Candidate SESAR Solutions’ as long as they are under development in the Industrial 
Research phase of the SESAR innovation pipeline (see figure 3). Once validated at V3 level of maturity, they are packaged and 
referred to as ‘SESAR Solutions’ 

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The challenges for ATM are captured and maintained in a European ATM Master Plan (currently 2015 
Edition7)  –  this  forming  the  main  planning  tool  for  ATM  modernisation  in  Europe.  Some  of  these 
challenges and solutions are described below. 

The number of flights increased by 80% between 1990 and 2014, and this figure is forecast to grow by 
a  further  45%  between  2014  and  2035. Although  slower  than  previously  expected,  the  increase  in 
traffic  will  still  place  pressure  on  an  already  congested  network,  which  is  facing  saturation.  Up  to 
August 2018, this saturation produced an average delay of over two minutes per flight (four times the 
performance target set for Reference Period 2)8 and the latest version of the Network Operations Plan 
(NOP) of the Network Manager (NM) projects an even poorer delay performance than the previous 
edition, emphasising the gravity of the situation. The situation calls for the introduction of additional 
automated tools and revised data communications that enable improved ANS operations productivity, 
thereby increasing the available en-route capacity and handling more traffic in a safer way. Airports 
are also reaching saturation with this growth and require solutions to help maximise their capacity in 
all weather conditions, such as satellite-based tools for accurate navigation and landing (e.g. Galileo 
and the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS), the adoption of which can be 
further accelerated). 

The  European  economic  recovery  remains  relatively  slow  in  some  EU  Member  States,  which 
challenges  the  aviation  and  ATM  industries  to  increase  their  productivity,  sustainability  and 
competitive  edge.  Technology  and  innovation  are  key  enablers,  allowing  for  medium-term 
development of leaner and more modular systems that are easier to upgrade and more interoperable 
with  each  other.  Virtualised  control  centres  and  use  of  remote  towers  will  also  allow  for  a  more 
efficient and flexible use of resources, substantially improving the cost-efficiency of service provision 
and relieving congested airspace. 

To  these  well-known  challenges,  driving  manned  aviation  efforts  towards  step  changes  in  ATM 
performance,  should  be  added  the  latest,  rapid  and  substantial  challenges  created  by  the  need  to 
successfully carry out the digital transformation of aviation so as to create a ‘Digital Sky’, supported by 
a high degree of automation, connectivity and virtualisation of services. This new ambition setting new 
targets for ATM consists of a number of elements, which are summarised in the following paragraphs.  

Drones are rapidly changing the landscape of aviation and this change is happening at a speed and on 
a scale that have never been seen before. Clear standards and low-cost system solutions which support 
interoperability (IOP) will allow the integration of drones alongside other AUs in an efficient manner, 
while also ensuring safety and security (e.g. via geo-fencing, where EGNOS/Galileo specific services can 
bring  added  value).  The  drone  market  is  steadily  growing  and  is  poised  to  generate  significant 
economic growth and societal benefits. The challenge will be to create a framework that will facilitate 

7 In 2018, the European ATM Master Plan is under revision and there will be a new edition of it in early 2019 – see Section II, 
Paragraph 2.2.1 and Section III, Paragraph 2.1.2 

8 Source: report of the Performance Review Body of the Single European Sky PRB Advice to the Commission in the setting of 
Union-wide performance targets for RP3 (final report dated 30 September 2018) 

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this growth, while at the same time handling the increased drone traffic safely, efficiently and securely: 
this challenge is covered by the notion of U-space9.  

Increased connectivity and digital information exchange in ATM can also increase the risk of cyber-
attacks. This requires innovative solutions to protect critical information systems and to ensure that 
secure data exchanges allow stakeholders to collaborate effectively and reliably. 

Automation and Artificial Intelligence (AI): in order to increase the capacity and the performance of 
the overall system, automation levels will need to increase for both air traffic and flight operations. In 
this way, supporting the use and development of automation technologies in aviation is one of SESAR 
JU’s priorities. 

A new ecosystem for aviation is taking shape, which forms an opportunity to strengthen the alignment 
between  the  priorities  of  the  EU  Aviation  Strategy  and  the  EU’s  aviation  research  and  innovation. 
Embracing a new era through innovation and digital technologies is highlighted as a key area for action 
in  the  Strategy.  This  evolution  will  be  characterised  by  more  autonomous  transport  and  the 
digitalisation of the enabling infrastructure that will be based on data processing and services10. The 
traffic management operations will evolve from a vertical integration to horizontal  integration with 
common attributes such as performance levels and resilience, relying on those secured digital services, 
ensuring  aviation’s  integration  into  a  multi-modal  mobility  network  based  on  a  ‘digital  journey’ 
concept  supported  by  cyber-secured  information  management  technology  and  a  digital  market 
ecosystem. SESAR is already identifying six key functionalities to enable this evolution: 

  Higher levels of autonomy and connectivity  of all  aircrafts  coupled with a smarter, more 

automated management of traffic, and enabled by an ‘intranet of flight’; 

  Mobile, terrestrial and satellite-based communications, which are used to provide real-time 
vehicle trajectory information, shared between vehicles and with the ground infrastructure; 
  Cyber-secured digital and automated tools provided on board the air vehicle itself, or as part 

of the ground-based infrastructure; 

  Virtual technologies to decouple the physical infrastructure such as sensors, communication 

or navigation devices from the services that are provided to manage the airspace; 

  High-tech video, synthetic and enhanced sensor technologies to operate air traffic services 

for airports or to enable aircraft to land in low-visibility conditions; 

  Big data analytics and open source data usage to encourage the creation of new services 
and to allow for better flight planning, airport operations and increased predictability of the 
overall traffic; 

  System flexibility to handle the increasing number of air vehicles, such as drones; 
  Traffic management digital services to handle the increasing number of air vehicles, such as 

drones in the U-space context. 

Furthermore, in the coming years, European citizens will live in smart cities, travelling door-to-door 
using green autonomous vehicles and communicating with smart devices. Aviation is very much part 

9  See  Warsaw  declaration,  calling  for  a  number  of  well-coordinated  actions  to  develop  the  EU  drone  ecosystem.  This 
declaration was followed by the development of the U-space blueprint by the SESAR JU, a document which sets out the vision 
for U-space 

10 This evolution towards the digitalisation of transport was highlighted by the European Commission in the Digital Transport 
Days Declaration of 10/11/2017 

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of this intelligent transport system and will have to rely on technological advances to transform its 
services and enable seamless travel and transport for all.  

The evolution of aviation towards digital can be depicted in the following figure: 

Figure 2: A new ecosystem for aviation 

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Section II – Multi-annual programming 2019 – 2021 

This section provides stakeholders with a general overview of the activities planned by the SESAR JU 
in order  to fully  execute its  mandate and deliver its long-term strategy. It is structured around  the 
multi-annual objectives for the period from 2019 to 2021 that reflect the mandate of the SESAR JU and 
its priorities. This section is updated on an annual basis as a rolling plan, giving due consideration of 
the EU frameworks the SESAR JU operates within. It replaces the Single Programming Document 2018-
2020 insofar as it refers to the years 2019 and 2020. 

1  Multi-annual objectives 

1.1  The SESAR innovation pipeline 

The second SESAR R&I programme (SESAR 2020 Programme) is structured in three main R & I phases 
that  aim  to  deliver  a  pipeline  of  innovation,  which  matures  operational  and  technology  solutions 
through  the  European  Operational  Concept  Validation  Methodology  (E-OCVM),  a  well-established 
control and monitoring process linked to the technology readiness level (TRL).  

Figure 3: SESAR’s innovation pipeline – from the EU Aviation Strategy to SESAR Solutions 

This pipeline starts with the EU Aviation Strategy and the SES objectives (see Chapter 1) which feed 
into the European ATM Master Plan, the main planning tool defining the ATM modernisation roadmap 
and priorities maintained and updated on a regular basis. Exploratory Research (ER) addresses both 
transversal topics for future ATM evolution and application-oriented research. According to the four 
Key Features defined in the Master Plan, it is then expanded with contributions from the SESAR JU 
Members that undertake Industrial Research and Validation (IR).  As per the European ATM Master 
Plan, this will ultimately deliver results in the form of SESAR Solutions that will contribute to firmly 

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establishing  the  performance  benefits  in  preparation  for  deployment.  The  SESAR  JU  then  further 
exploits  the  benefits  of  the  partnership  in  demonstrating  on  a  large  scale  the  concepts  and 
technologies in representative environments (VLD for Very Large-Scale Demonstration activities). In 
some cases, for instance where technology is mature in sectors other than ATM, fast-track integration 
from Application-Oriented Research to Demonstration activities is possible.  

1.2  The four SESAR Key Features 

In the European ATM Master Plan, SESAR Solutions have been categorised according to four key areas 
of ATM (Key Features), which form a coherent way to present the solutions over the time span of the 
multi-annual work programme (MAWP) and across all ATM in Europe as explained in Section II, Chapter 
2 and in Section III of this document. 

High-performing airport operations 

The future European ATM system relies on the full integration of airports as nodes into 
the  network.  This  implies  enhanced  airport  operations,  ensuring  a  seamless  process 
through  collaborative  decision-making,  in  normal  conditions,  and  through  the  further 
development of collaborative recovery procedures in adverse conditions. In this context, 
this Feature mainly addresses the need for increased airport capacity through the enhancement of 
runway  throughput,  integrated  surface  management,  total  airport  management  and  airport  safety 
nets. 

Advanced air traffic services 

The future European ATM system will be characterised by advanced service provision, 
underpinned by the development of automation tools to support controllers in routine 
tasks, making it possible to better address the traffic demand with increased en-route 
available  capacity.  The  Feature  reflects  this  move  towards  further  automation  with 
activities  addressing  enhanced  arrivals  and  departures,  separation  management,  enhanced  air  and 
ground safety nets and trajectory and performance-based free routing. 

Optimised ATM network services 

An optimised ATM network must be robust and resilient to a whole range of disruptions, 
including meteorological and unplanned events relying on a dynamic and collaborative 
mechanism. This will allow for a common, updated, consistent and accurate plan that 
provides reference information to all planning and executing ATM actors. This makes it 
possible to better consider the expected traffic demand in advance with the aim of making the required 
en-route  capacity  available.  It  also  makes  it  possible  to  link  the  en-route  and  airport  plans  and 
capabilities  to  consider  traffic  demand  from  gate  to  gate  and  optimise  the  network  capacity 
accordingly. 

This  feature  includes  activities  in  the  areas  of  advanced  airspace  management,  advanced  dynamic 
capacity  balancing  (DCB)  and  optimised  AU  operations,  as  well  as  optimised  ATM  network 
management through a fully integrated NOP and airport operations plans via system-wide information 
management (SWIM). 

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Enabling aviation infrastructure 

The enhancements described in the first three Key Features will be underpinned by an 
advanced,  integrated  and  rationalised  aviation  infrastructure,  providing  the  required 
technical capabilities in a resource-efficient manner. This feature will rely on enhanced 
integration  and  interfacing  between  aircraft  and  ground  systems,  communications, 
navigation and surveillance (CNS) systems, SWIM, trajectory management and Common 
Support  Services.  Furthermore,  the  safe  integration  of  drones  in  all  categories  of  airspace  and  the 
development of U-space is a new policy priority which is reflected in the dedicated addendum to the 
Master Plan delivered in 201711 and in a dedicated call for proposals organised by the SESAR JU in 2018 
(see Paragraph 2.5 in this section and Section III, Paragraph 2.4).  

1.3  The European Master Plan performance framework 

The SESAR JU results in the 2019-2021 period will continue to contribute to the achievement of the 
SES and the European ATM Master Plan vision and ambition across the six main performance areas 
illustrated below. 

Figure 4: Six performance areas of the Single European Sky12 

The realisation of the SESAR vision will not only bring significant direct and quantifiable performance 
gains  to  ATM,  air  transport  and  aviation,  but  is  also  expected  to  deliver  wider  benefits  for  the  EU 
economy  and  society  in  general.  It  is  estimated  that  cost  savings  and  the  value  of  all  performance 
benefits presented in figure 4 would amount to recurring benefits ranging from EUR 8 billion to EUR 
15 billion per year by 2035 (source: European ATM Master Plan, 2015 edition) compared to a baseline 
where SESAR would not be deployed. 

11 European ATM Master Plan: Roadmap for the safe integration of drones into all classes of operations. This document is 
available on the SESAR JU website 

12  Source:  European  ATM  Master  Plan:,  edition  2015  (performance  improvement  ambitions  are  baselined  against  the 
situation in 2012) 

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1.4  SESAR delivery: Upgrade phases of the European air traffic management system 

The delivery of these results  in the form of SESAR Solutions as defined above in  Paragraph 1.1 will 
contribute to the various phases, which are depicted in the figure below, of the upgrade of the ATM 
system as outlined in the Master Plan: 

Figure 5: European ATM system upgrade phases as per ATM Master Plan 

Until 2018, the primary objective of the SESAR Solutions delivered was to contribute to phases A & B, 
while preparing the ground for those Solutions that will be further developed in the next period. From 
2019 to 2022, driven by the 2019 update of the ATM Master Plan and building on the results of Wave 
1 and the Exploratory Research outcome, candidate SESAR Solutions will be delivered under Wave 2 
of the SESAR 2020 Programme. A mix of these will be further developed up to pre-industrialisation (V3 
or TRL6 then recognising SESAR Solutions, covering phase C) in continuation of those delivered under 
Wave  1,  and  will  bring  new  topics  with  new  concepts  developed  within  the  Exploratory  Research 
projects. For the latter, development may be required beyond SESAR 2020 for the further maturation 
of the scientific and technical challenges of the SESAR Target Vision (phase D). 

Section II, Chapter 2.4 provides the list of candidate SESAR Solutions under development as well as 
their contribution to the European ATM system upgrade phases and to the Performance Areas of the 
Single European Sky. 

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2015First common projects2050FlightpathInformation services progressively enabling:-Increased automation support-VirtualisationAddress known critical network performance deficienciesEfficient services and infrastructure deliveryRegional, trajectory-based, flight-and flow-centric operationsTarget visionTodayABCDPerformance 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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2  Multi-annual programme 

2.1 

Introduction 

The SESAR JU’s multi-annual programme aims for the continued effective delivery of the SESAR 2020 
R&I programme. As outlined in the SESAR JU’s multi-annual work programme (MAWP) adopted by the 
SESAR JU Administrative Board (ADB) in July 201513, the SESAR 2020 Programme has been designed to 
encourage the implementation of the SESAR innovation pipeline outlined in Chapter 1.1.  

This chapter provides information on the Strategic Areas of Operation according to which the SESAR 
JU  MAWP  is  established.  In  the  following  paragraphs,  each  Strategic  Area  of  Operation  is  then 
described in terms of its activities, source and structure of funding and governance. This structure also 
allows for the reporting provided during the year at the ADB level and ultimately in the Consolidated 
Annual Activity Report. 

2.1.1  Six Strategic Areas of Operation 
In  continuity  with  the  plan  established  in  2018  and  building  on  the  structure  of  the  SESAR  2020 
Programme  set  out  in  the  MAWP,  the  six  Strategic  Areas  of  Operation  each  constitute  a  strategic 
objective the SESAR JU will follow in the period from 2019 to 2021: 

  Strategic Area of Operation #1 – Provide Strategic Steering for the SESAR programme: the 
SESAR  JU  will  continue  to  provide  strategic  steering  for  the  SESAR  R&I  programme  in 
particular  through  the  link  with  the  SES  policy  framework  and  the  maintenance  of  the 
European  ATM  Master  Plan,  and  the  provision  of  guidance  on  the  SESAR  concept, 
architecture and performance. This strategic area of operation is described in more detail in 
Chapter 2.2 in this section, and in Section III, Chapter 2.1; 

  Strategic  Area  of  Operation  #2  –  Deliver  Exploratory  Research:  within  the  pipeline  for 
innovation  (see  figure  3  in  Paragraph  1.1  above),  the  first  phase  concerns  Exploratory 
Research  (ER),  further  categorised  into  those  elements/projects  dealing  with  relevant 
fundamental scientific subjects (Excellent Science & Outreach) and those which investigate 
the initial applications of such science for the ATM sector (Application-oriented research). 
This strategic area of operation is described in more detail in Chapter 2.3 in this section, and 
in Section III, Chapter 2.2; 

  Strategic Area of Operation #3 – Deliver Industrial Research & Validation: the second phase 
of the pipeline for innovation is the Industrial Research & Validation (IR) phase which includes 
applied research, pre-industrial development and validation projects, and is delivered by the 
Members of the SESAR JU. This phase is further split into two waves: Wave 1 covering the 
2016-2019 period and Wave 2 (to be launched in 2019) to cover the period currently planned 
from 2019 to 2022. It aims for the progressive delivery of a number of specific operational or 
technical improvements – candidate SESAR Solutions – systematically validated to support a 
decision on their individual implementation and/or synchronised deployment. Wave 1 and 
Wave 2 together allow the ambitions of the Master Plan to be covered for the Development 
phase. 
Chapter  2.4  in  this  section  and  Chapter  2.3  in  Section  III  describe  this  strategic  area  of 
operation in more detail; 

13 The multi-annual work programme was adopted by the Administrative Board in 2015 (decision ADB(D)-05-2015) 

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  Strategic Area of Operation #4 – Deliver Very Large-Scale Demonstration activities: the third 
phase  of  the  pipeline  for  innovation  deals  with  Very  Large-Scale  Demonstrations  (VLDs) 
which are designed as demonstrations of particular programme concept elements and SESAR 
Solutions. These demonstrations bridge the gap between the development and deployment 
phases  of  SESAR  and  are  delivered  through  work  undertaken  by  SESAR  JU  Members, 
supplemented  by  open  calls  for  proposals  to  ensure  the  widest  possible  stakeholder 
participation. 

o  In some cases, results of Application–oriented Exploratory Research can be passed on to 
the third phase ‘VLD activities’ directly; this is particularly the case when a technology is 
mature in sectors other than ATM and when the focus is more on the adaptation of that 
mature  technology  for  ATM  than  on  developing  the  technology  (for  instance  activities 
related to U-space in the annual work programme section). 

This strategic area of operation is described in more detail in Chapter 2.5 in this section and 
in Section III, Chapter 2.4; 

  Strategic  Area  of  Operation  #5  –  Deliver  SESAR  Outreach:  in  addition  to  the  continued 
steering and delivery of the ATM Master Plan and SESAR Solutions, the SESAR JU ensures the 
global outreach of the results achieved in the SESAR 2020 Programme, in full coordination 
with  the  European  Commission  and  EUROCONTROL.  This  strategic  area  of  operation  is 
described in Chapter 2.6 in this section and in Section III, Chapter 2.5;  

  Strategic Area of Operation #6 – Deliver effective financial, administrative and corporate 
management:  the  SESAR  JU  must  ensure  that  it  operates  fully  in  accordance  with  its 
obligations,  while  also  striving  to  continually  improve  its  financial,  administrative  and 
corporate management as these elements of the SESAR JU’s operations remain integral to 
the  delivery  of  its  mission  and  values.  This  area  also  addresses  the  follow-up  of  audit 
recommendations and is outlined in further detail in Chapter 2.7 in this section and in Section 
III, Chapter 2.6. 

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2.1.2  Research topics to be addressed within the ‘innovation pipeline’ 
Within  the  ‘innovation  pipeline’,  the  activities  of  the  SESAR  JU  and  its  Members  as  well  as  other 
Programme participants are designed to cover the full spectrum of the research topics to be addressed 
by the SESAR 2020 Programme, which, in its current state, is depicted in the following figure. Based on 
the initial description established as part of the SESAR 2020 MAWP in 2015, the SESAR JU constantly 
maintains  this  structure.  It  is  expected  that  ATM  Master  Plan  maintenance,  and  in  particular  the 
Master Plan update campaign carried out in the 2018-2019 period, may result in refinements of the 
structure of research topics.  

Figure 6: Structure of research topics covered by the SESAR 2020 Programme (as of the beginning of 2019) 

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Furthermore, in  addition  to the  activities mapped  out  in  the figure  above, in  201714, the  European 
Commission entrusted the SESAR JU with the management of U-space related activities at the EU level. 

Funding the ‘innovation pipeline’ 

2.1.3 
The  SESAR  JU  receives  funds  from  the  EU  that  vary  in  origin  in  order  to  execute  the  SESAR  2020 
Programme. These funds have been delegated to the SESAR JU under four different legal frameworks, 
namely Horizon 2020, the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) and two types of assigned revenues, each 
referring to the execution of grants (following calls for proposals) or studies (following calls for tender). 
The three phases of the pipeline and the steering of the programme will be delivered using this variety 
of instruments: Exploratory Research and part of the Very Large Scale Demonstrations being secured 
using open Calls for proposals, and the Industrial Research & Validation and remaining part of Very 
Large Scale Demonstration using Calls restricted to Members of the SESAR JU.  

The  relationship  between  the  various  programme  phases  of  the  SESAR  2020  Programme  and  the 
various Call activities is outlined in the following figure and is described in more detail in Chapters 2.2 
to 2.5 of this section. 

Figure 7: Call activities of the SESAR 2020 Programme over the 2015-2022 period 

The implementation of these calls for proposals is subject to budget availability in due time. 

14 Letter from the European Commission to the Members of the Administrative Board of the SESAR Joint Undertaking dated 
26/07/2007 with reference MOVE.DDG2.E3/OV – nd/ Ares(2017) 

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In addition to the calls for proposals listed above, the SESAR JU undertakes studies in relation to the 
technical topics relevant to the technological pillar of the Single European Sky. Out of these, the list of 
procurement  actions  relating  to  support  activities  the  SESAR  JU  will  undertake  in  2019  appears  in 
Annex IX ‘Procurement plan for 2019’. 

2.1.4  Overview of the SESAR 2020 Programme Work Breakdown Structure at the end of 2018 
As a result of the calls for proposals already completed at the end of 2018, the SESAR 2020 Programme 
is composed of the following 84 projects which implement the research topics presented in Paragraph 
2.1.2 (figure 6): topics of the Exploratory Research are covered by several projects, while in general 
topics of the IR and VLD are covered by one project each. 

Figure 8: SESAR 2020 Programme portfolio of projects matching the research topics at the end of 2018 (projects 
in execution or closed) 

As can be seen in the figure above in relation to figure 6, most of the research topics of the SESAR 2020 
Programme are covered by projects in execution or closed (projects closed, i.e. the ones that have 

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completed  their  activities,  at  the  end  of  2018  are  marked  with  the  symbol  ).  The  approach  for 
covering the remaining topics is presented in Section III, Chapters 2.1 to 2.5. 

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2.1.5  Governance of the SESAR 2020 Programme 
The governance of the SESAR 2020 Programme is as follows: 

Figure 9: Governance of the SESAR 2020 Programme 

2.1.5.1  Administrative Board 
The Administrative Board is the main governance body of the SESAR JU. It has overall responsibility for 
the strategic orientation and effective operation of the SESAR JU and supervises the implementation 
of its activities in accordance with Article 5 of the Statutes. In accordance with the SESAR JU Founding 
Regulation,  the  ADB  is  chaired  by  the  European  Commission,  representing  the  EU,  with  the 
EUROCONTROL  representative  as  Vice  Chairperson  and  constituted  by  a  representative  from  each 
Member  of  the  Joint  Undertaking15,  the  Military,  Civil  Airspace  Users,  ANSPs,  equipment 
manufacturers, Airports, ATM Staff and the scientific institutions/community.  

2.1.5.2  Executive Director 
Appointed  by  the  Administrative  Board,  the  Executive  Director  is  responsible  for  the  day-to-day 
management of the JU and is its legal representative. He or she directs the execution of the SESAR 
2020 Programme within the guidelines established by the Administrative Board to which he or she is 
responsible.  He  or  she  provides  the  Administrative  Board  with  all  information  necessary  for  the 
performance  of  its  functions.  This  includes,  in  particular,  the  drawing-up  and  providing  of  regular 
updates on the global and annual work programme of the JU, including an estimate on programme 
costs, and the assurance that the activities of the JU are carried out with complete independence and 
without  any  conflicts  of  interest.  He  or  she  also  submits  to  the  Administrative  Board  any  proposal 
involving changes in the design of the SESAR project. 

15 The list of Members of the SESAR JU appears in annex XI 

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2.1.5.3  Programme Committee 
The Programme Committee (PC) is composed of representatives of each of the stakeholders Members 
of  the  SESAR  JU  including  one  representative  of  EUROCONTROL.  In  addition  to  this,  there  is  one 
representative of civil AUs and one of the European  Commission’s Directorate-General for Mobility 
and  Transport  (DG  MOVE)  as  permanent  observers.  The  secretariat  and  chairmanship  roles  are 
performed by the SESAR JU.  

By  representing  their  organisations,  the  PC  stakeholders  Members  and  EUROCONTROL  commit  to 
implementing decisions taken by the PC affecting the SESAR Programme on technical and contractual 
matters. 

The  PC  will  continue  to  support  the  SESAR  JU  Executive  Director  in  the  SESAR  2020  Programme 
delivery, covering the Industrial Research and Validation and VLD phases of the programme.  

It will be supported by two sub-committees: a Delivery Management Sub-Committee (DMSC) focusing 
on  the  management  of  the  programme  and  of  the  various  contributions,  and  an  Operations  and 
Technical Sub-Committee (OTSC) focusing on the content steering of the activities. 

2.1.5.4  ATM Master Planning Committee 
This Committee (MPC) is composed of representatives of the European Commission, EUROCONTROL, 
civil  users  of  airspace,  the  European  Defence  Agency  (EDA)  representing  the  military,  ANSPs, 
equipment  manufacturers,  airports,  professional  staff  organisations  in  the  air  traffic  management 
sector,  EASA,  the  European  Organisation  for  Civil  Aviation  Equipment  (EUROCAE),  the  Network 
Manager and the SESAR Deployment Manager.  

These representatives have been put forward to the Executive Director by the relevant ADB Members 
for formal appointment to the Committee. The Committee will provide advice to the Executive Director 
on the progress of the execution and the implementation of the European ATM Master Plan, and will 
monitor coherence between its three levels. In particular, it will monitor and identify potential gaps or 
opportunities for improving Master Plan priorities and advise the Executive Director of measures they 
see are needed.  

2.1.5.5  Scientific Committee 
The  Scientific  Committee  (SC)  supports  the  SESAR  JU  Executive  Director  in  ensuring  the  scientific 
excellence of the SESAR 2020 Programme. In particular, this Committee will, under the chairmanship 
of the SESAR JU, monitor, in terms of content and results, the Exploratory Research activities of the 
SESAR 2020 Programme and transition to Industrial Research and Validation, while also providing the 
Executive Director with scientific advice covering the whole range of SESAR JU’s SESAR 2020 research 
activities.  

The committee seats were filled by an open call for scientists and researchers from across the research 
community and a representative from each of the Founding Members (EC on behalf of the EU and 
EUROCONTROL). The current membership will be extended until February 2021. 

In order to foster transition between Exploratory Research and Industrial Research and Validation, an 
observer seat is reserved for a representative of the PC.  

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2.2  Strategic Area of Operation 1: Provide strategic steering for the SESAR programme 

Under the leadership of the SESAR JU, all SESAR 2020 R&I activities are undertaken within a common 
framework.  As  introduced  in  the  SESAR  2020  Programme  research  topics  diagram  (figure  6),  this 
framework applicable to the industrial research and validation relies on the elements described below: 

  Maintenance of the European ATM Master Plan; 
  Content Integration activities aiming for transversal steering of the programme through the 
Concept of Operations (ConOps), Architecture activities, and the Performance framework; 
  Validation and Demonstration engineering activities aiming at the specification of long-term 
shared  developments  on  the  verification  and  validation  infrastructures,  as  an  enabler  for 
validation activities. 

In 2019, in continuation of the activities carried out in the period from 2016 to 2018, the following 
projects will support the execution of this framework, as depicted in figure 8: PJ.20 ‘ATM Master Plan 
maintenance’, covering the maintenance of the ATM Master Plan, PJ.19 ‘Content integration’, covering 
the required coordination of IR projects to develop the ConOps, architecture and performance, and 
alignment  with  the  ATM  Master  Plan,  and  PJ.22  ‘Validation,  Verification  and  Demonstration 
Infrastructure’,  covering  the  maintenance  of  programme-wide  Verification  and  Validation 
infrastructure  information.  Four  projects  of  the  Exploratory  Research  phase,  relating  to  ATM 
operations, Architecture, performance & Validation (namely: PACAS, INTUIT, AURORA, APACHE) have 
delivered their results and are closed, while the three new ones (Domino, EVOAtm and Engage) are 
yet to deliver their results. Paragraph 2.2.3 provides a high-level description of these projects and the 
related funding. 

In 2020 and 2021, the execution of the Strategic Steering framework is dependent on the results of IR-
VLD Wave 2 call for proposals (with reference H2020-SESAR-2019-1) which will take place in 2019 (see 
Section  III,  Chapter  2.1  for  the  process  relating  to  the  Wave  1-Wave  2  transition).  Considering 
discussions held in the PC and calling for a reduction in the budget for Transversal Steering projects, a 
new approach has been agreed based on the following key principles: 

  Overall effort to be reduced; 
  Top-down approach to strategic steering to be continued; 
  Programme  execution/Solutions  development  in  line  with  the  ATM  Master  Plan  to  be 

ensured; 

  Continuing activities to be distinguished from specific (ad-hoc) needs. 

As a result, the SESAR JU has identified three management modes for strategic steering activities: 

  Mode  1  addressing  the  Transversal  Activities  with  H2020  projects  (i.e.  PJ.19  W2  Content 
Integration,  Performance  management  and  Business  case  Development  and  PJ.20  W2 
‘Master Planning’). A more detailed description of the two projects can be found in Section 
III, Paragraph 2.6.1.2.4 under Work Area I; 

  Mode 2 for ad-hoc activities organised by the SESAR JU for the execution of specific tasks 
when required and in a short period of time (e.g. evolution of validation strategy, evolution 
of  methodologies  such  as  cyber  security,  management  of  operational  issues  across  the 
programme); 

  Mode  3  for  service  requests,  using  provision  of  the  SJU-EUROCONTROL  agreement.  The 
services would cover the maintenance and support to the architecture framework to fit the 
needs  of  the  SESAR  2020  Programme  (e.g.  European  ATM  architecture  (EATMA)  release, 

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guidance,  access  to  the  repository)  and  the  delivery  of  training  and  coaching  to  EATMA 
practitioners working in solution projects (modelling of operational and technical content). 

The strategic steering projects work very closely with the SESAR JU in order to provide an additional 
level of independence and external assistance to de-risk the delivery of SESAR Solutions.  

In this role, the SESAR JU benefits from additional support from AUs, Professional Staff Organisations 
and National Aviation Authorities (see Paragraph 2.2.5). They mainly provide the SESAR JU with reports 
about validation exercises or candidate SESAR Solutions deliverables.  

In addition to these projects, and in continuation of the work done in previous years, the SESAR JU will 
carry out a variety of activities in the period from 2019 to 2021 to assist stakeholders in other areas 
relating to the technological pillar of the SES. These are presented in Paragraph 2.2.4. 

2.2.1  ATM Master Plan maintenance 
Within the framework of the EU Aviation Strategy and of the SES, the European ATM Master Plan is 
the main planning tool for defining SESAR-related modernisation priorities ensuring that the SESAR 
Concept of Operations (see below) becomes a reality. The Master Plan is an evolving roadmap building 
on  SESAR  results  and  solutions  and  a  strong  collaboration  between  all  EU  ATM  stakeholders  going 
beyond the Members of the SESAR JU. Not only does it set out an overview of the actions needed to 
deliver a high performing ATM system, but it also explains why and by when these actions should be 
taken. The Master Plan update campaign for 2018-2019 has made it possible to strengthen the link 
between the performance ambitions of SESAR and the SES performance scheme. Contacts have been 
made with the SES Performance Review Body, allowing convergence between master planning tasks 
and the SES performance target setting. In the next period, the SESAR JU will seek to maintain and 
further develop such collaboration.   

The ATM Master Plan maintenance activities therefore consist in the following:  

1.  Maintaining  the  consistency  of  the  three  levels  of  the  European  ATM  Master  Plan:  level  1 
Executive View, level 2 Planning and Architecture View, and level 3 Implementation View; 
2.  Updating  the  Master  Plan  on  the  basis  of  the  results  of  the  R & I  activities,  through  major 

updates every 2-3 years approximately; 

3.  Monitoring  the  implementation  of  the  Master  Plan  and  the  leverage  of  opportunities  and 

emerging ideas.  

The governance of the ATM Master Plan maintenance is ensured by the support provided to the SESAR 
JU Executive Director by the MPC. This committee is composed of representatives of the European 
Commission, EUROCONTROL, the Network Manager, civil AUs, the military, ANSPs, ground equipment 
manufacturers,  airborne  equipment  manufacturers,  airports,  professional  staff  organisations  in  the 
ATM sector, the SESAR Deployment Manager, EASA and EUROCAE. It provides advice to the SESAR JU 
Executive Director  on the  progress of the execution and the implementation of the European ATM 
Master Plan, and monitors coherence between its three levels. In particular, it monitors and identifies 
potential gaps or opportunities for improving Master Plan priorities and advises the Executive Director 
of required measures.  

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Providing input to the MPC, project PJ.20 supports the SESAR JU in the maintenance of the ATM Master 
Plan. PJ.20 is expected to deliver the following results over the period from 2019 to 2021: 

Transversal Deliverables  

2019 

2020 & 2021 

Update of Master Plan Level 1 

Major update 

Update of Master Plan Level 2 

Yearly update 

Update of Master Plan Level 3 

Yearly update 

Update to Standardisation Roadmap 

Yearly update 

Will be determined in the 
context of the IR-VLD Wave 216 

Update to Regulatory Roadmap 

Yearly update 

Consolidated Business Cases 

Yearly update 

Table 2: ATM Master Plan maintenance deliverables in 2019-2021 

Further  information  on  the  follow-on  activities  of  the  update  of  the  European  ATM  Master  Plan 
conducted in 2018 and delivered in the first part of 2019 is provided in Section III, Chapter 2.1. 

2.2.2  Content integration and transversal programme steering 
Activities  related  to  the  SESAR  Concept  of  Operations  and  the  ATM  architecture  ensure  that  the 
overall  SESAR  ambition  level  outlined  in  the  European  ATM  Master  Plan  can  be  implemented  by 
operational and technical teams working on the development activities with clear validation targets 
and targeted operation scenarios in mind. It is also at this level that the desired evolution of the high-
level architecture is cross-checked with the results of the validation activities.  

Delivered with the support of project PJ.19 and PJ.22, Content Integration and Transversal Programme 
Steering activities include the following: 

  The SESAR Concept of Operations (ConOps): the goal of the ConOps is to ensure that the 
SESAR 2020 concept is developed in a simple and implementable manner. The concept has 
been  structured 
in  several  operational  phases,  which  correspond  to  manageable, 
implementable  and  valuable  collections  of  operational  improvements  that  the  ATM 
community  can  articulate  and  identify  with.  This  introduces  an  incremental  approach  to 
concept  development,  validation  and  deployment,  improving  the  likelihood  of  successful 
implementation. 

  The  SESAR  reference  Architecture  and  technical  system  strategy:  the  SESAR  reference 
Architecture and Technical System Strategy defines the principles for the future ATM single 
European architecture, in support of setting out a vision for ATM stakeholder decision makers 
and providing guidance for projects on system design and architectural issues. Similar to the 
ConOps, it envisages several ‘to-be’ architectures that represent the target evolution of the 
European  ATM  system  over  time  and  derive  from  the  baseline  architecture  evolution 
established in the first programme. Following the SESAR Reference Architecture, the various 
architecting activities within the SESAR Programme are consolidated and made consistent in 
the European ATM Architecture repository (EATMA) repository, 

16 Cf. Section II, Chapter 2.4.2  

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  Considering  the  need  to  ensure  the  traceability  between  the  technical  and  operational 
requirements  together  with  ensuring  analysis  of  the  coverage  and  completeness  of  the 
validation objectives, a System Engineering Data Management Framework captures all the 
required data in order to deliver when needed traceability matrices as input to the SESAR 
Solution maturity assessment.  

The expected delivery of these transversal activities is as follows: 

Transversal Deliverables 2019-2021 

2019 

2020 and 2021 

Concept of Operations  

Concept of Operations Update 

Validation Strategy Update 

Architecture Description Document  

ATM Information Reference Model  

ATM Information Reference Model Update 2 

Information Service Reference Model 

SESAR Lexicon 

Performance Framework 

Validation Targets 

Consolidated Performance Assessment and Gap Analysis 

EATMA guidance material and report 

EATMA Portal and model release notes 

Integrated Roadmap Data Set 

Validation Data Management Platform and Services  

Validation Data traceability and coverage reports 

Validation & Demonstration Platform Development methodologies 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

Will be determined 
in the context of 
the IR-VLD Wave 2 
Call16 

Table 3: Concept, Architecture and Performance Steering activity deliverables in 2019-2021 

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2.2.3  Strategic Steering activity funding and call management 
Strategic  Steering  activities  are  supported  by  projects  funded  through  Exploratory  Research  and 
Industrial Research & Validation calls for proposals – see Chapters 2.3 and 2.4 – as follows: 

Call for 
proposals 

Status 
(2019) 

Max. total co-
financing value 
(in EUR) 

H2020-SESAR-
2015-2 

Ongoing 

7.395.142 

Ongoing 

3.327.676 

Ref. 

Project title 

Short project description 

PJ.19 

Content 
Integration 

PJ.20 

Master 
maintenance 

Plan 

‘Content  Integration’  (CI)  activities 
aim  to  coordinate  and 
integrate 
operational  and  technical  solutions, 
and as such to support and guide the 
their 
processes 
completeness, 
and 
coherency from a holistic perspective 
as expressed in the SESAR CONOPS 

ensure 
consistency 

to 

that 
monitoring 

The  European  ATM  Master  Plan  has 
three  levels  (Executive,  Planning  and 
require 
Implementation) 
and 
synchronised 
alignment.  The  work  consists 
in 
maintaining, updating and publishing 
the  Master  Plan  as  and  when 
necessary,  and 
in  managing  the 
Master Plan update campaigns 

PJ.22 

Validation  and 
Demonstration 
Engineering 

Development  of  the  Validation  and 
Verification 
and 
Platforms  development  required  for 
supporting SESAR Validation Exercises 

Infrastructures 

Ongoing 

2.051.356 

Four ER projects (APACHE, AURORA, INTUIT, PACAS) under the open ER 1 call (with reference H2020-SESAR-2015-1)17 

Three ER projects (Engage, EVOAtm, Domino) under the open ER 3 call (with reference H2020-SESAR-2016-1)18 

Table 4: Identification of Strategic Steering activities and related funding 

A new approach to the steering activities carried out by the SJU Members in support of the SJU has 
been defined for Wave 2. This new approach is presented in Section II, Paragraph 2.4.2. 

Furthermore, as introduced in  Section  II, Paragraph 3.2.2.2, in addition  to  direct funding (Title  III  – 
Operational expenditure), the SESAR JU also dedicates a proportion of its running costs (Title I – Staff 
expenditure  and  Title  II  –  Infrastructure  and  operating  expenditure)  to  carry  out  the  programme 
steering activities. The overall funding of Strategic Area of Operation #1 is indicated in Annex I. Support 
contracts  /  agreements  /  working  arrangements  with  additional  stakeholder  groups  are  funded 
through dedicated budget subject to procurement actions. 

17 See Paragraph 2.3.1.1 

18 See Paragraph 2.3.1.3 

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2.2.4  Other activities carried out  to assist  stakeholders in matters  relating  to the technological 

pillar of the SES 

This paragraph puts an emphasis on subjects which are of particular importance for the SES initiative 
and  with  which  the  SESAR  JU  will  continue  to  assist  its  stakeholders  by  providing  a  technical 
contribution to technological matters, as per the agreement between the EU and the SESAR JU19. In 
the period from 2019 to 2021, on top of the SESAR 2020 Programme delivery, the SESAR JU will assist 
the European Commission on the integration of new air vehicles into the ATM environment and U-
space. 

Indeed, the Vilnius and Helsinki Conferences have clearly highlighted that unlocking drone operations 
in Europe has become an urgent priority for Europe, with the hard deadline of 2019 for U1 services. 
The SESAR JU was entrusted by the European Commission with managing the U-space related activities 
at  EU  level20  and  signed  a  specific  delegation  agreement21  to  perform  demonstration  activities  to 
validate systems that support U-space services.  

Following this mandate, the SESAR JU organised several projects relating to U-space that are ongoing. 
Furthermore, to encourage close cooperation with several bodies and institutions, a supporting role 
as a U-space Content Integrator has been set up with the aim of providing support to the SESAR JU in:  

  Defining a ‘fast track’ methodology for validation, and the monitoring of its application;  
  Contributing to the support of the delivery of the U-space SESAR Solutions;  
  Providing  coordination  support  for  the  definition  of  proposed  harmonised  standards  and 

regulation for U-space services across Europe.  

This  U-space  content  integration  function  is  supported  by  EUROCONTROL  under  specific  service 
request  from  the  SESAR  JU  based  on  the  ‘SESAR  JU-EUROCONTROL  Agreement’.  This  function  is 
performed in the context of an ‘EU Demonstrators Network’ led by the European Commission. The 
figure below depicts the overall relationship between this set of services, provided in support of the 
SESAR JU coordination of U-space and drone integration projects: 

19 General Agreement between the European Union, represented by the European Commission, and the SESAR JU. See Annex 
I on ‘Entrusted tasks’ in particular  

20 Letter to the Members of the Administrative Board of the SESAR Joint Undertaking - MOVE.DDG2.E3/OV-nd/Ares(2017) 

21 The European Commission has given an mandate to the SESAR JU to organise U-space demonstrations through delegation 
agreement EC/SESAR JU ref. MOVE/E3/DA/2017-564/si2.771010 signed on 13/12/2016 with a delegated budget of EUR 10 
million from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) fund 

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Figure 10: Coordination and integration of U-space integrated initiatives at EU level  

2.2.5  Support contracts and agreements / working arrangements 
In addition, in order to provide strategic advice to the SESAR JU and to help in steering the SESAR 2020 
Programme, the SESAR JU has set up five main agreements with additional stakeholder groups and an 
external support: 

  The Airspace Users’ support contracts (with civil AUs); 
  The Professional Staff Organisations working arrangements; 
  The Authorities working arrangements (with National Aviation Authorities); 
  The Airports support contract; 
  The SESAR Development Support Service contract, covering industrial support, programme 
management  support  and  the  provision  of  a  collaborative  programme  management 
platform. 

The  SESAR  JU  is  also  developing  relationships  with  stakeholders  in  the  ATM  in  relation  with  the 
challenge of the digitalisation of aviation, especially on U-space.  

Furthermore,  in  steering  the  SESAR  2020  Programme,  the  SESAR  JU  devotes  significant  efforts  to 
playing an active role in the inter-agency networks, H2020 networks and transversal implementation 
of EC regulations. 

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2.3  Strategic Area of Operation 2: Deliver Exploratory Research (ER) 

As outlined in the SESAR 2020 Programme research topics presented in the introduction to Chapter 2 
(figure 6), Exploratory Research is structured around four areas: 

  Two transversal activities, as follows:  

o  The ‘Future European ATM skilled work-force’ will develop the mechanism to provide 
the required European ATM education and training as well as networking capability which 
can uniquely be created through SESAR and in the ATM Community as well as establishing 
effective knowledge transfer mechanisms, 

o  The  ‘Knowledge  Transfer Network’  (KTN)  will  assess  and  coordinate  project  results  to 
contribute to the identification of innovative ideas, concepts and models that can support 
the identification of ATM system concept trade-offs new technology validation at system 
level and requirements definition and consolidation. The ATM research community will 
be able to share research results. 

  Two research areas, as follows: 

o  ATM Excellent Science & Outreach aims at bridging the gap between ATM research and 
the  wider  research  community  and  providing  the  necessary  scientific  support  to  ATM 
change  with  a  particular  focus  on  bringing  the  ATM  capacity  to  the  level  required  to 
comply with the expected traffic growth, either directly or through connection to other 
funded research areas in other disciplines or sectors, under the following topics: 
  Automation, Robotics and Autonomy, 
  Complexity, Data Science and Information Management, 
  Environment and Meteorology (MET) for ATM, 
  Performance, Economics, Legal and Regulation, 
  ATM role in intermodal transport, 
  CNS for ATM; 

o  ATM application-oriented research will help mature new concepts for ATM beyond those 
identified  in  the  European  ATM  Master  Plan  and  will  help  to  mature  emerging 
technologies and methods to the level required to feed the applied research conducted 
in the SESAR JU. This part of Exploratory Research will be structured around the four Key 
Features of the programme and the transversal needs to ensure that there is a flow of 
ideas and results in a structured manner across the whole programme. 

Exploratory Research is fully funded by the European Union under the H2020 framework and has a 
total  funding  of  EUR  85  million  which  includes  a  dedicated  proportion  of  direct  funding  (Title  III  – 
Operational expenditure through open calls for proposals) and a proportion of SESAR JU running costs 
(Title I  –  Staff expenditure  and Title II  –  Infrastructure and operating expenditure) to carry out  the 
Exploratory  Research  activities.  The  overall  funding  of  Strategic  Area  of  Operation  #2  (Exploratory 
Research) for the period from 2019 to 2021 is indicated in Annex I. 

A sequence of four calls for proposals covers the full spectrum of Exploratory Research activities over 
the period from 2015 to 2022, as depicted in the following figure: 

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Figure 11: Sequence of ER calls and related funding from 2015 to 2022 

As  depicted  in  this  figure,  during  the  2019-2021  period,  the  SESAR  JU  will  do  the  following  for 
Exploratory Research activities: 

  Supervise and ensure the delivery of results by the projects launched under the ER2-RPAS 
(Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems) call for proposals (with reference H2020-SESAR-2016-1) 
and ER3 call for proposals (within the call with reference H2020-SESAR-2016-2), which should 
close by the end of 2019 (with the exception of three projects for which the target closure 
date is in Q3 2020), 

  Execute  (in  2019-2020)  the  transfer  of  results  of  the  ER1  projects  into  Wave  2  and  ER4 

projects (see Section III, Paragraph 2.1.1),  

  Run  the  procedure  for  the  ER4  call  for  proposals  (with  reference  H2020-SESAR-2019-2), 
evaluate the received proposals and award the grants,  sign the related grant agreements, 
then  launch  and  supervise  the  awarded  projects.  The  current  plan  is  that  these  projects 
would be launched in late 2019 or at the beginning of 2020, with closure no later than Q4 
2022  (of  which 6  months  for  reporting,  dissemination  of  results  (see  below  in  Section  III, 
Paragraph 2.5.2) and closure). 

2.3.1  Calls already closed and projects already launched at the end of 2018 
As outlined in the SESAR 2020 Programme research topics presented in the introduction to Chapter 2, 
Exploratory Research activities cover Application-oriented research focusing on the four Key Features 
of the ATM Master Plan, as well as Fundamental Scientific Research activities: 

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Figure 12: SESAR 2020 Programme portfolio of Exploratory Research projects matching the research topics at 
the end of 2018 

For the grants relating to ER1 and ER2-RPAS, the SESAR JU will comply with all provisions of the H2020 
Work  Programme  2016-201722.  For  the  grants  relating  to  ER3,  the  SESAR  JU  will  comply  with  all 
provisions of the H2020 Work Programme 2018-202023. 

2.3.1.1  ER1 call with reference H2020-SESAR-2015-1 
In 2015, the first ER call for proposals within the SESAR 2020 Programme, fully funded under Horizon 
2020, was launched to enable continued work on conducting and consolidating innovative activities in 
order  to  achieve  tangible  results  under  the  scope  of  ATM  Excellent  Science  &  Outreach  and  ATM 
application-oriented  research  (see  ER  research  topics  in  figure  6).  Out  of  the  total  maximum  co-
financing level of EUR 20,6 million, the outcome of the call was an award for EUR 20,4 million and the 

22 European Commission Decision C(2016)4614 of 25 July 2016 

23 European Commission Decision C(2017)7124 of 27 October 2017 

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selection of 28 ER1 projects which have been closed in 2018 (see summary of these projects in Annex 
XII). 

2.3.1.2  ER2–RPAS call with reference H2020-SESAR-2016-1 
In  2016,  the  second  ER  call  for  proposals  within  the  SESAR  2020  Programme,  fully  funded  under 
Horizon 2020, was launched to address the domain of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) and 
unmanned vehicles (unmanned aerial system – UAS).  

  The  UAS/RPAS  integration  operational  issues  project  will  deliver  the  SESAR  Traffic 
Management (U-space) Concept Definition addressing the operational concept to enable the 
operation of drones of all capabilities in the very low-level (VLL) environment, including urban 
drone operations, the role of autonomy and operational mitigations to command and control 
failure/corruptions.  The  required  interface  with  air  traffic  control  (ATC)  and  the  role  of 
incursion protection against protected areas will be addressed. The SESAR U-space concept 
definition will address operational needs and provide a functional breakdown of U-space; 
  The RPAS integration technical issues projects will deliver emerging technology options to 
support drone operations and integration in the very low level and visual flight rule domains. 
Emerging  technologies  and  applications  for  U-space  from  advanced  fields  such  as  IT, 
telecoms,  intelligent  systems  or  robotics  will  be  fast-tracked  into  providing  solutions  to 
specific problems that are essential for the near-term development of the EU drone industry. 
It should also help bridge the gap between SESAR U-space research and the wider scientific 
community  and  will  provide  the  science  necessary  to  support  the  safe  integration  of  VLL 
drones, considering higher levels of automation (see figure 6). 

Out of the total maximum co-financing level of EUR 9 million, the outcome of the call was an award 
for EUR 8,3 million and the selection of nine ER2-RPAS projects which were launched into execution at 
the beginning of 2018, delivering the following objectives by the end of-September 2019:  

Ref. 

Project Title 

Short Project Description 

AIRPASS 

Advanced 
Integrated 
RPAS  Avionics  Safety 
Suite 

in  a 

large  variety  of 

Drones  appear 
types, 
configurations and sizes. They are operated in a large 
variety  of  operational  environments  (i.e.  locations, 
classes of airspace). However, it is essential that they 
interoperate  with  other  drones  as  well  as  with 
manned aircraft 

Max. total co-
financing value 
(in EUR) 
986.224 

This project addresses the on-board technologies for 
drones  that  are  required  in  order  to  implement  the 
Unmanned  Traffic  Management  (UTM)  concept  for 
drone  operations  at  Very  Low  Level  and  within  the 
Visual  Flight  Rules  environment.  The  project  will 
cover Detect And Avoid systems for cooperative and 
non-cooperative traffic, auto-pilot systems as well as 
Communication,  Navigation 
Surveillance 
systems.  This  project  will  identify  the  available  CNS 
infrastructure  and  on-board 
to 
formulate  an  implementation  approach.  Based  on 
this, an on-board system concept  will be developed 
and evaluated 

technologies 

and 

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Ref. 

Project Title 

Short Project Description 

CLASS 

CLear  Air  Situation  for 
uaS 

CORUS 

Concept  of  Operations 
for 
EuRopean  UTM 
Systems 

DREAMS  DRone  European  AIM 

Study 

CLASS (CLear Air Situation for uaS) will mature ground 
based technologies for a real-time Unmanned Aerial 
System  Traffic  Management  System  to  monitor  and 
separate Unmanned Aerial System traffic 

Building  on  current  state-of-the-art  technologies, 
CORUS  (Concept  of  Operations  for  EuRopean  UTM 
Systems)  will  develop  an  operational  concept 
enabling safe interaction between all AUs in Very Low 
Level considering contingencies and societal issues 

The  DREAMS  project  aims  at  contributing  to  the 
definition  of  the  European  UTM  Aeronautical 
Information Management (AIM) operational concept, 
by exploring need for and feasibility of new processes, 
services and solutions for drone AIM within the new 
UTM concept 

Max. total co-
financing value 
(in EUR) 
909.973 

800.000 

710.435 

DroC2om  Drone 

Critical 

Communications 

DroC2om addresses Drone Critical Communications. 
The  key  objective  of  the  DroC2om  project  is  to 
contribute  to  the  definition  of  integrated  cellular-
satellite data-link specifications for UASs 

1.270.543 

IMPETUS 

Information 
Management  Portal  to 
Enable  the  inTegration 
of Unmanned Systems 

IMPETUS will research the application of the ‘micro-
services’  paradigm  as  a  flexible  and  cost  efficient 
solution  for  lifecycle  support  of  the  expected  high 
variety of drones and missions 

PercEvite  PercEvite  -  Sense  and 
for 

technology 

avoid 
small drones 

SECOPS 

An  Integrated  Security 
Drone 
for 
Concept 
Operations 

TERRA 

Technological  European 
Research  for  RPAS 
in 
ATM 

PercEvite addresses  Sense and avoid technology for 
for  autonomously  detecting  and 
small  drones 
avoiding ‘ground-based’ obstacles and flying objects. 
To  avoid  ground-based  obstacles,  we  aim  for  a 
lightweight,  energy-efficient  sensor  and  processing 
package that maximises payload capacity 

This project should close in Q3 2020 

SECOPS deals with an Integrated Security Concept for 
Drone Operations. SECOPS' objective is to push drone 
technology forward by ensuring that security risks in 
the  Unmanned  Traffic  Management  concept  are 
mitigated to an acceptable level 

focusing 

TERRA addresses the research topic on ground-based 
technology, 
performance 
requirements associated with the UTM concept, and 
identifying the technologies (existing and new) which 
could meet these requirements 

the 

on 

899.160 

899.008 

909.294 

937.000 

Table 5: ER2-RPAS projects outline (under the call for proposals with reference H2020-SESAR-2016-1) 

2.3.1.3  ER3 within the call for proposals with reference H2020-SESAR-2016-2 

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A third ER call for proposals (within the call for proposals with reference H2020-SESAR-2016-2 ER/VLD 
Open) was launched at the end of 2016. Out of the total maximum co-financing level of EUR 10 million 
for Exploratory Research, the outcome of the call was an award of EUR 9,9 million and the selection of 
eight projects24 relating to Exploratory Research. This will lead to the delivery of results in the domains 
of Transversal Exploratory Research (contributing to the Transversal Steering activities, see Paragraph 
2.2.4) and ATM application-oriented research topics covering the four Key Features of the ATM Master 
Plan (see below), which build on and complement the research topics already included in the ER1 call. 
The grants awarded in that context have been delivering results since 2018 and will continue to do so 
by December 2019. These are as follows: 

Max. total co-financing 
value (in EUR) 

3.971.875 

Project 
reference 
Transversal Steering 

Project Title 

Short Project Description 

Engage 

Knowledge Transfer Network  The  network  aims  to  stimulate  the 
transfer  of  exploratory  research 
results  to  ATM  application-oriented 
research. The network will establish 
a knowledge hub, in which members 
across  the  research  community  are 
continually 
This  will 
involved. 
include  an  observatory  and  will 
undertake  the  role  of  devising  and 
maintaining the long-term roadmap 
innovative  and 
development  of 
interdisciplinary  ATM 
concepts 
beyond SESAR 2020. The knowledge 
hub  will  be  the  one-stop,  go-to 
source for information in Europe 

EVOAtm 

ATM. 
framework 

A 
Evolutionary 
modelling 
to 
assess  the  impact  of  ATM 
evolutions 

Domino 

Novel tools to evaluate ATM 
systems 
under 
coupling 
future deployment scenarios 

This project should close at the end 
of 2021 

The  project  aims 
to  build  a 
framework to better understand and 
model how architectural and design 
choices  influence  the  ATM  system 
and its behaviours, and also how the 
expected ATM overall performances 
the  design  choices.  The 
drive 
EvoATM project will model a specific 
part  of  the  ATM system, combining 
the  agent-based  paradigms  with 
evolutionary computing 

The  project  will  develop  a  set  of 
tools, a methodology and a platform 
to  assess  the  coupling  of  ATM 
flight  and  a 
systems 

from  a 

968.880 

805.125 

24 A total of sixteen grant agreements were signed as a result of the call with reference H2020-SESAR-2016-2 comprising both 
ER and Open VLD, and two additional grant agreements are in the grand agreement preparation phase on VLD 

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Project 
reference 

Project Title 

Short Project Description 

Max. total co-financing 
value (in EUR) 

insight 

passenger perspective. The platform 
will  allow  ATM  system  designers  to 
gain 
impact  of 
into  the 
applying  new  mechanisms.  It  will 
provide  a  view  of  the  impact  of 
in  different 
deploying  solutions 
instance.,  harmonised 
ways, 
versus 
independent 
/ 
deployment and information on the 
criticality of elements in the system, 
and how this might be different  for 
different stakeholders 

local 

for 

997.250 

622.523 

ADAPT 

Advanced  prediction  models 
for  flexible  trajectory-based 
operations 

strategic 
The  project  proposes 
models  to  predict  the  volume, 
flexibility  and  complexity  of  traffic 
demand  taking  into  account  both 
flights  and  network 
individual 
infrastructure 
sectors  and 
(i.e. 
airports). The aim is to enable early 
flight information sharing in order to 
network 
potential 
identify 
bottlenecks  and  the  degree  of 
flexibility of all flights. At the tactical 
level, 
to  which 
extent 
strategically assessed pre-departure 
flexibility 
and 
mitigates 
network 
congestion, will be evaluated 

en-route 

actual 

flight 

the 

COTTON 

Capacity  Optimisation 
TrajecTory-based 
OperatioNs 

in 

The  project  aims  to  maximise  the 
capacity 
effectiveness 
management 
in 
trajectory-based  operations  taking 
full advantage of available trajectory 
information 

of 
processes 

Specifically, the projects explore the 
integration of demand and capacity 
and flight centric solutions 

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Max. total co-financing 
value (in EUR) 
937.130 

Project 
reference 
EMPHASIS 

Project Title 

Short Project Description 

EMPowering  Heterogeneous 
Aviation 
cellular 
through 
SIgnalS 

The project aims to increase safety, 
interoperability  of 
reliability  and 
general  aviation  and 
rotorcraft 
(GA/R)  operations,  both  with 
commercial  aviation  and  with 
emerging  drones  operations.  These 
aspects  are  envisaged  to  be  critical 
elements  to  secure  and  improve 
airspace access for GA/R users in the 
future  airspace  environment  and 
improve  the  operational  safety  of 
their operations 

This project should close in Q3 2020 

ENVISION 

Enhanced 
Awareness 
Integration  with 
Surveillance 
on Airports 

Situational 
through  Video 
ADS-B 
Infrastructure 

GATEMAN  GNSS  Navigation  Threats 
Management 

983.083 

565.744 

and 

detection 

The  project  aims  to  make  use  of 
technical progress in CCTV cameras, 
ranging 
light 
technology  and  image  processing 
techniques,  and  aims  at  taking 
advantage  of  reduced  equipment 
costs,  to  provide  regional  and  local 
airports  with  safe  and  affordable 
surface  movement 
surveillance 
capabilities 

Global  Navigation  Satellite  Systems 
the  Galileo 
(GNSSs), 
such  as 
constellation,  will  become 
the 
primary means of aircraft navigation 
in the mid and long term. However, 
GNSS  signals  are  vulnerable  to 
threats,  especially 
jamming  and 
spoofing, which may cause the total 
loss  of  navigation.  The  project  will 
research  multiple  measures  that 
could be deployed on most aircrafts 
to  manage  these  threats,  either  on 
their  own  or  in  collaboration  with 
other aircraft 

Table 6: ER3 projects outline (within the call for proposals with reference H2020-SESAR-2016-2) 

2.3.2  Calls  for  proposals  activities  on  Exploratory  Research  to  be  organised  in  the  2019-2021 

period 

A  further  ER  call  for  proposals  will  be  launched  in  2019  (‘ER4  call’).  After  completion  of  the  call 
procedure and successful  award of  grants, the  ER  projects in that context should be launched into 
execution in late 2019 or early 2020, with an expected closure by the end of 2022. This call will build 
on and complement the research topics already included in the earlier ER calls launched in 2015 and 
2016  (see  above),  especially  the  ER1  call,  in  both  ATM  Excellent  Science  &  Outreach  and  ATM 

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application-oriented research. Call conditions, which are documented in Section III, Paragraph 2.6.1.3, 
indicate the topics provided for under the ER4 call for proposals. 

In 2019 and 2020, taking account of the outcome of the ER4 call, the SESAR JU will analyse the gap 
between the overall results expected from ER and the objectives set out by the Master Plan for the 
SESAR 2020 Programme in relation to Exploratory Research.  

2.3.3  Other activities relating to Exploratory Research 
SESAR Innovation Days 

Since their creation in 2010, the SESAR Innovation Days (SIDs) have become a landmark event in the 
European aviation research calendar. The SIDs focus on ER in the field of ATM. The event is not only a 
vehicle for the SESAR JU to share progress and disseminate results of its ER programme but also for 
the wider research community to present their work. 

As in previous years, the 2019 event will be shaped by scientific papers and presentations, which will 
be selected based on an open call for contributions, managed by the SESAR Engage network. The event 
will  also  feature  a  poster  exhibition  and  a  networking  event,  which  will  provide  participants  with 
opportunities to learn about other interesting projects and to meet like-minded researchers (see Table 
23). The SESAR Young Scientist Awards, which aim to recognise young scientists with high potential 
contributing  to  the  scientific  research  in  the  field  of  air  traffic  management  and  aviation,  are  also 
granted during the SIDs. 

SESAR Academy 

Since the announcement in December 2017, scoping work started in 2018 to establish the charter and 
basis for launching a SESAR Academy, a new SESAR JU initiative aimed at enhancing the knowledge, 
and skills of the next generation of aviation professionals and facilitating mobility and industry-relevant 
learning opportunities. This SESAR Academy is to be established in the course of 2019. 

Additionally, starting in 2019, the SESAR JU will use the outcome of ER and the priorities set out in the 
updated European ATM Master Plan to identify the future research streams and Concept Elements 
that require the development of new and innovative candidate SESAR Solutions. These Solutions will 
add  to  the  ones  already  identified  as  part  of  the  SESAR  2020  Programme,  and  will  support  the 
execution of the EU Aviation Strategy’s long-term vision and the modernisation of aviation beyond 
SESAR 2020. This activity will secure continuity in the development of knowledge and the maintenance 
of the innovation pipeline. 

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2.4  Strategic Area of Operation 3: Deliver Industrial Research and Validation (IR) 

During the reporting period, SESAR 2020 Industrial Research and Validation (IR) activities will facilitate 
the migration of ideas from Exploratory Research and have them further extended in applied research, 
and  finally  pre-industrial  development,  validation,  large  scale  demonstration  and  then  final 
preparation for deployment. Therefore, the main objective of this  Strategic Area of Operation is to 
deliver  SESAR  Solutions  derived  from  the  ATM  Master  Plan  and  identified  in  the  SESAR  JU’s  multi-
annual work programme.  

This is done through projects run under two calls for proposals restricted to the 19 SESAR JU Members 
and EUROCONTROL. The total EU funding available for these calls under H2020 is EUR 339,8 million in 
direct costs (Title III – Operational expenditure, of which EUR 319,7 million for IR and EUR 20,1 million 
dedicated to Strategic Steering activities – see Chapter 2.1 above), as depicted in the figure below.  

Figure 13: Sequence of IR calls for proposals and related funding from 2015 to 2022 

The exact amount of each call is to be confirmed, especially to take into account the results of the 
grant amendment procedure on grants established under the call for proposals with reference H2020-
SESAR-2015-2  in  2018  and  the  result  of  the  call  for  proposals  with  reference  H2020-SESAR-2019-1 
(Wave 2 call). Moreover, considering that unspent budget could be made available at the end of Wave 
1 and potentially during the evaluation of the Wave 2 proposals (e.g. proposals not accepted), a last 
restricted call for proposals (Wave 3 with reference H2020-SESAR-2020-2) would be defined during 
2019 and launched in early 2020 with an end date of technical operations (research activities) by the 
end of 2022. 

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In  addition,  a  proportion  of  SESAR  JU  running  costs  (Title  I  –  Staff  expenditure  and  Title  II  – 
Infrastructure and operating expenditure) is used to carry out the IR activities. The overall funding of 
Strategic Area of Operation #3 (Industrial Research and Validation) for the period from 2019 to 2021 
is indicated in Annex I. 

During the period from 2019 to 2021, the SESAR JU will do the following, in the context of IR activities: 

  Supervise  and ensure the delivery of Solutions by Wave 1 projects  (end result: the SESAR 
Solutions  Packs),  as  well  as  the  related  grant  agreements  (including  Strategic  Steering 
activities which are introduced in Chapter 2.1 above), then close these projects; 

  Run the Wave 2 call procedure (with reference H2020-SESAR-2019-1), evaluate the proposals 
received and award the grants subsequently, then sign the grant agreements and launch the 
projects; the IR projects under the Wave 2 call are expected to close by the end of 2022. It is 
also envisaged that the same grant budget amendment procedure used for Wave 1 projects 
will be applied for Wave 2 projects in 2020, 

  Execute (in 2019-2020) the transfer of results of the ER1 call and Wave 1 projects into Wave 

 

2 IR projects,  
If the need is confirmed, define a Wave 3 call in 2019 (with reference H2020-SESAR-2020-2), 
run  the  call  procedure  in  2020,  evaluate  the  proposals  received  and  award  the  grants 
subsequently, then sign the related grant agreements, and launch and supervise the awarded 
projects. The current plan is that these projects would be launched in late 2020 with closure 
by the end of 2022.  

IR Wave 1 (2016-2019) – call for proposals with reference H2020-SESAR-2015-2 

2.4.1 
In 2019,  in continuation  of  the activities  from  2016  to 2018, the  candidate  SESAR Solutions will be 
delivered through 17 Industrial Research & Validation (IR) projects. These projects cover the whole 
scope of IR as described above in the IR research topics, with the exception of the ‘Air Vehicle Systems’ 
topic,  as  part  of  the  ‘Enabling  Aviation  Infrastructure’  Key  Feature,  for  which  no  project  has  been 
awarded as a result of the Wave 1 call for proposals. This topic is included in Wave 2 (see Section III, 
Paragraph 2.6.1.2).  

The current plan is to close most of the IR Wave 1 projects by the end of 2019. However, a few projects 
will get a grant duration extension as a result of exceptional circumstances preventing the completion 
of the Candidate SESAR Solution validation according to the initial plan. These extensions respecting 
Article 55 of the annotated model grant agreement, were supported by the PC at its eighth session and 
can be summarised as follows: 

  PJ.02 : request for 3 month extension  

Investigating the method to accelerate wake vortex decay, PJ.02 planned to execute live trial 
activities at Vienna Airport by introducing wake decay enhancing devices. The execution of 
the exercise remained subject to approval from the Austrian Aviation Authority. The Aviation 
Authority decided to get independent expert opinions before approving the deployment of 
the  wake  decay  devices.  This  unexpected  specific  procedure  led  to  the  delay,  by  several 
months, of the authorisation decision from the NAAs and in turn, put on hold the planned 
validation activity. 

  PJ.07 and PJ.08 : request for respectively 3 and 2 month extension 

On  3  April  2018,  the  Network  Manager  reported  a  failure  of  the  Enhanced  Tactical  Flow 
Management System (ETFMS), also with an impact on the associated flight plan system. An 
investigation was undertaken to ensure the identification of all necessary improvements and 
to  implement  them.  Consequently,  all  developments  of  Network  Manager  systems  were 

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frozen for a few months while awaiting the results of the investigation. Considering that the 
validation exercises require the development of the Network Manager validation platform, 
the decision to freeze development impacted the preparation and planning of the exercises. 

  PJ.17 : request for 3 month extension 

The OTSC 02 meeting held on 1 June 2017 concluded that a new version of the Advanced 
Message  Queuing  Protocol  (AMQP)  software  shall  be  implemented.  However,  SESAR  1 
prototypes had been developed following a former AMQP version (AMQP v0.91) and were 
supposed to be used to support the validation activities of the PJ.17. The unplanned adoption 
of this new protocol (AMQP v1.0) implied a significant rework of the legacy prototypes, hence 
generating an unforeseen delay. 
  PJ.28 : request for 3 month extension 

The on-board demonstration activities in PJ.28 have to be supported by a complementary 
project  bringing AUs’  efforts and expertise, awarded  via a specific open  call for proposals 
(H2020-SESAR-2016-2).  The  award  of  the  complementary  project  took  more  time  than 
initially planned, preventing the start of its execution by December 2017. 
Considering that the PJ.28 WP2  ‘Nice’  exercise  and  WP3  ‘on-board Traffic Alerts’  exercise 
require AU involvement, the planning of their execution has been shifted by some months, 
while  waiting  for  the  conclusion  of  the  GAP  phase  for  the  complementary  project  and  to 
ensure that the exercises are during a period with relevant traffic. 

As outlined in the SESAR 2020 Programme research topics presented in the introduction to Chapter 2, 
Industrial Research and Validation (IR) is structured around the 4 Key Features of the ATM Master Plan: 

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Figure 14: Industrial Research and Validation portfolio of projects matching the research topics as at the end 
of 2018 

For the 2020-2021 period, the execution of the IR is dependent on the results of the IR-VLD Wave 2 
call for proposals (with reference H2020-SESAR-2019-1) which will take place in 2019 (see Section III, 
Chapter 2.3 for the work relating to the Wave 1-Wave 2 transition).  

Within  IR  Wave  1,  the  SESAR  2020  Programme  will  comply  with  all  provisions  of  the  H2020  Work 
Programme  2016-2017.  However,  it  should  be  noted  that  the  SESAR  2020  Programme  will  deliver 
results through the SESAR Solutions and not project by project. Therefore, it is not necessary for all IR 
projects to provide open access for all data, and therefore IR projects will opt out of the provisions of 
Annex L ‘Open access to research data’ in Part 20. General Annexes25. This opt-out also aims to protect 
results that are expected to be commercially or industrially exploited.  

25 Part 20. General Annexes to the Horizon 2020 Work Programme 2016-2017 (European Commission Decision C(2016)4614 
of 25 July 2016) 

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The following paragraphs indicate the candidate SESAR Solutions that will be developed and delivered 
by the above listed projects through the SESAR Release process. Each entry represents the targeted 
achievement of an E-OCVM maturity level (V1, V2, or V3); an ‘S’ represents the target availability date 
of  the  SESAR  Solution.  This  information  has  been  established  according  to  the  Extended  Release 
Strategy that was developed as part of the MAWP in early 2015, and has been aligned with the updated 
Extended Release Strategy established with the support of the PC in 2018.26 Furthermore, the tables 
below  present  the  ATM System  upgrade  phase  that  each  candidate  SESAR Solution  contributes  to. 
These ATM System upgrade phases have been defined in the ATM Master Plan of 2015 and describe 
how the high-level ATM architecture will be gradually moving from a country-specific architecture to 
a more interoperable, common and flexible service provision architecture. 

2.4.1.1 

IR  Projects  delivering  candidate  SESAR  Solutions  within  the  ‘High-Performing  Airport 
Operations’ Key Feature 

The ‘High-Performing Airport Operations’ Industrial Research and Validation projects are expected to 
deliver the following results (candidate SESAR Solutions) in 2019: 

Candidate SESAR Solution 
Title 

Maturity level 
in 2019 

ATM system upgrade 
phase 

ATM Master Plan 
KPAs contributed to 

Candidate 
SESAR 
Solution ref. 

PJ.02-01 

Wake  turbulence  separation 
optimisation 

Phase B – efficient services 
and infrastructure delivery 

V3-S 

(to be 
delivered in 
2020 – grant 
extension 
duration) 

PJ.02-02 

Enhanced arrival procedures 

V3-S 

Phase B – efficient services 
and infrastructure delivery 

PJ.02-03 

Minimum-Pair 
based on RSP 

separations 

V3-S 

Phase B – efficient services 
and infrastructure delivery 

PJ.02-05 

Independent 
operations at the Airport 

Rotorcraft  

V3-S 

Phase C – Regional, 
trajectory-based, flight- 
and flow-centric 
operations 

  Capacity 

  Operational 
efficiency 

  Resilience 

  Safety 

  Capacity 

  Operational 
efficiency 

  Cost-efficiency 

  Capacity 

  Operational 
efficiency 

  Capacity 

  Operational 
efficiency 

26  This update of the Extended Release Strategy is the results of the review of all projects undertaken in Q1 2018. These 
projects reviews aimed in particular at identifying any major discrepancies between the SESAR 2020 Programme expectations 
and the reality of the SESAR Solution development and maturity. As a result, less than a deviation of 10% has been identified 
which is very good for a research programme. 

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Candidate 
SESAR 
Solution ref. 

Candidate SESAR Solution 
Title 

Maturity level 
in 2019 

ATM system upgrade 
phase 

ATM Master Plan 
KPAs contributed to 

PJ.02-06 

access 
Improved 
secondary  airports 
visibility conditions 

into 
low 

in 

V2 

Phase B – efficient services 
and infrastructure delivery 

PJ.02-08 

Traffic  optimisation  on  single 
and multiple runway airports 

V3-S 

Phase B – efficient services 
and infrastructure delivery 

PJ.02-11 

Enhanced  Terminal  Area  for 
efficient curved operation 

V1 

Phase B – efficient services 
and infrastructure delivery 

PJ.03a-01 

Enhanced Guidance Assistance 
to Aircraft and Vehicles on the 
Airport Surface Combined with 
Routing 

V2 

Phase B – efficient services 
and infrastructure delivery 

PJ.03a-03 

navigation 
low 

Enhanced 
and 
visibility 
accuracy 
conditions (LVC) on the airport 
surface 

in 

V2 

Phase B – efficient services 
and infrastructure delivery 

PJ.03a-04 

Enhanced Visual Operations 

V3 

Phase B – efficient services 
and infrastructure delivery 

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  Predictability 

  Safety 

  Capacity 

  Predictability 

  Safety 

  Capacity 

  Operational 
efficiency 

  Predictability 

  Safety 

  Resilience 

  Human 

Performance 

  Capacity 

  Operational 
efficiency 

  Predictability 

  Safety 

  Cost-efficiency 

  Flexibility 

  Capacity 

  Predictability 

  Safety 

  Human 

Performance 

  Capacity 

  Operational 
efficiency 

  Predictability 

  Safety 

  Resilience 

  Safety 

  Human 

Performance  

  Resilience 

 
 
 
 
 
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Candidate 
SESAR 
Solution ref. 

Candidate SESAR Solution 
Title 

Maturity level 
in 2019 

ATM system upgrade 
phase 

ATM Master Plan 
KPAs contributed to 

  Operational 
efficiency 

PJ.03a-09 

Surface operations by RPAS 

V2 

PJ.03b-01 

Enhanced  Airport  Safety  Nets 
for Controllers 

PJ.03b-03 

Conformance 
safety net for Pilots 

monitoring 

V2 

V2 

Phase B – efficient services 
and infrastructure delivery 

  Safety  

  Access and Equity 

  Interoperability 

Phase B – efficient services 
and infrastructure delivery 

  Safety  

  Human 

Performance 

  Interoperability 

Phase B – efficient services 
and infrastructure delivery 

  Safety  

  Human 

PJ.03b-05 

Traffic  alerts  for  pilots  for 
airport operations 

V3-S 

Phase B – efficient services 
and infrastructure delivery 

Performance 

  Interoperability 

  Safety  

  Human 

Performance 

  Interoperability 

PJ.03b-06 

Safety 
runway excursions 

support 

tools 

for 

V2 

Phase B – efficient services 
and infrastructure delivery 

  Safety  

  Human 

PJ.04-01 

Enhanced 
Collaborative 
Airport  Performance  Planning 
and Monitoring 

V3 ongoing 

PJ.04-02 

Enhanced 
Airport 
Management 

Collaborative 
Performance 

V2 

Phase C – Regional, 
trajectory-based, flight- 
and flow-centric 
operations 

Phase C – Regional, 
trajectory-based, flight- 
and flow-centric 
operations 

Performance 

  Interoperability 

  Cost-efficiency 

  Capacity 

  Predictability 

  Punctuality 

  Operational 
efficiency 

  Resilience 

  Capacity 

  Predictability 

  Punctuality 

  Operational 
efficiency 

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Candidate 
SESAR 
Solution ref. 

PJ.05-02 

Candidate SESAR Solution 
Title 

Maturity level 
in 2019 

ATM system upgrade 
phase 

ATM Master Plan 
KPAs contributed to 

Remotely  Provided  Air  Traffic 
Service 
Multiple 
for 
Aerodromes 

V3-S 

Phase B – efficient services 
and infrastructure delivery 

  Cost-efficiency 

  Access and Equity 

  Human 

Performance 

  Cost-efficiency 

  Access and Equity 

  Human 

Performance 

  Safety 

  Predictability 

PJ.05-03 

Remotely  Provided  Air  Traffic 
Services from a Remote Tower 
Centre  with 
flexible 
allocation  of  aerodromes  to 
Remote Tower Modules 

a 

PJ.05-05 

Advanced  Automated  MET 
System for Remote Airport 

V2 

V2 

Phase C – Regional, 
trajectory-based, flight- 
and flow-centric 
operations 

Phase B – efficient services 
and infrastructure delivery 

Table 7: Candidate SESAR Solutions delivery within the ‘High-Performing Airport Operations’ Key Feature in 
2019 or 2020 

2.4.1.2 

IR  Projects  delivering  candidate  SESAR  Solutions  within  the  ‘Optimised  ATM  Network 
Services’ Key Feature  

The  ‘Optimised ATM Network Services’  Industrial Research and Validation projects  are expected  to 
deliver the following results (candidate SESAR Solutions) in 2019.  

Candidate SESAR Solution 
Title 

Maturity level 
in 2019 

ATM system upgrade 
phase 

ATM Master Plan KPAs 
contributed to 

Candidate 
SESAR 
Solution ref. 

PJ.07-01 

AU  Processes  for  Trajectory 
Definition 

PJ.07-02 

AU  Fleet  Prioritisation  and 
Preferences (UDPP) 

PJ.07-03 

Mission  Trajectory  Driven 
Processes 

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Phase C – Regional, 
trajectory-based, flight- 
and flow-centric 
operations 

Phase C – Regional, 
trajectory-based, flight- 
and flow-centric 
operations 

Phase C – Regional, 
trajectory-based, flight- 
and flow-centric 
operations 

V2 ongoing 

(to be 
delivered in 
2020 – grant 
extension 
duration) 

V2 ongoing 

V3 ongoing 

(to be 
delivered in 
2020 – grant 
extension 
duration) 

  Operational  efficiency 

  Predictability 

  Flexibility 

  Access and Equity 

  Predictability 

  Flexibility 

  Access and Equity 

  Predictability 

  Security 

  Access and Equity 

  Civil/military 
cooperation 
coordination 

and 

 
 
 
 
 
 
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Candidate 
SESAR 
Solution ref. 

PJ.08-01 

Candidate SESAR Solution 
Title 

Maturity level 
in 2019 

ATM system upgrade 
phase 

ATM Master Plan KPAs 
contributed to 

Management  of  Dynamic 
Airspace configurations 

V2 

(to be 
delivered in 
2020 – grant 
extension 
duration) 

Phase C – Regional, 
trajectory-based, flight- 
and flow-centric 
operations 

  Cost-efficiency  

  Safety 

  Operational efficiency 

PJ.08-02 

Dynamic 
Configuration 
moving areas 

Airspace 
supporting 

V1 

Phase C – Regional, 
trajectory-based, flight- 
and flow-centric 
operations 

PJ.09-01 

Network 
Performance 

Prediction 

and 

V2 ongoing 

Phase C – Regional, 
trajectory-based, flight- 
and flow-centric 
operations 

PJ.09-02 

Integrated 
Processes 

Local 

DCB 

V2 ongoing 

Phase C – Regional, 
trajectory-based, flight- 
and flow-centric 
operations 

  Capacity 

  Predictability 

  Human Performance 

  Cost-efficiency 

  Flexibility 

  Civil/Military 

Cooperation and 
Coordination 

  Access and Equity 

  Safety 

  Operational efficiency 

  Capacity 

  Predictability 

  Human Performance 

  Flexibility 

  Civil/Military 

Cooperation and 
Coordination 

  Access and Equity 

  Safety 

  Operational efficiency 

  Capacity 

  Cost-efficiency  

  Predictability 

  Flexibility 

  Access and Equity 

  Safety 

  Operational efficiency 

  Capacity 

  Cost-efficiency  

  Predictability 

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Candidate 
SESAR 
Solution ref. 

PJ.09-03 

Candidate SESAR Solution 
Title 

Maturity level 
in 2019 

ATM system upgrade 
phase 

ATM Master Plan KPAs 
contributed to 

Collaborative 
Management Functions 

Network 

V2 ongoing 

Phase C – Regional, 
trajectory-based, flight- 
and flow-centric 
operations 

  Safety 

  Operational efficiency 

  Predictability  

  Cost-efficiency  

  Capacity 

  Flexibility 

  Security 

  Access and Equity 

Table 8: Solutions delivery within the ‘Optimised ATM Network Services’ Key Feature in 2019 or 2020 

2.4.1.3 

IR Projects delivering candidate SESAR Solutions within the ‘Advanced Air Traffic Services’ 
Key Feature 

The ‘Advanced Air Traffic Services’ Industrial Research and Validation projects are expected to deliver 
the following results (candidate SESAR Solutions) in 2019: 

Candidate SESAR Solution 
Title 

Maturity level 
in 2019 

ATM system upgrade 
phase 

ATM Master Plan 
KPAs contributed to 

Candidate 
SESAR 
Solution ref. 

PJ.01-01 

Extended Arrival Management 
AMAN 
overlapping 
with 
operations  and 
interaction 
with DCB and CTA 

V2 

Phase C – Regional, 
trajectory-based, flight- 
and flow-centric 
operations 

PJ.01-02 

Use  of  Arrival  and  Departure 
Management  Information  for 
Traffic Optimisation within the 
TMA 

V2 

Phase B – efficient services 
and infrastructure delivery 

  Capacity (TMA) 

  Predictability 

  Safety 

  Cost-efficiency 

  Operational 
efficiency 

  Capacity 

  Predictability 

  Safety 

  Cost-efficiency 

  Operational 
efficiency 

  Flexibility 

PJ.01-03A 

Improved Parallel Operations 

V3 ongoing 

Phase B – efficient services 
and infrastructure delivery 

  Capacity 

  Predictability 

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Candidate 
SESAR 
Solution ref. 

Candidate SESAR Solution 
Title 

Maturity level 
in 2019 

ATM system upgrade 
phase 

ATM Master Plan 
KPAs contributed to 

PJ.01-03B 

Dynamic  E-TMA  for  advanced 
continuous  climb  and  descent 
operations 

V2 ongoing 

Phase B – efficient services 
and infrastructure delivery 

PJ.01-05 

Airborne  Spacing  Flight  Deck 
Interval Management 

V2 

Phase B – efficient services 
and infrastructure delivery 

PJ.01-06 

Enhanced  Rotorcraft  and  GA 
operations in the TMA 

V3-S 

Phase B – efficient services 
and infrastructure delivery 

PJ.01-07 

Approach 
through 
Separation 

Improvement 
Visual 

Assisted 

V2 

Phase B – efficient services 
and infrastructure delivery 

PJ.06-01 

Optimised traffic management 
to enable Free Routing in high 
and  very  high  complexity 
environments. 

V3-S 

Phase A – Address known 
critical network 
performance deficiencies 

  Safety 

  Cost-efficiency 

  Operational 
efficiency 

  Flexibility 

  Capacity 

  Predictability 

  Safety 

  Cost-efficiency 

  Operational 
efficiency 

  Flexibility 

  Capacity 

  Predictability 

  Safety 

  Cost-efficiency 

  Operational 
efficiency 

  Interoperability  

  Capacity 

  Predictability 

  Safety 

  Operational 
efficiency  

  Capacity 

  Predictability 

  Safety 

  Cost-efficiency 

  Operational 
efficiency 

  Predictability 

  Cost-efficiency 

  Operational 
efficiency 

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Candidate 
SESAR 
Solution ref. 

Candidate SESAR Solution 
Title 

Maturity level 
in 2019 

ATM system upgrade 
phase 

ATM Master Plan 
KPAs contributed to 

PJ.06-02 

Management  of  Performance 
Based  Free  Routing  in  lower 
Airspace 

V2 

Phase C – Regional, 
trajectory-based, flight- 
and flow-centric 
operations 

PJ.10-01a 

High  Productivity  Controller 
Team Organisation 

V3 

Phase B – efficient services 
and infrastructure delivery 

PJ.10-01b 

Flight Centred ATC 

V2 

Phase C – Regional, 
trajectory-based, flight- 
and flow-centric 
operations 

PJ.10-01c 

Collaborative Control 

V2 

Phase B – efficient services 
and infrastructure delivery 

58 

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  Interoperability 

  Capacity 

  Predictability 

  Cost-efficiency 

  Human 

Performance 

  Operational 
efficiency 

  Access and Equity 

  Interoperability 

  Safety 

  Operational 
efficiency 

  Cost-efficiency 

  Capacity 

  Predictability 

  Flexibility 

  Capacity 

  Flexibility  

  Cost-efficiency 

  Human 

Performance 

  Operational 
efficiency 

  Predictability 

  Safety 

  Operational 
efficiency 

  Cost-efficiency 

  Capacity 

  Predictability 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Candidate 
SESAR 
Solution ref. 

Candidate SESAR Solution 
Title 

Maturity level 
in 2019 

ATM system upgrade 
phase 

ATM Master Plan 
KPAs contributed to 

  Flexibility 

PJ.10-02a 

Improved  Performance  in  the 
Provision of Separation 

V3-S 

Phase C – Regional, 
trajectory-based, flight- 
and flow-centric 
operations 

  Capacity 

  Safety 

  Human 

PJ.10-02b 

Advanced 
Management 

Separation 

V1 

Phase C – Regional, 
trajectory-based, flight- 
and flow-centric 
operations 

PJ.10-05 

IFR RPAS  Integration 

PJ.10-06 

Generic 
Controller Validations 

(non-geographical) 

PJ.11-A1 

PJ.11-A2 

PJ.11-A3 

PJ.11-A4 

Enhanced  Airborne  Collision 
Avoidance  for  Commercial  Air 
Transport  normal operations  - 
ACAS Xa 

Airborne  Collision  Avoidance 
for  Remotely  Piloted  Aircraft 
Systems – ACAS Xu 

ACAS 
for  Commercial  Air 
Transport specific operations – 
ACAS Xo 

Airborne  Collision  Avoidance 
for  General  Aviation  and 
Rotorcraft – ACAS Xp 

V2 

V1 

Phase B – efficient services 
and infrastructure delivery 

Phase C – Regional, 
trajectory-based, flight- 
and flow-centric 
operations 

V3-S 

Phase B – efficient services 
and infrastructure delivery 

V2 

V2 

V2 

Phase B – efficient services 
and infrastructure delivery 

Phase B – efficient services 
and infrastructure delivery 

Phase B – efficient services 
and infrastructure delivery 

Performance 

  Cost-efficiency 

  Capacity 

  Operational 
efficiency 

  Predictability 

  Safety 

  Human 

Performance 

  Cost-efficiency 

  Safety 

  Interoperability 

  Cost-efficiency 

  Safety 

  Human 

Performance 

  Safety 

  Human 

Performance 

  Safety 

  Human 

Performance 

  Safety 

  Human 

Performance 

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Candidate 
SESAR 
Solution ref. 

PJ.11-G1 

Candidate SESAR Solution 
Title 

Maturity level 
in 2019 

ATM system upgrade 
phase 

ATM Master Plan 
KPAs contributed to 

Enhanced 
Ground-based 
Safety  Nets  adapted  to  future 
operations 

V2 

Phase C – Regional, 
trajectory-based, flight- 
and flow-centric 
operations 

  Safety 

  Human 

Performance 

Table 9: Candidate SESAR Solutions delivery within the ‘Advanced Air Traffic Services’ Key Feature in 2019 or 
2020 

2.4.1.4 

IR  Projects  delivering  candidate  SESAR  Solutions  within  the 
Infrastructure’ Key Feature 

‘Enabling  Aviation 

The  ‘Enabling  Aviation  Infrastructure’  Industrial  Research  and  Validation  projects  are  expected  to 
deliver the following results in 2019 or 2020. Enabling Aviation Infrastructure projects are not mapped 
with Performance Focus Areas as their role in the work programme is to support the achievement of 
performance  targets  through  operational  projects.  Similarly,  the  maturity  of  the  Enabling  Aviation 
Infrastructure  candidate  Solutions  is  indicated  according  to  the  technology  readiness  level  (TRL) 
criteria and not according to the E-OCVM as for other Key Features: 

Candidate 
SESAR 
Solution ref. 

Candidate SESAR Solution Title 

Maturity level 
in 2019 

ATM system upgrade phase 

PJ.14-01-01 

CNS environment evolution 

PJ.14-02-01 

FCI Terrestrial Data Link 

TRL2 

TRL4 

PJ.14-02-02 

Future Satellite Communications Data link 

TRL4 

PJ.14-02-04 

FCI Network Technologies incl. voice solutions 
& military interfacing 

PJ.14-02-05 

Development of new services similar to FIS-B 
to  support  ADS-B  solutions  for  General 
Aviation 

PJ.14-02-06 

Completion of AeroMACS development 

PJ.14-03-01 

Advanced GBAS cat II-III operations (e.g. offset 
touchdown) 

TRL4 

TRL4 

TRL6 

TRL4 

Phase C – Regional, trajectory-
based, flight- and flow-centric 
operations 

Phase C – Regional, trajectory-
based, flight- and flow-centric 
operations 

Phase C – Regional, trajectory-
based, flight- and flow-centric 
operations 

Phase C – Regional, trajectory-
based, flight- and flow-centric 
operations 

Phase B – efficient services and 
infrastructure delivery 

Phase B – efficient services and 
infrastructure delivery 

Phase B – efficient services and 
infrastructure delivery 

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Candidate 
SESAR 
Solution ref. 

Candidate SESAR Solution Title 

Maturity level 
in 2019 

ATM system upgrade phase 

PJ.14-03-02  Multi  Constellation 

/  Multi  Frequency 

TRL4 

(MC/MF) GNSS 

PJ.14-03-04 

Alternative  Position,  Navigation  &  Timing  – 
short term (A-PNT) 

TRL6 

PJ.14-04-01 

Surveillance Performance Monitoring 

TRL4 

PJ.14-04-03 

New  use  &  evolution  of  Cooperative  &  Non-
Cooperative Surveillance 

TRL4 

PJ.15-01 

Sub-regional  Demand  Capacity  Balancing 
Service 

TRL6 ongoing 

PJ.15-02 

Delay Sharing Service 

TRL6 ongoing 

PJ.15-08 

Trajectory Prediction Service 

TRL4 

PJ.15-09 

Data Centre Service for Virtual Centres 

TRL6 

PJ.15-10 

Static Aeronautical Data Service 

TRL6 ongoing 

PJ.15-11 

Aeronautical Digital Map Service 

TRL6 ongoing 

PJ.16-03 

Work  Station,  Service  Interface  Definition  & 
Virtual Centre Concept 

TRL6 

PJ.16-04 

Workstation, Controller productivity 

TRL4 

PJ.17-01 

SWIM  TI  Purple  Profile 
Advisory Information Sharing 

for  Air/Ground 

PJ.17.03 

SWIM  TI  Green  profile  for  G/G  Civil  Military 
Information Sharing 

TRL6 

(to be 
delivered in 
2020 – grant 
extension 
duration) 

TRL4 

Phase C – Regional, trajectory-
based, flight- and flow-centric 
operations 

Phase C – Regional, trajectory-
based, flight- and flow-centric 
operations 

Phase C – Regional, trajectory-
based, flight- and flow-centric 
operations 

Phase C – Regional, trajectory-
based, flight- and flow-centric 
operations 

Phase C – Regional, trajectory-
based, flight- and flow-centric 
operations 

Phase C – Regional, trajectory-
based, flight- and flow-centric 
operations 

Phase C – Regional, trajectory-
based, flight- and flow-centric 
operations 

Phase C – Regional, trajectory-
based, flight- and flow-centric 
operations 

Phase B – efficient services and 
infrastructure delivery 

Phase B – efficient services and 
infrastructure delivery 

Phase C – Regional, trajectory-
based, flight- and flow-centric 
operations 

Phase C – Regional, trajectory-
based, flight- and flow-centric 
operations 

Phase B – efficient services and 
infrastructure delivery 

Phase B – efficient services and 
infrastructure delivery 

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Candidate 
SESAR 
Solution ref. 

PJ17-07 

Candidate SESAR Solution Title 

Maturity level 
in 2019 

ATM system upgrade phase 

SWIM TI Purple Profile for Air/Ground Safety-
Critical Information Sharing 

PJ.17-08 

SWIM TI Common runtime registry 

PJ.18-01a 

Addressed  the  technical  part  of  ‘Mission 
Trajectory Driven Processes’ (will be removed 
because included in solution 07-03) 

PJ.18.01b 

Mission  Trajectories  in  TBO  (will  be  removed 
because included in solution 18-02a) 

TRL1 

TRL4 

PJ.18-02a 

Trajectory-based operations 

V1 

PJ.18-02b 

Flight object interoperability 

PJ.18-02c 

eFPL supporting SBT transition to RBT 

TRL6 

PJ.18-04a 

Improved AIM Information 

PJ.18-04b 

Improved MET Information 

PJ.18-04c 

Improved use of MET and AIM in Cockpit 

TRL6 

TRL6 

TRL4 

PJ.18-06a 

Planned 

ATC 
Improvement 

Trajectory 

Performance 

TRL6 

PJ.18-06b 

Tactical  and  NM  Trajectory  performance 
improvement 

TRL4 

Phase C – Regional, trajectory-
based, flight- and flow-centric 
operations 

Phase B – efficient services and 
infrastructure delivery 

Phase C – Regional, trajectory-
based, flight- and flow-centric 
operations 

Phase C – Regional, trajectory-
based, flight- and flow-centric 
operations 

Phase C – Regional, trajectory-
based, flight- and flow-centric 
operations 

Phase B – efficient services and 
infrastructure delivery 

Phase C – Regional, trajectory-
based, flight- and flow-centric 
operations 

Phase B – efficient services and 
infrastructure delivery 

Phase B – efficient services and 
infrastructure delivery 

Phase B – efficient services and 
infrastructure delivery 

Phase C – Regional, trajectory-
based, flight- and flow-centric 
operations 

Phase C – Regional, trajectory-
based, flight- and flow-centric 
operations 

Table 10: Candidate SESAR Solutions delivery within the ‘Enabling Aviation Infrastructure’ Key Feature in 2019 
or 2020 

Candidate SESAR Solution PJ.18-02b ‘Flight Object Interoperability’ has been extended to fully deliver 
the IOP Solution by 2020; while in 2018, significant progress has been made in the preparation of the 
two validation exercises with in particular a significant visibility demonstration run in April 2018. This 
is part of the actions required to mitigate risk CORP#03 ‘IOP solution supporting the PCP and developed 
in SESAR 2020 may not be delivered on time for deployment’ (see Annex VIII for further details). 

In 2019, the first exercise will be run in April securing the core scope of the PCP for En-route operations, 
while  the  second  exercise  will  be  run  in  April  2020  to  complete  the  full  scope  in  conjunction  with 
operational expert validations. 

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2.4.2 

IR Wave 2 (planned for the period from 2019 to 2022) – call for proposals with reference 
H2020-SESAR-2019-1 

The IR Wave 2 call for proposals (within the restricted call with reference H2020-SESAR-2019-1 also 
covering VLD activities) will provide the flexibility needed to align future research with the results of 
Wave  1,  re-assess  relative  priorities  and  ensure  the  best  value-for-money  for  the  EU  and  delivery 
against SES goals. This call will also allow for the completion of those candidate SESAR Solutions which 
were not planned to be delivered to V3 maturity level within Wave 1. It will also allow for strategic 
input to scope new projects from the Master Plan update and to build on results of the outcome of ER 
projects from the ER1 call for proposals to increase the maturity of research towards future SESAR 
Solutions. 

This ecosystem will mainly be built upon ATM solutions characterised by:  

  Higher levels of autonomy and connectivity of all air vehicles coupled with a more automated 

management of traffic;  

  Digital and automated tools provided on board the aircraft itself or as part of the ground-

based infrastructure; 

  Virtual technologies to decouple the physical infrastructure such as sensors, communication 

or navigation devices from the services that are provided to manage the airspace;  

  Big data analytics and open source data usage to encourage the creation of new services;  
  System modularity to allow scalable and easier upgrades and greater interoperability. 

For the definition of the candidate SESAR Solutions, the SESAR JU paid particular attention to ensuring 
a  path  towards  achieving  the  SESAR  Vision  given  in  the  ATM  Master  Plan  2015  edition  and  its 
performance ambition.  This approach relied on the use of prioritisation criteria:  

  ATM Performance Improvement Potential: demonstrating performance gains in Capacity (at 
Airport, en-route and in TMA), Cost-efficiency, Operational Efficiency, Safety, Security and 
Environment; 

  ATM  Digitalisation  Potential:  advancing  automation,  connectivity/sharing  of  information, 
Virtualisation,  Integration  of  all  vehicles,  Flight-  and  flow-centric  operations,  Lean  and 
modular systems. 

The SESAR JU ran a prioritisation process including independent experts’ assessment and stakeholders’ 
consultation via the MPC and the PC according to the consultation process defined in the SPD 2018-
2020. 

The results expected from Wave 1 and Wave 2 will cover the objectives set for the Development phase 
of the SESAR programme in the Master Plan. Furthermore, the results from IR-VLD Wave 2 will provide 
the basis for setting up a changed ecosystem for aviation, and more specifically for modernising the 
underlying ATM infrastructure. 

The  total  available  funding  for  the  Wave  2  call  is  EUR  151,5  million,  covering  both  IR  and  VLD 
activities27, with an indicative amount of EUR 131 million for IR. The exact allocation of funding appears 
in Section III, Paragraph 2.6.1.2. 

27 However, it should be noted that this call may be launched on the basis of the triggering EC implementing agreements, and 
without the availability of the related commitments in accordance with the budget profile available today 

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The  objective  is  to  launch  the  call  in  early  2019  and  perform  the  evaluation  of  the  proposals,  the 
selection and grant of awards by the end of 2019. Subject to the successful completion of the grant 
award  procedure  and  of  the  grant  agreement  signature  procedure  in  2019  and  early  2020,  this 
approach enables the launch into execution of the Wave 2 IR projects during Q4 2019-Q1 2020 and 
the delivery of Wave 2 candidate SESAR Solutions during 2020 and through to 2022. 

The candidate SESAR Solutions will be developed (and, in some cases, delivered) by Wave 2 projects 
through the SESAR Release process. The list of Solutions developed under IR Wave 2 will be available 
following  the  completion  of  the  Wave  2  grant  award  procedure.  Section  III,  Paragraph  2.6.1.2.4 
provides the conditions of the Wave 2 call, which includes the list of Topics and candidate Solutions to 
be developed in the context of Wave 2. 

2.4.3 

IR Wave 3 (currently planned for the period from 2020 to 2022) – Call with reference H2020-
SESAR-2020-2 

Considering that unspent budget could be made available at the end of Wave 1 and potentially during 
the evaluation of the Wave 2 proposals (e.g. proposals not accepted), the SJU would organise a last 
restricted call (Wave 3). In preparation for this, during 2019 and at the beginning of 2020, the SESAR 
JU will carry out activities required to define the content of the IR Wave 3 call if the need is confirmed. 
The SESAR JU would apply the same consultation process as described in the SPD 2018-2020 Section 
III, Paragraph 2.1.2, with an adapted timeline to secure the launch of the call and the completion of 
the award and grant agreement signature process before the end of 2020. 

This third IR call would provide the flexibility needed to align future research with the results of Wave 
1, re-assess relative priorities and ensure the best value-for-money for the EU and delivery against SES 
goals. This call would also allow for addressing additional Solutions as identified in the ATM Master 
Plan update and for building on the results of the outcome of ER projects from the ER1 and ER2 calls 
to increase the maturity of the research towards future solutions. 

The total available funding for the Wave 3 call is subject to the closure of Wave 1 and the final award 
of Wave 2. The exact allocation of funding is to be determined and will be defined in the SPD 2020-
2022. 

The  objective  is  to  launch  the  call  for  proposals  in  early  2020  and  perform  the  evaluation  of  the 
proposals, the selection and the grant awards by the end  of 2020. This approach would enable the 
launch into execution of the Wave 3 IR projects during Q4 2020 or Q1 2021 and the delivery of the 
Wave 3 candidate SESAR Solutions until the end of 2022. IR Wave 3 is intended to be the last call for 
Industrial Research and Validation, when it is anticipated that all of the SESAR 2020 IR budget will have 
been consumed.  

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2.5  Strategic Area of Operation 4: Deliver Very Large-Scale Demonstration activities (VLD) 

Very Large Scale Demonstrations are designed to help bridge the gap between the development and 
deployment phases of the SESAR programme, and not to replace either type of activity. VLDs use early 
versions of  end-user systems and include the integration of new  technology elements into  existing 
systems when needed and possible. As such, VLDs will mostly derive from work matured through an 
earlier phase of Industrial Research & Validation.  

Very Large-Scale Demonstrations are conducted  either by  the SESAR JU Members, and  as such  are 
subject  to  restricted  calls  for  proposals,  or  by  other  entities  through  open  calls  for  proposals.  VLD 
activities are run under six calls for proposals and receive overall direct funding (Title III – Operational 
expenditure) of EUR 107,6 million, broken down as depicted in the figure below. The exact amount of 
each  call  is  to  be  confirmed,  especially  to  take  into  account  the  results  of  previous  grant  award 
procedures and of the grant amendment procedure for grants established under the restricted call for 
proposals with reference H2020-SESAR-2015-2 in 2018. In addition, a proportion of SESAR JU running 
costs (Title I – Staff expenditure and Title II – Infrastructure and operating expenditure) is used to carry 
out the Very Large-Scale Demonstration activities. The overall funding of Strategic Area of Operation 
#4 (Very Large-Scale Demonstration activities) for the period from 2015 to 2022 is indicated in Annex 
I. 

Figure 15: Sequence of VLD calls and related funding from 2015 to 2022 

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Therefore, during  the 2019-2021  period, the  SESAR JU  will  do the following, in the context of Very 
Large-Scale Demonstration activities: 

  Supervise and ensure the delivery of VLD activities stemming from Wave 1 VLD and the VLD 
Open 1  calls for proposals  (with reference H2020-SESAR-2015-2 and H2020-SESAR-2016-2 
respectively), as well as the related grant agreements for Wave 1, then close these activities; 
  Supervise and ensure the delivery of activities stemming from the Geo-fencing VLD call for 

proposals (with reference SESAR-2017-1); 

  Supervise and ensure the delivery of the activity stemming from U-space (‘U-space call’ with 

reference CEF-SESAR-2018-1), then close this activity; 

  Run the Wave 2 call procedure (within the call for proposals with reference H2020-SESAR-
2019-1), evaluate the proposals received and subsequently award the grants, then sign the 
grant  agreements  and  launch  the  projects;  the  VLD  activities  under  the  Wave  2  call  are 
expected  to  close  by  the  end  of  2022;  it  is  also  envisaged  that  the  same  grant  budget 
amendment procedure as for Wave 1 projects will be applied for Wave 2 projects in 2020; 
  Execute (in 2019-2020) the transfer of the results of the Wave 1 IR projects to the Wave 2 

VLD activities; 

  Prepare and launch the VLD Open 2 call procedure (with reference H2020-SESAR-2020-1), 
with  a  view  to  conducting  the  evaluation  of  the  proposals  received  and  the  award  and 
signature of the grant agreements in 2020. The VLD activities under the VLD Open 2 call are 
expected to close by the end of Q3 2022. 

As outlined in the SESAR 2020 Programme research topics presented in the introduction to Chapter 2, 
Very Large-Scale Demonstration activities cover the four Key Features of the ATM Master Plan, along 
with other high priority policy areas: 

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Figure 16: Very Large-Scale Demonstration portfolio of projects matching the research topics as at end 201828 

2.5.1  Management of calls for proposals within the H2020 set of rules 

2.5.1.1  Calls already closed and projects already launched at the end of 2018 
For grants relating to VLD Wave 1, the SESAR 2020 Programme will comply with all provisions of the 
H2020 Work Programme 2016-2017. It should be noted that the SESAR 2020 Programme will deliver 
results through the SESAR Solutions and not project by project. Therefore, it is not necessary for all 
VLD activities to provide open access for all data, therefore VLD activities will opt out of the provisions 

28  Compared  to  the  figure  presented  in  previous  Single  Programming  Documents,  VLD  activity  PJ.27  ‘Flight  Information 
Exchange’ is not appearing as it has been terminated in 2017 following recommendation of the Programme Committee 

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of Annex  L ‘Open access  to research data’  in Part 20. General Annexes29. This opt-out also aims to 
protect results that are expected to be commercially or industrially exploited 

For grants relating to VLD Open 1, the SESAR JU will comply with all provisions of the H2020 Work 
Programme  2018-202030,  including Annex  L  ‘Open  access  to  research  data’  within  Part 19.  General 
Annexes. 

2.5.1.1.1  VLD Wave 1 (2016-2019) – Call with reference H2020-SESAR-2015-2 
In 2019, and in continuation of the activities carried out in the period from 2016 to 2018, VLD activities 
will be conducted through four activities covering the four Key Features, taking into account that two 
projects (PJ.23 and PJ.26) were not awarded as a result of the call and that one project (PJ.27) has been 
terminated in 2018. These projects will deliver the following outcomes in 2019: 

Wave 1 VLD deliverables  

2019 

VLD  activity 
ref. 

PJ.24 

Demonstration  Plan  for  Network  Collaborative  Management  considering  the 
Network Manager, Air Navigation Services, Airports and  AU Flight Operation Centres 

Demonstration  Report  for  Network  Collaborative  Management  considering  the 
Network Manager, Air Navigation Services, Airports and AU Flight Operation Centres 

PJ.25 

Demonstration Plan for Arrival Management extended to En-Route Airspace  

Demonstration Report for Arrival Management extended to En-Route Airspace  

PJ.28 

Demonstration Plan for Integrated Airport Operations  

Demonstration Report for Integrated Airport Operations  

PJ.31 

Demonstration Plan for ATM Improvements Generated by Initial Trajectory Sharing 
(Extended Projected Profile) 

Demonstration Report for ATM Improvements Generated by Initial Trajectory Sharing 
(Extended Projected Profile) 

Table 11: Deliverables of Very Large-Scale Demonstration projects in 2019 

X 

X 

X 

X 

29 Part 20. General Annexes to the Horizon 2020 Work Programme 2016-2017 (European Commission Decision C(2016)4614 
of 25 July 2016) 

30 European Commission Decision C(2017)7124 of 27 October 2017 

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2.5.1.1.2  VLD Open 1 within the call for proposals with reference H2020-SESAR-2016-2 
To  complement  the  previous  call  for  proposals  restricted  to  SESAR  JU  Members,  an  open  call  for 
proposals  relating  to  Very  Large-Scale  Demonstration  activities  (‘Open  VLD  call’  within  the  call  for 
proposals  with  reference  H2020-SESAR-2016-2)  was  launched  at  the  end  of  2016.  Out  of  the  total 
maximum co-financing level of EUR 18 million for Very Large-Scale Demonstrations, the outcome of 
the call was an award of EUR 17,8 million and the selection of ten VLD activities31. The activities were 
launched  into  execution  in  the  course  of  2018,  each  delivering  a  Demonstration  Plan  and  a 
Demonstration Report within the indicative project duration of 2 years. These are as follows: 

Topic / 
Project 
acronym 

Project Title 

Short Project Description 

Max. total co-financing 
value (in EUR) 

Arrival management extended to En-route airspace 

Airline  Team 
xStream 

Airspace  User  Support  to 
Arrival Management 

Network Collaborative Management 

Airline  Team 
NCM 

Airspace  User  support  to 
of 
development 
the 
Network 
Collaborative 
Management 

1.800.963 

2.008.650 

(AMAN 

The  project  will  demonstrate  the  benefits  for 
AUs  in  the  operation  of  cross-border  Arrival 
Management 
systems)  with  an 
extended horizon in accordance with the Pilot 
first  ATM  Functionality 
Common  Project 
(AF#1),  as  well  as  the  demonstration  of  AU 
involvement  in  the  operation  of  two  AMAN-
related  advanced  concepts:  the  Target  Time 
management concept and the Arrival Flexibility 
(A-FLEX) concept, which connect the Extended 
AMAN  concept  to  the  PCP  Fourth  ATM 
Functionality (AF#4) 

The  consortium  will  ensure  the  required 
operational  capabilities  of  European  AUs  to 
contribute to the overall project objectives of 
SESAR 2020 PJ.25 

The  future  ATM  system  concerns  the  entire 
ATM  community.  ATM  is  seen  as  a  critical 
element in the air transport value chain and is 
the  key  to  connecting  Europe’s  regions  while 
making 
it  a  global  hub  for  mobility  and 
prosperity.  The  focus  of  ATM  modernisation 
needs  therefore  to  reflect  a  greater  focus 
towards increased efficiency and effectiveness 
while  sustaining  or  even  improving  levels  of 
safety and security. At the same time, it must 
also recognise the need to provide solutions to 
address  critical  capacity  bottlenecks.  ATM 
modernisation  should continue to look  at the 
flight  as  a  whole,  for  instance  end  to  end, 

31 A total of sixteen grant agreements were signed as a result of the call with reference H2020-SESAR-2016-2 comprising both 
ER and Open VLD, and two additional grant agreements are in the grand agreement preparation phase on VLD (therefore, 
the latter do not appear in the table above) 

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Topic / 
Project 
acronym 

Project Title 

Short Project Description 

Max. total co-financing 
value (in EUR) 

from  early  planning 

within a flow and network context, and not in 
segmented portions of its trajectory, as is still 
the case today. With this in mind, the vision will 
be  realised  across  the  entire  ATM  system, 
offering  improvements  at  every  phase  of  a 
flight 
to  complete 
execution. This vision is building on the notion 
of  ‘Trajectory  Based  Operations’  (TBO)  and 
relies  on  the  provision  of  Air  Navigation 
Services  in  support  of  the  execution  of  the 
business  or  mission  trajectory  -  meaning  that 
AUs can fly their preferred trajectories without 
being constrained by airspace configurations.  

This vision is enabled by a progressive increase 
in  the 
level  of  automation  support,  the 
implementation  of  virtualisation  technologies 
and the use of standardised and interoperable 
systems 

Initial Trajectory Information Sharing 

DIGITS-AU 

Demonstration  of  ATM 
Improvements  Generated 
by Initial Trajectory Sharing 
- Airspace User Part 

DIGITS-AU is the essential  AU complement  to 
the  DIGITS  project  (Demonstration  of  ATM 
Improvements  Generated by Initial Trajectory 
Sharing). DIGITS-AU brings together AUs  

4.527.147 

-  who  operate  (even  partially) 

in  the 
airspace of ANSPs participating in DIGITS 
-  who  will  receive  new  onboard  avionics 
capabilities,  making 
to 
downlink  trajectory  predictions,  the  so-
called  Extended  Projected  Profile  (EPP), 
for sharing with ATC 

it  possible 

Increase access to airports for low visibility mixed fleet operations 

AAL2 

Augmented  Approaches  to 
Land 2 

2.110.729 

for 

low  visibility  mixed 

The proposed Augmented Approaches to Land 
2 (AAL2) project addresses increased access to 
airports 
fleet 
operations. It builds upon the results from the 
former award winning SESAR project AAL, and 
will  demonstrate  augmented  approach  and 
landing  operations  based  on  the  following 
candidate SESAR solutions: 

-  Ground  Based  Augmentation  System 
(GBAS)  CAT  II  with  CAT  I  airborne  and 
ground  equipment,  enabling 
lower 
decision  heights 
II  minima 
(decision  height  100ft)  (addresses  hubs 
and medium size airports); 

to  CAT 

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Topic / 
Project 
acronym 

Project Title 

Short Project Description 

Max. total co-financing 
value (in EUR) 

- 

Enhanced  Flight  Vision  System  (EFVS)  to 
land using Head Up /or Mounted Display, 
with  operational  credit  down  to  300  m 
RVR in non- CAT II/III airports (addresses 
medium-sized and small airports). 

Solutions for General Aviation and Rotorcraft 

GRADE 

Solutions 

GA 

GNSS 
Increased 
Rotorcraft 
Accessibility 
Demonstration 

1.156.015 

for 
and 
Airport 

is 

objective 

project  main 

the 
The 
demonstration  of  General  Aviation  and 
Rotorcraft (GA/R) capability to benefit from the 
concepts developed in the SESAR programme, 
in  order  to  facilitate  their  integration  into 
airspace  and  airports  where  the  SESAR 
concepts  and 
technologies  have  been 
implemented.  This  objective  will  be  achieved 
through live flight trials and preparatory Real-
Time Simulation campaign, with hardware and 
humans in the loop, which will be focused on 
both  procedural 
issues  and  technological 
aspects  relating  to  GNSS  technologies  and 
simultaneous non-interfering (SNI) operations.  

Specifically, 
project  will 
the  GRADE 
demonstrate in flight, by using GA aircraft and 
rotorcraft  equipped  with  non-certified  or 
specific  on-board  equipment,  the  following 
existing  candidate  SESAR  Solutions:  Solution 
#51 – ‘Enhanced terminal operations with LPV 
procedures’,  Solution  #55  – 
‘Precision 
approaches  using  GBAS  CAT  II/III’,  Solution 
#103  –  ‘Approach  Procedure  with  vertical 
guidance’,  Solution  #113  –  ‘Optimised  Low 
Level IFR routes for rotorcraft’. The project will 
also focus on technological aspects, testing in 
flight the following products, already available 
within the consortium and suitably customised 
listed  candidate  SESAR 
to  fit  the  above 
Solutions:  GNSS  EGNOS  and  GBAS  navigation 
algorithms  able  to  guarantee  the  applicable 
RNP;  Portable  non  certified  Primary  Flight 
to  support  pilot  decisions  and 
Display 
operations.  The 
live  flight  trials  will  be 
conducted  at  two  different  sites  and  using 
three  different  aircrafts  (two  fixed-wing  and 
one rotary aircraft).  

Flight  tests  data  and 
information  will  be 
collected and analysed by taking into account 
relevant  applicable  SESAR  Key  Performance 
indices. 
Areas  and  suitably  performance 

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Topic / 
Project 
acronym 

Project Title 

Short Project Description 

Max. total co-financing 
value (in EUR) 

GAINS 

General  Aviation  Improved 
Navigation and Surveillance 

Performance evaluation and lessons learnt will 
represent the outcome of the project and will 
be  made  available  to  support  regulation, 
standardisation  and  certification  activities,  as 
integration  of  GA/R  with 
well  as 
commercial aviation 

the 

is  to  validate  concepts  on 
The  objective 
instrument 
flight 
avionics  and  use  of 
procedures  tailored  to  general  aviation  (GA) 
that enable the integration and inclusion of GA 
within  high-density  airspace  or  environments 
in which GA is constrained due to proximity of 
adjacent  airports  or  airways  for  scheduled 
airlines or the military.  

on 

the 

builds 

project 

concept 
The 
demonstrated  in  the  EVA  project  considering 
the  suitability  of  ground  monitoring  from 
aerodromes with basic air traffic services (ATS) 
or ground services and testing viability for the 
use  of  PBN  procedures  more  tailored  to  the 
capabilities  of  GA  and  the 
limitations  of 
operations in dense airspace 

Safe integration of drones  

PODIUM 

Proving  Operations 
Drones  with 
Management 

of 
Initial  UTM 

SAFEDRONE 

on 

Activities 
integration 
demonstration 
operations 

drone 
and 
VLL 

in 

Will  perform  four  complementary  large-scale 
demonstrations – with over 185 drone flights - 
at Odense in Denmark, Bretigny and Toulouse 
in  France,  and  Eelde  in  the  Netherlands. 
Unmanned aircraft system traffic management 
(UTM) solutions will be demonstrated for VLOS 
and BVLOS drone flights. The scope covers very 
low-level operations in rural and urban areas, 
in the vicinity of airports, in uncontrolled and 
controlled 
in  mixed 
airspace, 
environments with manned aviation. 

and 

Aims to demonstrate how to integrate general 
aviation,  state  aviation,  optionally  piloted 
into  non-segregated 
aircraft  and  drones 
airspace  in  a  multi-aircraft  and  manned  flight 
environment. The project will perform a large 
number of demonstrations in Spain the ATLAS 
flight test centre in Villacarrillo (Jaén, Spain) in 
order to accumulate evidence and experience 
about  the  required  services  and  procedures 
necessary to operate drones in a safe, efficient 
and secure way within U-space.  

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1.453.690 

1.395.649 

1.169.074 

 
 
 
 
 
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Topic / 
Project 
acronym 

Project Title 

Short Project Description 

Max. total co-financing 
value (in EUR) 

The  demonstration 
is  about  U1  and  U2 
services, and a limited version of U3 advanced 
services  including  automated  detect  &  avoid 
technologies. 

Table 12: VLD Open 1 initial projects outline (under the call for proposals with reference H2020-SESAR-2016-
2)  

2.5.1.2  Calls  for  proposals  on  Very  Large-Scale  Demonstration  activities  to  be  organised  in  the 

2019-2021 period within the H2020 set of rules 

In 2019, the SESAR JU will launch the restricted call for proposals with reference H2020-SESAR-2019-1 
(to be launched in early 2019) and one open call for proposals in 2020 (with reference H2020-SESAR-
2020-1). The VLD Wave 2 call (within the restricted call for proposals with reference H2020-SESAR-
2019-1 also covering IR) will focus on the SESAR Solutions delivered in IR Wave 1. The total available 
funding for the Wave 2 call is EUR 151,5 million, covering both IR and VLD activities32, with an indicative 
amount of EUR 20,5 million for VLD. The exact allocation of funding (see SPD 2018-2020 Section III, 
Chapter 2.1 for the Wave 2 definition process) appears in Section III, Paragraph 2.6.1.2 of the present 
document. The timeline for the call management and grant award procedures is the one defined for 
the Wave 2 call, introduced in Paragraph 2.4.2 above. 

In 2020, the SESAR JU will launch the second open VLD call. Subject to the successful completion of the 
grant  award  procedure  in  Q3  2020  and  the  subsequent  grant  agreement  signature  procedure,  this 
approach enables the launch into execution of the VLD Open 2 activities during 2020 and through to 
the end of 2022. This call is intended to be the last call for Very Large-Scale Demonstrations, when it is 
anticipated that all of the SESAR 2020 VLD budget will have been consumed.  

In 2019 and 2020, taking account of the overall outcome of the VLD calls, the SESAR JU will analyse the 
gap between the expected VLD results and the objectives set out by the Master Plan for the SESAR 
2020  Programme  in  relation  to  Very  Large-Scale  Demonstrations,  and  will  plan  for  the  necessary 
actions as required. 

2.5.2  Management of calls for proposals falling within sets of rules other than H2020 

2.5.2.1  Geo-fencing VLD call – Call with reference SESAR-2017-1 
A  specific  call  for  proposals  related  to  geo-fencing  VLD  activities  was  launched  in  2017  through 
European Parliament’s / European Commission’s funds in accordance with the standard EU Financial 
Regulation33. It was  managed in the  SESAR JU  accounts as  assigned  revenue. The scope of  this call 
focused  solely  on  Active  Geo-fencing  Service  and  fills  the  gap  with  activities  conducted  under  the 
previous call for proposals (VLD Open call for proposals with reference H2020-SESAR-2016-2) in the 
topic on the ‘Safe integration of drones’ in relation to geo-fencing. It targets demonstrations of web-

32 However, it should be noted that this call may be launched on the basis of the triggering EC implementing agreements, and 
without the availability of the related commitments in accordance with the budget profile available today 

33 Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 July 2018 on the financial rules 
applicable  to  the  general  budget  of  the  Union,  amending  Regulations  (EU)  No  1296/2013,  (EU)  No  1301/2013,  (EU)  No 
1303/2013, (EU) No 1304/2013, (EU) No 1309/2013, (EU) No 1316/2013, (EU) No 223/2014, (EU) No 283/2014, and Decision 
No 541/2014/EU and repealing Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 (OJ L 193, 30.7.2018, p. 1–222) 

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based Geo-fencing solutions that use location signals to prevent drones from flying in no-fly zones. The 
call procedure resulted in the signature of a grant agreement under which one project (GEOSAFE) will 
deliver its results within two years (2018-2019), complementing the work done in the context of the 
call  for  proposals  H2020-SESAR-2016-2  on  the  topic  ‘Integrating  Remotely  Piloted  Aircraft  Systems 
(RPAS) in European airspace using an Active Geo-fencing Service (AGS)’ – see previous paragraph. This 
will ensure that any gaps can be targeted and opportunities explored in order to make the most of the 
limited funding available. 

The  GEOSAFE  project  aims  to  establish  state-of-the-art  geo-fencing  solutions  regarding  U-space 
regulation, to propose/evaluate improvements and recommendations for future geo-fencing system 
definition  through  an  extensive  flight-test  campaign  to  be  conducted  at  Pourrières,  Bordeaux, 
Montmagny and Valence in France. The campaign will employ a number of commercially available geo-
fencing solutions to address drone behaviour in different situations. The campaign will also perform a 
technical  assessment  of  the  navigation  system’s  performance  with  regard  to  the  efficiency  of  geo-
fencing. 

2.5.2.2  U-space call (2018-2019) – Call for proposals with reference CEF-SESAR-2018-1 
In light of discussions held in June 2017 with the European Commission, and driven by the concept of 
U-space further developed in the U-space blueprint, the SESAR JU has been mandated to manage a 
call under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) programme for a value of EUR 9,5 million, relating to 
the performance of a number of large-scale demonstration activities to validate systems that support 
U-space services against the relevant requirements and standards: the U-space demonstration call for 
proposals  with  reference  CEF-SESAR-2018-1. The SESAR  JU  launched  this  open  call  for  proposals  in 
early 2018 and signed six grant agreements. Subsequently, the related projects were launched in Q3 
2018. These projects will deliver results in 2019, with demonstration activities taking place in Q3-Q4 
2019, and are expected to close by mid-2020. These are as follows: 

Ref. 

Project Title 

Short Project Description 

VUTURA 

Validation  of  U-Space 
by  Tests  in  Urban  and 
Rural Areas 

SAFIR 

And 

Safe 
Flexible 
Integration of Initial U-

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Aims to show how a common U-space framework 
(based  on  SWIM)  with  U1  and  U2  services  can 
enable  multiple  U-space  service  providers  and 
multiple  operators  to  execute  commercially 
feasible BVLOS operations. The demonstration will 
showcase  these  operations  in  a  rural,  urban  and 
smart  city  environment.    Each  of  the  scenarios 
involves  two  service  providers  that  have  to 
coordinate  their  services  and  demonstrate  many 
realistic  elements:  manned  aviation,  different 
levels  of  automation,  off-the-shelf  drones  versus 
leisure 
tailor-made  drones,  commercial  and 
flight  demonstrations  will  be 
drones.  The 
performed  at  different 
in  The 
Netherlands (Delft, Enschede, Flevoland Province), 
in  close  cooperation  with  the  civil  aviation 
authorities 

locations 

The  demonstration  will  showcase  an  application 
for multiple drone operations that is viable, robust 
and  ready-to-implement  throughout  Europe.  A 
broad  range  of  operations  and  services  up  to  U3 

Max. total co-
financing value 
(in EUR) 
1.088.950 

1.328.441 

 
 
 
 
 
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Ref. 

Project Title 

Short Project Description 

space Services in a Real 
Environment 

GOF USPACE 

Finnish-Estonian 
‘Gulf 
of  Finland’  Very  Large 
U-Space 
Demonstration 

DOMUS 

Demonstration 
Multiple 
Suppliers 

Of 
U‐Space 

DIODE 

D-flight 
Drones Environment 

Internet  of 

flights 

linking  to  smart  mobility  will  be  demonstrated, 
including 
controlled  and 
in  both 
uncontrolled very low level (VLL) airspace; flights 
in  both  VLOS  and  BVLOS;  and  flights  interacting 
with  both  manned  aircraft  and  other  unmanned 
aircraft. The operations will take place in Belgium 
at  three 
locations:  City  of  Antwerp,  Port  of 
Antwerp  and  a  DronePort  Test  Facility  in  Sint-
Truiden 

Aims 
flight 
to  establish  a  pre-operational 
information  management  system  (FIMS)  with  an 
integrating  existing 
architecture  capable  of 
commercial-off-the-shelf  UTM  components.  The 
capabilities  of  the  FIMS  will  be  demonstrated  in 
different  live  cases  representing  the  most  typical 
visual line of sight (VLOS) and beyond visual line of 
sight (BVLOS) missions: 

- 

International  parcel  delivery  between 
Helsinki and Tallinn  

-  Dense  urban  drone  fleet  operations 

in 

Helsinki with Police intervention  

-  Dense urban drone fleet operations in Tallinn 

- 

- 

in controlled airspace  
100km+  BVLOS  multisensory 
flights in forestry and utility inspection  
Co-operation with GA and recreational users 
at uncontrolled airport  

inspection 

-  Maritime  traffic  surveillance  combined  with 
search-and-rescue over Gulf of Finland  
-  Drone Taxi flight from Helsinki-Vantaa airport 

to the centre of Helsinki 

Aims  to  illustrate  the  full  set  of  core  U2  services 
and  the  demonstration  of  specific  U3  services, 
such  as  tactical  de‐confliction  and  collaboration 
with ATM. The demonstration will involve three U‐
space  service  providers 
interacting  with  an 
ecosystem  manager  and  several  drone  operators 
that will fly drones from different manufacturers. 
in 
The  planned  operations  will  take  place 
Andalusia in Spain. 
Aims to demonstrate how the implementation of 
the full set of U-space services up to U3 ensures a 
safe  flow  of  drones  pursuing  specific  business  or 
recreational intents, fully integrated with manned 
aviation,  and  in  all  types  of  environment.  Live 
demonstrations  will  take  place  in  Rieti,  a  small 
province,  close  to  Rome,  known  as  ‘umbilicus 
several  different  geographical 
Italiae’  with 

Max. total co-
financing value 
(in EUR) 

1.617.098 

1.989.400  

1.978.443 

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Ref. 

Project Title 

Short Project Description 

situations,  including  rural,  mountain  and  remote 
territories, 
industrial,  urban  and  semi¬urban. 
These  demonstrations  will  cover  a  wide  range  of 
operations:  parcel  delivery;  road  traffic  patrol; 
professional  photography;  railway  and  power-
lines  surveillance;  search  and  rescue,  airport 
operations; interaction with GA; and firefighting. 

EuroDRONE 

European  UTM 

A 
Testbed for U-Space 

to  U3 

functionalities  up 

Aims to connect various stakeholders (operators, 
regulators,  law  enforcement  agencies,  product 
developers)  and  different  systems  in  a  unified 
environment.  Specifically,  the  demonstration  will 
in 
test  U-space 
Missolonghi,  Greece.  The  EuroDRONE  drone 
architecture 
is  made  up  of  cloud  software 
(DroNav)  and  hardware  (transponder)  to  be 
installed  on  drones.  It  is  a  sophisticated  self-
learning system based on software and hardware 
elements,  operating  in  a  distributed  computing 
environment,  and  offering  multiple 
levels  of 
for  conflict 
redundancy, 
prevention/resolution and assets management. 

fail-safe  algorithms 

Max. total co-
financing value 
(in EUR) 

1.400.000  

Table 13: U-space demonstration activity outline (under the call for proposals with reference CEF-SESAR-2018-
1) 

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2.6  Strategic Area of Operation 5: Deliver SESAR Outreach 

As indicated in its Founding Regulation, the SESAR JU is responsible for securing the support and buy-
in  of  all  stakeholders  in  the  ATM  value  chain  for  the  definition  (European  ATM  Master  Plan)  and 
development of SESAR technologies and procedures (SESAR Solutions).  

This  requires  continued  and  extensive  outreach  (communications  activities  and  external  relations) 
targeting  a  wide  range  of  organisations,  including  air  navigation  service  providers,  airspace  users, 
airports,  the  manufacturing  industry,  national  aviation  authorities  and  EASA;  standards-setting 
organisations; professional staff organisations; and the relevant scientific institutions or the relevant 
scientific community. It also calls for close engagement with the SESAR Deployment Manager to ensure 
the smooth delivery of SESAR Solutions where synchronised deployment is. These outreach activities 
are supported by the core SESAR membership, as well as cooperation agreements and contracts with 
specific stakeholder groups. 

As the technological pillar of the SES and a key enabler for the EU Aviation Strategy, it is imperative to 
continue outreach activities in 2019 with the EU Institutions and Member States. This allows the SESAR 
JU to demonstrate that SESAR R & I meets the policy needs of the EU and brings real value to European 
citizens and businesses. 

Looking  further  afield,  the  SESAR  JU will  continue  to  conduct  outreach  activities  with  international 
partners  in  support  of  global  interoperability  and  harmonisation,  recognising  these  as  vital 
prerequisites for a safe, secure, efficient and sustainable global ATM system. In this respect, the SESAR 
JU  will  build  on  established  cooperation  arrangements  with  partners  worldwide.    This  includes 
cooperation  with  the  U.S.  Federal  Aviation  Administration  (FAA)  /  NextGen  Programme  under  the 
EU/U.S.  memorandum  of  cooperation  (MoC);  the  MoC  between  DG  MOVE  and  Japan;  and  those 
between  the  SESAR  JU  and  Qatar,  Singapore  and  the  United  Arab  Emirates.    Collaboration  with 
international  partners  under  EU  technical  cooperation  projects  in  the  field  of  aviation  will  also 
continue. Conducted within the framework of the EU’s external aviation policy, these arrangements 
cover  sharing  lessons  learnt,  knowledge  and  expertise,  and  cooperation  activities  related  to  ATM 
modernisation.  

The SESAR JU will also continue to work closely with its EU partners in support of the International Civil 
Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the development of the Global Air Navigation Plan (GANP) with the 
Aviation System Block Upgrades (ASBUs). This ensures alignment of priorities in relation to SESAR, the 
European  ATM  Master  Plan,  industry  standardisation  and  the  evolution  of  ICAO  provisions.  These 
activities help secure SESAR´s position as a global leader in ATM modernisation, which also serves to 
promote the competitiveness of the European aviation and ATM industry. 

In 2019, the need to communicate research results, SESAR Solutions and the SESAR innovation pipeline 
will continue to increase. This will be achieved through publications, online media and general events 
participation, as well as focussed SESAR JU-led events jointly organised with EU and global partners. 
These  activities  will  also  be  critical  for  promoting  SESAR  Solutions  and  gathering  the  experiences, 
viewpoints  and  priorities  of  the  global  community  together  with  the  SESAR  JU  members  and 
stakeholders.  

As introduced in Section II, Chapter 3.2, in addition to direct funding (from Title II and Title III), the 
SESAR JU also dedicates a proportion of SESAR JU running costs (Title I – Staff expenditure and Title II 
– Infrastructure and operating expenditure) to carry out SESAR outreach activities. The overall funding 
of Strategic Area of Operation #5 is indicated in Annex I. 

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2.7  Strategic Area of Operation 6: Deliver effective financial, administrative and corporate 

management 

Management and administrative services are brought together primarily under this area of operation  
to ensure that the core horizontal activities of the SESAR JU are planned, implemented, monitored and 
reported in a coherent and consistent way. The main objective of this strategic area of operation is to 
facilitate  efficient  and  effective  delivery  of  the  SESAR  JU’s  work  programme  and  to  ensure  sound 
financial and resource management. The effectiveness of the organisation based on the mission, vision 
and values of the SESAR JU will continue, aligning the capabilities of the organisation, technology and 
the extensive competencies of its human capital in order to maximise its added value.  

To  that  end,  in  the  2019-2021  period,  the  SESAR  JU  will  continually  align  operational  and  strategic 
planning along with the capabilities of the organisation to best serve stakeholders’ needs, ensuring full 
regulatory  compliance  with  reporting  obligations  stemming  from  the  various  legal  frameworks  it 
operates under, namely Horizon 2020, CEF, general EU funds34. The SESAR JU's Internal Audit Capability 
function will continue to objectively examine, evaluate and report on the adequacy of the SESAR JU's 
internal controls as a contribution to the proper, economic and effective use of its resources. 

Furthermore, in an effort  to continually  align  resource allocation  to strategic priorities  through the 
introduction of industry best practices and standards, the SESAR JU will identify key business areas and 
processes that need improvement, diagnose and analyse the reasons behind poor performance, and 
plan and implement the changes necessary to improve performance in a quantifiable or measurable 
way. 

In developing and maintaining a strong corporate culture and a positive image for its stakeholders and 
the  EU  institutions,  the  SESAR  JU  will  promote  a  positive  image  of  the  SESAR  JU  through  effective 
communication  and  leadership  and  through  effective  external  communications  (including  through 
legal and statutory reporting obligations).  

Finally, the SESAR JU will retain and continually develop its staff through robust knowledge and skills 
management. 

As introduced in Section II, Chapter 3.2, the SESAR JU dedicates a proportion of its running costs (from 
Title I and Title II) to carrying out financial, administrative and corporate activities. The overall funding 
of Strategic Area of Operation #6 is indicated in Annex I. 

34 The SESAR JU receives funds from the EU that vary in origin in order to execute the SESAR 2020 Programme. These funds 
have been delegated to the SESAR JU under four different legal frameworks (see Paragraph 3.2.2 below), namely Horizon 
2020,  CEF  (Connecting  Europe  Facility)  and  two  types  of  assigned  revenues,  each  referring  to  the  execution  of  grants 
(following calls for proposals) or studies (following calls for tender). The diversity of the applicable legal frameworks under 
which the SESAR JU operates, with each its own templates and obligations, also comes with a high degree of complexity due 
to the number of derogations to the legal frameworks which have been defined in the corresponding delegation agreements 

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3  Human and financial resources outlook for the 2019-2021 period 

3.1  Overview of the past and current situation 

At the end of 2017 and during 2018, in line with the situation reported in 2017, the number of human 
resources  in  the  Staff  Establishment  Plan  is  39  temporary  agent  (TA)  positions,  plus  3  seconded 
national expert (SNE) positions where Member States’ experience is requested (as authorised by the 
SESAR JU Administrative Board).  For detailed  data  on the different staff categories, please refer  to 
annex III table 1. 

From 2017 to 2018, Title III – Operational expenditure has increased compared to previous years due 
to the launch of SESAR 2020 projects in execution and the ongoing signature of new grant agreements 
and grant budget amendments (see Chapters 2.1 to 2.4 relating to Strategic Areas of Operations 1 to 
4 in the Single Programming Document 2018-2020). For 2018, Title III – Operational expenditure also 
includes unused appropriations of EUR 22.471.085 from 2017: 

Executed Budget for 2017 (in EUR) 

Budget for 2018 (in EUR)35 

Title I 

Title II 

Title III 

TOTAL 

5.995.000 

4.180.351 

103.005.914 

113.181.265 

6.040.300 

3.476.234 

143.921.427 

153.437.961 

Table 14: SESAR JU financial resource (commitment appropriations) overview for 2017 and 2018 

3.2  Resource programming for the years 2019-2021 

3.2.1  Human resources 
In the period from 2019 to 2021, the number of human resources in the Staff Establishment Plan will 
be in line with the figures for 2018, i.e. 39 TAs and 3 SNEs.  

As  explained  in  Chapter  2.7  above,  the  SESAR  JU  operates  under  four  different  legal  frameworks, 
namely  Horizon  2020,  CEF  (Connecting  Europe  Facility)  and  two  types  of  assigned  revenues,  each 
referring to the execution of grants (following calls for proposals) or studies (following calls for tender). 
The diversity of the applicable legal frameworks, each  with  its own templates and obligations, also 
comes with a high degree of complexity due to the number of derogations to the legal frameworks 
which have been defined in the corresponding delegation agreements. 

To  cope  with  that  complexity  and  despite  the  fact  that  the  number  of  staff  allowed  in  the  Staff 
Establishment Plan has not been adapted accordingly, the SESAR JU will continue its efforts towards 
further efficiency gains. These will contribute to the mitigation of major risk with reference CORP05 
‘The SESAR JU may not be able to take up new challenges due to limited HR capabilities’ (see Annex 
VIII). Some examples are the reduced number of staff missions, enabled through the increased use of 

35 As per the Single Programming Document 2018-2020 adopted by the Administrative Board on 14 December 2017, plus the 
inclusion of 2017 unused  appropriations 

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video conferences, especially for recurring monitoring activities such as project reviews. Typically, for 
meetings  relating  to  ER,  IR  and  VLD  and  except  for  critical  meetings  such  as  kick-off  meetings  and 
critical  reviews,  the  SESAR  JU  prefers  to  coordinate  with  grant  beneficiaries  via  web  conference  to 
coordinate with grant beneficiaries, which represents a significant benefit in terms of environmental 
footprint,  efficiency  and  work-life  balance.  In  addition,  the  SESAR  JU  undertakes  regular  process 
improvement initiatives in the context of the SESAR JU Quality Management System (QMS, see Section 
III, Paragraph 2.6.5) monitored by the Quality and ICT Committee (QICT Committee), in order to use 
the resources more efficiently and on value-added activities.  

For detailed data on the different staff categories, please refer to annex III table 1. 

3.2.2 

Financial resources 

3.2.2.1  Revenues  
In  accordance  with  Article  4  of  the  SJU  Regulation  and  the  Statutes  annexed  to  the  Regulation,  all 
revenue of the SESAR JU shall come from contributions from its Members and can be financial or in 
kind. The Regulation extending the SESAR JU and implementing financing over the 2014-2020 period 
sets overall EU funding of EUR 585 million from the Horizon 2020 programme (of which EUR 29,25 
million for the running costs (staff expenditure and infrastructure and operating expenditure) and EUR 
555,75 million for operational expenditure). In addition, the SESAR JU has been provided:  

  under delegation agreement EC/SESAR JU ref. MOVE/E3/DA/2016-669/SI2.743803 signed on 
06/12/201636, with EUR 500.000 in assigned revenue to organise a call for proposals for a 
geo-fencing demonstration; 

  under delegation agreement EC/SESAR JU ref. MOVE/E3/DA/2017-477/SI2.766828 signed on 
10/11/2017,  with  an  additional  EUR  800  000  in  assigned  revenue  from  the  European 
Commission to procure a study to develop a proposal for the future architecture of European 
airspace; 

  under delegation agreement EC/SESAR JU ref. MOVE/E3/DA/2017-564/si2.771010 signed on 
13/12/2016,  with  an  additional  EUR  10  million  in  assigned  revenue  from  the  European 
Commission from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) funds to organise a call for proposals 
on U-space demonstrations.  

Year 2020 will be the last year to request the remaining EU entitlements (EUR 585 million less the funds 
already  requested).  This  EU  contribution  planned  for  2020  is  indicative  subject  to  the  outcome  of 
future budgetary procedures. 

All SESAR JU Members other than the European Commission contribute to the SESAR JU as follows: 

  Financial contributions: at least 5% of each Member’s contribution shall be in cash in order 
to finance the running costs of the Joint Undertaking (i.e. staff, infrastructure and operating 
expenditure); 
In-kind contributions, consisting of the operational activities carried out by the stakeholder 
Members and EUROCONTROL for developing jointly and under the SESAR JU’s supervision 
the next generation of the ATM system in Europe. 

 

Before the SESAR  JU Administrative Board accepted the accession of 19  stakeholder  Members, the 
value and the utility of the in-kind contributions offered by each Candidate Member for carrying out 

36 In accordance with Articles 54(2)(a) and 58(1)(c)(iv) of the EU Financial Regulation 

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the tasks of the JU were assessed and contractually fixed in a unique Membership-Agreement signed 
by all Members and the SESAR JU. These are as follows: 

Members 

Total net 
Contribution (EUR) 

of which financial 
contribution 

of which net in-kind 
contribution 

European Union 

EUROCONTROL 

585.000.000,00 

585.000.000,00 

492.256.781,00 

25.000.000,00 

467.256.781,00 

Other Members in total 

325.838.461,65 

18.466.058,00 

307.372.403,65 

AIRBUS 

26.761.006,00 

1.667.271,00 

25.093.735,00 

AT-ONE Consortium 

12.495.693,00 

627.887,00 

11.867.806,00 

B4 Consortium 

2.382.455,00 

397.076,00 

1.985.379,00 

COOPANS Consortium 

9.275.779,00 

599.718,00 

8.676.061,00 

DASSAULT Aviation 

5.247.567,00 

290.928,00 

4.956.639,00 

DFS 

DSNA 

ENAIRE 

ENAV 

8.483.712,00 

672.725,00 

7.810.987,00 

9.831.224,62 

641.023,00 

9.190.201,62 

16.452.269,00 

834.917,00 

15.617.352,00 

8.143.260,00 

643.950,00 

7.499.310,00 

FREQUENTIS Consortium 

6.885.998,00 

475.866,00 

6.410.132,00 

HONEYWELL AEROSPACE 

15.324.183,38 

777.926,00 

14.546.257,38 

INDRA 

21.534.500,00 

1.656.500,00 

19.878.000,00 

LEONARDO-FINMECCANICA 

48.127.619,53 

2.291.791,00 

45.835.828,53 

NATMIG Consortium 

10.472.227,00 

511.804,00 

9.960.423,00 

NATS 

9.363.535,00 

655.208,00 

8.708.327,00 

SEAC2020 Consortium 

3.485.625,00 

222.625,00 

3.263.000,00 

SKYGUIDE 

1.637.165,12 

263.860,00 

1.373.305,12 

THALES AIR SYSTEMS 

75.585.799,00 

3.599.324,00 

71.986.475,00 

THALES AVIONICS 

34.348.844,00 

1.635.659,00 

32.713.185,00 

TOTAL 

1.403.095.242,65 

628.466.058,00 

774.629.184,65 

Table 15: SESAR JU financial resource overview revenues H2020 Programme 

This  overall  budget  was  broken  down  into  annual  commitment  and  payment  instalments  over  the 
lifetime of the SESAR 2020 Programme. 

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3.2.2.2  Expenditure 
For the 2019-2021 period, once SESAR JU running costs are taken into account, the overall expenditure 
is EUR 295,3 million in commitment appropriations, broken down as follows: 

Budget for 2019 (in EUR) 

Budget for 2020 (in EUR) 

Budget for 2021 (in EUR) 

Title I 

Title II 

Title III 

TOTAL 

6.044.372 

3.612.935 

140.901.014 

150.558.321 

6.157.360 

3.417.079 

123.969.949 

133.544.388 

6.280.507 

3.465.671 

1.467.500 

11.213.678 

Table 16: SESAR JU financial resource overview (commitment appropriations) for the 2019-2021 period 

Title  I  (Staff  expenditure)  and  Title  II  (Infrastructure  and  operating  expenditure)  are  maintained  at 
comparable levels to previous years for 2019-2021 (see annexes I, II and III).  

Title III ‘Operational expenditure) is as follows: 

  For grants, subject to the successful conclusion of calls for proposals launched in 2019, it is 
maintained  at  a  level  comparable  to  previous  years  for  2019  and 2020,  but  will  decrease 
significantly as from 2021 due to the end of H2020 commitments. Indeed, the financial plan 
for the calls for proposals launched in 2019 (see Paragraph 2.1.3 above and the 2019 work 
programme in Section III) is the following: 

o  Level-1 commitments in 2019 at the launch of the two calls for proposals (Wave 2 and 

ER4), 

o  Level-2 commitments in relation to the grant agreement signature  

o 

o 

o 

in  the  period  from  Q4  2019  to  Q1  2020  for  grant  agreements  under  the 
‘Wave 2’ call (IR and VLD restricted call, see Paragraphs 2.4.2 and 2.5.1.1.3 
above), 
in the period from Q1 to Q2 2020 for grant agreements under the ER4 call 
(open call, see Paragraph 2.3.2), 
in the period from Q3 to Q4 2020 for grant agreements under the ‘VLD Open 
2’ call (open call, see Paragraph 2.5.1.1.3 above), 

o  New  level-1  and  level-2  commitments  in  relation  to  the  grant  budget  amendment 
procedure  in  Q2  or  Q3  2020  (to  be  specified  in  the  SESAR  JU  Single  Programming 
Document for the 2020-2022 period) for grant agreements under the ‘Wave 2’ restricted 
call, 

o  Level-1 commitments in 2020 at the launch of the VLD Open 2 and IR Wave 3 calls, then 
level-2 commitments, also by the end of 2020 or the beginning of 2021, in relation to the 
grant agreement signature following these call procedures, 

o  Unused commitment and payment appropriations for the level-2 commitments of 2020 
will  be  carried  over  into  2021,  2022  and  as  required  2023,  to  cover  operational 
expenditure. 

  The global budgetary envelope for procurements appears in Annex IX (2019 only). 

The overall expenditure budget of the SESAR JU for the period in commitment appropriations is broken 
down per Strategic Areas of Operation in the following table:  

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Strategic Area of Operations 

Types of procedures 

Call and support activity budget37 

Strategic Areas of Operation 1– 
Strategic Steering 

Restricted H2020 calls for 
proposals 

Procurement of support 
services 

In EUR 

In % of total 

14.289.058 

5% 

Strategic Area of Operation 2 – 
Exploratory Research 

Open H2020 calls for 
proposals 

Strategic Area of Operation 3 – 
Industrial Research and Validation 

Restricted H2020 calls for 
proposals 

43.944.593 

160.907.841 

15% 

54% 

Procurement of support 
services 

Strategic Area of Operation 4 – 
Very Large-Scale Demonstrations 

Open and Restricted H2020 
calls for proposals 

64.358.973 

22% 

Procurement of support 
services 

Strategic Areas of Operation 5 – 
SESAR Outreach 

Procurement of support 
services 

Strategic Areas of Operation 6 – 
Deliver effective financial, 
administrative and corporate 
management 

Procurement of support 
services 

5.606.367 

6.209.555 

2% 

2% 

TOTAL 

295.316.387 

100% 

Table 17: SESAR 2020 expenditure overview for the 2019-2021 period 

3.2.2.3  Budget outturn and cancellation of appropriations 
The 2017 surplus that remains within the Joint Undertaking is EUR 17,737 million (of which EUR -2,755 
million for the SESAR 1 Programme and EUR +20,492 million for the SESAR 2020 Programme). 

The 2018 surplus that remains within the Joint Undertaking is EUR 76,088 million (of which EUR 30,929 
million for SESAR 1 Programme and EUR 45,159 million for the SESAR 2020 Programme).  

Given the multi-annual nature of SESAR I and SESAR 2020, and in line with the SESAR JU Financial Rules, 
cancelled  appropriations  may  be  entered  in  the  estimates  of  revenue  and  expenditure  up  to  the 
following three financial years. Therefore, the commitment appropriations unused by year-end 2018 
will be cancelled in 2019. The payment appropriations unused by year end 2018 for Titles I and II were 
carried  forward  automatically  (RAL)  and  any  appropriations  left  after  closure  of  the  contractual 
obligations will be cancelled in 2019 (see annex II table 3). 

37 Budget figures include a proportion of running costs (Title I - Staff expenditure and Title II - Infrastructure and operating 
expenditure)  

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Section III – Work Programme Year 201938 

1  Executive summary 

In 2019, the SESAR JU will continue to steer and manage the innovation pipeline delivered  through 
SESAR 2020 by the SESAR JU Members and other organisations involved in ATM-related research and 
demonstration activities. This includes: 

  The conclusion of the update of the European ATM Master Plan and the release of the 2019 
edition, as well as follow-on activities to address level 3 in particular (the ‘Implementation 
view’), 

  Exploratory Research projects resulting from the ER2-RPAS (H2020-SESAR-2016-1) and ER3 
(2020-SESAR-2016-2) calls for proposals, and management of the related grant agreements, 
IR  projects  and  VLD  activities  under  Wave  1  (H2020-SESAR-2015-2),  the  VLD  Open  1  call 
(H2020-SESAR-2016-2), the 2017 Geo-fencing call (SESAR-2017-1, GEOSAFE project) and the 
U-space call (CEF-SESAR-2018-1), and management of the related grant agreements,  

 

  The execution of Release 9 in line with the Release Plan published in 2018, and start of the 

planning and preparation for Release 10 to be conducted in 2020, 

  The closure of Exploratory Research projects resulting from the ER2-RPAS call for proposals 
(H2020-SESAR-2016-1,  to  be  closed  by  the  end  of  September)  and  ER3  call  for  proposals 
(2020-SESAR-2016-2, to be closed by the end of December), of a large part of the IR projects 
and  VLD  activities  under  Wave  1  (H2020-SESAR-2015-2),  and  of  the  2017  Geo-fencing 
GEOSAFE project, 

  The  launch  of  the  following  calls  for  proposals,  and  the  subsequent  proposals  evaluation, 

grant award and grant agreement signature for: 

o  the restricted call for proposals for Wave 2 for IR and VLD, which will be opened in early 

2019 (H2020-SESAR-2019-1), 

o  the ER4 open call for proposals which will be opened in Q2 2019 (H2020-SESAR-2019-2), 

  The preparation of the following calls for proposals to be launched in 2020: 

o  the second VLD Open call for proposals (H2020-SESAR-2020-1), 
o  the restricted call for proposals for Wave 3 for IR (H2020-SESAR-2020-2). 

In addition, the SESAR JU will process payments in accordance with the financial circuit for the grant 
agreements where reporting periods become due and/or projects close their work and final payment 
is due. 

Stakeholder  engagement  beyond  the  Members  is  critical  to  the  successful  delivery  of  SESAR  JU’s 
mandated goals. As such, there will be a continuing need to embed a strategic and systematic approach 
to civil and military stakeholder engagement and management across the SESAR JU in 2019. To do this, 
the SESAR JU will continue to engage in partnerships with relevant actors in order to foster operational 

38 The content of the SPD annual work programme section includes the required content of a Work Plan as referred to in 
Article 16(1)(b) of Council Regulation (EC) No 219/2007 as amended. This term corresponds to the term ‘work plan’ defined 
in Article 2(1)(22) of Regulation (EU) No 1290/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013 
laying down the rules for participation and dissemination in ‘Horizon 2020 - the Framework Programme for Research and 
Innovation  (2014-2020)’  (‘Rules  for  Participation  Regulation  No  1290/2013’)  (OJ  L  347,  20.12.2013  p.81):  ‘the  document 
similar to the Commission work programme adopted by funding bodies entrusted with part of the implementation of Horizon 
2020 in accordance with Article 9(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1291/2013’ 

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and policy coherence, and to have a positive benefit on the execution of the SESAR JU’s mandate and 
that  of  its  main  stakeholders.  Such  partnerships  will  include,  inter  alia,  EU  institutions  and 
decentralised bodies,  the ICAO, other regional R&D programmes, standardisation bodies and other 
third-party  organisations.  SESAR  JU  will  also  continue  to  undertake  effective  outreach  through  the 
delivery of clear, targeted and effective communications on the SESAR JU’s activities to all its external 
stakeholders, increasing the visibility, credibility and accurate understanding of the SESAR JU’s work 
and mandate, leading to a significantly increased visibility of the SESAR JU as an important stakeholder 
in the modernisation of the European ATM system. Interaction with the European GNSS Agency (GSA) 
will  also  be  strengthened  in  order  to  ensure  coordination  on  activities  relevant  for  EU  GNSS 
(EGNOS/Galileo). 

During the course of the year, the SESAR JU will also continue to align the capabilities of the corporate 
service  elements  of  its  organisation  to  support  the  delivery  of  the  SESAR  2020  Programme.  The 
objective  for  the  SESAR  JU  in  2019  is  the  continued  development  and  consolidation  of  SESAR  JU 
support processes, with an emphasis on further developing their efficiency and effectiveness in line 
with best practices, standards and applicable regulatory frameworks.  

Regarding the SESAR 1 programme, the last ex-post audit activities are expected to be finalised in early 
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2  Activities in 2019 

In this chapter, each Strategic Area of Operation is described with a focus on activities to be conducted 
in 2019 that are associated with objectives, indicators and 2019 targets/metrics.  

All SESAR JU activities will be supervised by the Administrative Board (see above in Section II, Paragraph 
2.1.5)  which  is  planning  to  hold  three  meetings  in  2019.  The  key  decisions  and  documents  to  be 
adopted during the course of 2019 are expected to be the following: 

Q1  Adopt operating decisions required for 2019 and beyond 

Adopt decision on Internal Audit Capability Work Plan 

Adopt decision on Voting rights allocation 

Q2  Appointment of Board vice-chairperson 

Adopt decision on the CAAR 2018 and its assessment by the ADB 

Q4  Adopt decision on 2018 final accounts 

Adopt the Single Programming Document for 2020-2022 

Table 18: Provisional Timetable for key Administrative Board activities and decisions in 2019 

2.1  Strategic Area of Operation 1 (operational activity): Provide strategic steering for the 

SESAR programme 

In 2019, the SESAR JU will, in the context of strategic steering activities: 

  Supervise, then close most of the transversal steering projects under Wave 1 and the related 

grant agreements; 

  Launch the call procedure for the IR-VLD Wave 2 call including Transversal Activities, with a 
view  to  awarding  the  grants  by  the  end  of  2019  (see  Paragraph  2.6.1  below  for  the  call 
conditions); 

  Plan the transition between ER1 and IR Wave 1 on one side, and IR-VLD Wave 2 on the other 
side,  with  regard  to  content,  process  and  timing  (see  Paragraph  2.1.1  below  for  further 
details on that transition); the execution of the transition process should start at the end of 
2019; 

  Conclude the update of the European ATM Master Plan and the release of the 2019 edition, 
and carry out follow-on activities in particular to address level 3 (the ‘Implementation view’), 
so as to start providing a yearly exhaustive view on the state of SESAR implementation; 
  Continue EC support activities in the fields of U-space in order to strengthen the link between 

SESAR and the other pillars of the SES; 

  Extend the mandate of the current membership of the Scientific Committee until February 

2021. 

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2.1.1  Wave  1  –  Wave  2  transition  for  Industrial  Research  and  Validation  and  Very  Large-Scale 

Demonstrations 

The Release Strategy drives the definition of top-down validation activities per Release connecting the 
programme’s Key Features – as defined in the ATM Master Plan with the SESAR Release process. The 
Release Strategy reflects the maturity level of all candidate SESAR Solutions and in particular identifies 
when they need to reach end of V3 maturity in order to meet stakeholders business needs. At the end 
of each Release, the maturity of the  candidate SESAR Solutions is assessed. The results can lead to 
declaring the SESAR Solution mature enough for pre-industrialisation and inclusion in the Deployment 
Programme, or requiring further validation activities to be planned in the next Release. 

Wave 1 will be concluded with Release 9 by the end of 2020. The maturity assessment of the candidate 
SESAR Solutions validated in Release 9 will also be performed and the resulting SESAR Solutions ready 
for  pre-industrialisation  will  be  published  as  part  of  the  Wave  1  final  outcomes.  Candidate  SESAR 
Solutions requiring further validation could be addressed as part of Wave 2. 

The definition phase of Wave 2 (see 2018-2020 SPD, Section III, Paragraph 2.1.2) was carried out in 
parallel with the definition of the Release 9 content and was finalised when Release 9 was in its final 
definition phase. This parallel approach enabled the SESAR JU and its Members to keep an accurate 
view  of  the  evolution  of  the  maturity  of  the  candidate  SESAR  solutions  and  to  reflect  it  in  regular 
updates of the Release Strategy. Therefore, candidate SESAR Solutions assessed as not being ready at 
the end of Wave 1 were considered in the Wave 2 content definition in order to further ensure their 
validation. 

In  a  similar  way,  the  outcomes  of  the  ER1  projects  were  considered  as  potential  input  for  further 
validation into Industrial Research.  

Simultaneously, the European ATM Master Plan update campaign and the work performed at the MPC 
made it possible to identify top-down priorities taken into consideration as input for Wave 2 definition. 
In particular, the Master Plan  level 1 in its Operational View  identifies and describes the  candidate 
SESAR Solutions defined in the scope of Wave 2.  

Therefore,  the  SESAR  JU  has  ensured  consistent  transition  between  both  Waves  and  adequate 
consideration of the ER1 results by guaranteeing the consistency between the main drivers such as the 
Release Strategy, the Wave 2 content and the ATM Master Plan.   

In addition to this consistency, clear reference to Wave 1 Solutions and to ER1 outcomes have been 
made in the description of the Wave 2 Solutions. The aim is to ensure that Wave 2 will start building 
on the foundation resulting from Wave 1 validation activities and on ER1 results, when needed.  

2.1.2 

Follow-on  activities  to  be  conducted  in  2019  in  relation  with  the  2018  update  of  the 
European ATM Master Plan  

The  maintenance  and  execution  of  the  European  ATM  Master  Plan,  as  defined  in  the  SESAR  JU 
Regulation, is central to the SESAR JU as the agreed roadmap driving the modernisation of the ATM 
system and connecting SESAR R&I with deployment. It is the key tool for SESAR providing the basis for 
timely, coordinated and efficient research and deployment of new technologies and procedures.  

In 2019, the SESAR JU will conclude the update of the Master Plan and will monitor the adaptation of 
level  3  (the  ‘Implementation  view’),  with  the  support  of  the  MPC.  In  line  with  the  Internal  Audit 
Services (IAS) recommendations, levels 2 and 3 of the European ATM Master Plan shall be updated so 

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as to be fully aligned with Level 1 and will be submitted so as to allow simultaneous approval of all 
three levels. 

2.1.3 

Indicators and measurements applicable to Strategic Area of Operation 1 

Objectives 

Indicators 

Target for 2019 

Call reference H2020-SESAR-2015-2 
(IR –VLD Wave 1 call for proposals): 
Wave 1 Transversal Activities projects 
delivery of results 

Percentage of Wave 1 Transversal Activities 
(PJ.19, PJ.20, PJ.22) having delivered their 
Final Project Report and performed a 
project and grant agreement closure  

Key results delivered by Transversal 
Activities projects: 2019 performance 
report, Concept of Operations, Architecture 

Call with reference H2020-SESAR-
2019-1 (IR-VLD Wave 2 call for 
proposals): launch, evaluation and 
award of the Transversal Activities 

Percentage of the targeted number of grant 
agreements signed for Transversal Activities 
(see call conditions in Paragraph 2.6.1) at 
the end of the year 

Strengthen coordination with 
relevant Master Plan stakeholders 

Continued coherence between all 
three levels of the Master Plan 

Provide support to EC on other areas 
linked to the technological pillar of 
the SES 

Ensure effective and efficient SESAR 
2020 Programme governance 
meetings 

European ATM Master Plan update 
delivered to the ADB for formal consultation 
and adoption 

Adaptation of the Master Plan levels 2 and 3 
following the 2018-2019 Master Plan 
update campaign  

Continuous support to the EC in relation to 
U-space and the network of demonstrators 

Four meetings of the PC and its sub-
committees (DMSC and OTSC) 

At least two MPC meetings held 

Three meetings of the SC 

Membership of the Scientific Committee 
extended until February 2021 

Table 19: Objectives, indicators and 2019 targets for Strategic Steering activities 

100% 

100% 

100% 

100% 

100%  

100% 

100% 

100% 

100% 

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2.2  Strategic Area of Operation 2 (operational activity): Deliver Exploratory Research 

In 2019, the SESAR JU will, in the context of Exploratory Research activities: 

  Supervise,  and  then  close  projects  under  the  ER2-RPAS  and  ER3  calls  for  proposals,  and 

manage the related grant agreements; 

  Launch the call procedure for the ER4 call for proposals (with reference H2020-SESAR-2019-
2), with a view to awarding the grants in the beginning of 2020 (see Paragraph 2.6.1 for the 
call conditions); 

  Start performing a gap analysis for Exploratory Research with the expectations set out for 
the SESAR 2020 Programme  in the European ATM Master Plan, the needs identified from 
Industrial Research and maintain a healthy body of research and researchers in ATM; 

  Explore through the SESAR  Academy initiative how  to link  existing SESAR output with  the 
development  of  new  educational  and  continuing  professional  development  services  using 
existing contractual arrangements and communications channels; 

  Organise the SESAR Innovation Days (see Paragraph 2.5.1 and Section II, Paragraph 2.3.3); 
 

In continuation  of  activities  conducted in  the previous years, organise the Young Scientist 
Award:  the  annual  prize  of  EUR  5  000  to  be  awarded  to  the  successful  young  scientist 
applicant resulting from an open call. 

Accordingly, in addition to those specific ER deliverables outlined within the multi-annual section of 
the SPD, the SESAR JU has identified a number of other objectives to be delivered in 2019, which are 
outlined in the table below: 

Objectives 

Indicators 

Target for 2019 

Call reference H2020-SESAR-2016-1 
(ER2 – RPAS call for proposal) 
projects execution: delivery of results 

Percentage of ER2-RPAS projects having 
delivered their Final Project Report and 
performed a project and grant agreement 
closure 

Call reference H2020-SESAR-2016-2 
(ER 3 call for proposal) projects 
execution: delivery of results 

Percentage of ER3 projects having delivered 
their Final Project Report and performed a 
project and grant agreement closure 

Call with reference H2020-SESAR-
2019-2 (ER4 call for proposal): launch 
of the call and evaluation of 
proposals 

Evaluation report submitted to the 
Executive Director in view of the award of 
grants and subsequent grant agreement 
preparation 

Ensure commitment of the scientific 
community around the SESAR topics 

Organisation of Young Scientist Awards by 
the end of 2019 

Establish the SESAR Academy into 
operation 

Portal publicly available and at least four 
organisations signed up across Academia, 
Industry, Standards and Regulation 

Table 20: Objectives, indicators and 2019 targets for Exploratory Research 

90% 

75% 

100% 

100% 

100% 

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2.3  Strategic Area of Operation 3 (operational activity): Deliver Industrial Research  and 

Validation 

In 2019, the SESAR JU will, in the context of Industrial Research and Validation activities: 

  Supervise those projects launched under the Wave 1 call for proposals, as well as the related 
grant agreements, in particular through the finalisation of Release 8, the execution of Release 
9 and the preparation of Release 10, then close those projects (the current plan is that most 
Wave 1 projects should close by the end of 2019, with some exceptions granted based on 
recommendations from the PC – see Section II, Chapter 2.4); 

  Launch the call procedure for the IR-VLD Wave 2 call for proposals, with a view to awarding 

the grants by the end of 2019 (see Paragraph 2.6.1 for the call conditions); 

  Execute the transition between ER1 and IR Wave 1 on one side, and IR-VLD Wave 2 on the 
other side, with regard to content, process and timing (see Paragraph 2.1.1 above for further 
details on that transition); 

  Perform a gap analysis for Industrial Research & Validation  with the expectations set for the 
SESAR 2020 Programme in the European ATM Master Plan, and define the IR Wave 3 call for 
proposals (with reference H2020-SESAR-2020-2) to be launched in 2020 if confirmed. 

In addition to those specific deliverables outlined within the corresponding multi-annual section, the 
SESAR JU has identified a number of other objectives to be delivered in 2019, which are outlined in the 
table below: 

Objectives 

Indicators 

Target for 2019 

Finalise validation exercises of 
Release 8 and draft final report 

Percentage of Release 8 completed in 2019 

Release 8 Final Report available before year end 

Execute validation exercises of 
Release 9 

Percentage of Release 9 Solution validation 
exercises completed in 2019 

Call reference H2020-SESAR-2015-2 
(IR –VLD Wave 1 call for proposal): 
Wave 1 projects delivery of results 

Percentage of Wave 1 projects having delivered 
their Final Project Report and performed a 
project and grant agreement closure 

Call with reference H2020-SESAR-
2019-1 (IR-VLD Wave 2 call for 
proposal): launch, evaluation and 
award of the IR projects 

Percentage of the targeted number of grant 
agreements signed for IR projects (see call 
conditions in Paragraph 2.6.1) at the end of the 
year 

Gap analysis for Industrial Research 
and Validation against the ATM 
Master Plan  

Preparation of the IR Wave 3 call for proposal 
(H2020-SESAR-2020-2): call material readiness by 
31/12/2019 for possible publication in Q1 2020 if 
confirmed 

Table 21: Objectives, indicators and 2019 targets for Industrial Research and Validation 

100% 

Yes 

90% 

70% 

80% 

75% 

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2.4  Strategic  Area  of  Operation  4  (operational  activity):  Deliver  Very  Large-Scale 

Demonstration Activities 

In 2019, the SESAR JU will, in the context of Very Large-Scale Demonstrations activities: 

  Supervise  those  projects  launched  under  the  Wave  1  and  2017  Geo-fencing  calls  for 
proposals,  as  well  as  the  related  grant  agreements,  then  launch  the  closing  procedure  of 
those projects; 

  Supervise those projects launched under the 2016 VLD Open 1 and the 2018 U-space calls 

for proposals, as well as the related grant agreements; 

  Finalise the preparation of the call procedure for the second VLD Open call for proposal (with 

reference H2020-SESAR-2020-1): see Paragraph 2.6.1. 

In addition to those specific deliverables outlined within the corresponding multi-annual section, the 
SESAR JU has identified a number of other objectives to be delivered in 2019, which are outlined in the 
table below: 

Objectives 

Indicators 

Target for 2019 

Call reference H2020-SESAR-2015-2 
(IR –VLD Wave 1 call for proposal): 
Wave 1 VLD activities delivery of 
results 

Call reference SESAR-2017-1 (VLD 
Geo-fencing call for proposal): 
delivery of results 

Call reference H2020-SESAR-2016-2 
(VLD Open 1 call for proposal): 
delivery of results 

Percentage of Wave 1 VLD activities having 
delivered their Final Project Report and performed 
a project and grant agreement closure 

Geo-fencing project having performed a project 
and grant agreement closure 

75% 

Yes 

Percentage of VLD Open 1 activities closed 

40% 

Call reference CEF-SESAR-2018-1 (U-
space call for proposal): delivery of 
results 

Percentage of U-space demonstration activities 
having conducted their main demonstration 
activity at the end of 2019 

Call reference H2020-SESAR-2019-1 
(VLD Wave 2 call for proposal): 
launch, evaluation and award of the 
VLD activities 

Percentage of the targeted number of grant 
agreements signed for VLD activities (see call 
conditions in Paragraph 2.6.1) at the end of the 
year 

Call reference H2020-SESAR-2020-1 
(VLD Open 2 call for proposal): call 
material preparation 

Preparation of the VLD Open 2 call for proposal 
(H2020-SESAR-2020-1): call material readiness by 
31/12/2019 for possible publication in Q1 2020 if 
confirmed 

Table 22: Objectives, indicators and 2019 targets for Very Large-Scale Demonstrations 

90% 

80% 

75% 

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2.5  Strategic Area of Operation 5 (operational activity): Deliver SESAR Outreach 

SESAR  Outreach  plays  an  integral  role  in  engaging  with  and  informing  the  wider  air  transport 
community about the SESAR JU’s work and results while encouraging wider international commitment 
to the SES approach to ATM modernisation,  as well as contributing to maintaining  the momentum 
around the SESAR project.  

For 2019, the following key messages will be the focus of the SESAR JU’s outreach activities: 

1.  The  unique  SESAR  JU  public-private  partnership  is  delivering  solutions  that  drive  aviation 

performance, in support of EU transport and mobility policy objectives, 

2.  The  SESAR  JU model  pools  resources  and  expertise  from  Europe’s  aviation  community  and 

beyond to deliver efficient and value-for-money R&D, 

3.  Embracing  new  trends  and  opportunities  through  cutting-edge  R&D  is  a  prerequisite  for 

maintaining Europe’s global leadership and competitiveness in aviation.  

2.5.1  Communication and promotion activities 
In  2019,  SESAR  JU  communication  activities  will  support  the  activities  of  SESAR  2020  through  the 
application  of  the  following  targeted  objectives,  in  accordance  with  the  SESAR  JU  2015-2020 
Communications Strategy: 

  Continue to regularly illustrate and showcase SESAR solutions that are mature and ready for 
industrialisation and deployment, showing tangible benefits for the air transport industry and 
society as a whole; 

  Continue the awareness and outreach activities on SESAR directly with stakeholders and at 
European and Global events/conferences to promote SESAR results, raising awareness and 
securing European and global stakeholders’ commitment; 

  Promote SESAR as an integral part of the ‘day-to-day’ air transport and ATM domain, both in 

Europe and globally; 

  Enhance the arrangements of the SESAR JU with its Members. 

To meet these objectives, the SESAR JU will carry out the following activities: 

  Promote  and  market  the  SESAR  brand,  the  benefits  that  can  be  realised  through  SESAR 
Solutions and the availability of industrial products to deliver results in international forums, 
both in Europe and in other regions, including the ICAO; 

  Create and disseminate appropriately targeted printed materials and digital communications 
in general and as needed based on SESAR 2020 project results and specifically in relation to 
the events listed below; 

  Provide effective press and media outreach. 

The following table provides an overview of the major events and conferences in which SESAR invests 
significant resources. However, please note that various other conferences and events organised by 
the  EU, European and international stakeholders will require SESAR JU participation  in the form of 
speakers, workshops or exhibition stands. 

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EVENT NAME 

LOCATION 

DATE 

ORGANISER 

COMMENTS 

SESAR 
meeting 

JU 

internal 

Madrid 

11 March 

SESAR JU 

Update to members on state of play of 
SESAR JU 

World ATM Congress 

Madrid 

12-14 March 

CANSO/ATCA 

Exhibition stand + workshops 

Aerodays 

Bucharest 

27 – 31 May 

DG  Research 
and 
Innovation 
(DG RTD) 

Exhibition  stand  +  workshops  and 
presentation by the Executive Director 
of the SESAR JU 

Paris Air Show 

Paris 

17-21 June 

GIFAS 

Exhibition stand + workshops (TBC) 

SESAR 
Days 

Innovation 

Athens 

2-5 December 

SESAR JU 

3 day conference with exhibition and 
networking 

Table 23: Major events and conferences foreseen by the SESAR JU in 2019 

The  following  represents  the  publications/digital  communications/on-line  communications  and 
communications coordination currently planned for 2019: 

Publications 

Application of SESAR 2020 visual identity (print material: posters, visual graphics, 
printed material) 

SESAR innovation pipeline: Research and innovation highlights of 2018 

SESAR Solutions Catalogue 3rd Edition  

2018 SESAR Innovation Days scientific papers 

European ATM Master Plan 4th Edition 

U-space brochure  

Ad hoc factsheets and promotional material 

Digital communication 

2019 Highlights 

SESAR Solutions virtual experience 

Online communication 

SESAR e-news (Interviews and project news) 

Contributions to external magazines 

Press relations 

Social media campaigns 

When 

Q1-Q4 2019 

Q1 2019 

Q1 2019 

Q1-2 2019 

Q3 2019 

Q4 2019 

Q1-Q4 2019 

When 

Q4 2019 

Q1-2 2019 

When 

10 SESAR e-news per 
annum 

12-16 articles per annum 

Q1-Q4 2019 

Q1-Q4 2019 

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Communications coordination 

Review SESAR 2020 project plans and activities  

Organise WebEx and face-to-face meetings with Coordination Group 

Table 24: Main publications and communication activities in 2019 

When 

Q1-Q4 2019 

Q1-Q4 2019 

2.5.2  Dissemination and information about project results  
The SESAR JU will systematically collate and disseminate data from completed and ongoing projects 
with the aim  of obtaining a comprehensive view  of the progress achieved in each financed project 
against targets outlined in the SESAR JU’s annual and multi-annual work plans. Such data collection 
will enable a holistic view  of SESAR 2020 activities  and their impact. Output from projects, such as 
standardisation material, publications and patents, will be made available on the  SESAR JU website 
(either through uploaded documents or links to relevant websites), as well as the direct dissemination 
of material to the appropriate bodies in support of preparation for deployment. Information on H2020 
calls for proposals and projects will continue to be made available through the H2020 portal and other 
H2020 reporting mechanisms. In addition, the SESAR JU will continue to publish and promulgate SESAR 
Solutions once they are available and have been validated through the Release process. 

The SESAR 2020 Programme will comply with all provisions of the H2020 programme. However, while 
ER projects will comply with all provisions of the H2020 Work Programme set out in Annex L relating 
to open access to research data, as explained in Section II, Chapters 2.4 and 2.5, IR projects and VLD 
activities  may  opt  out  of  these  provisions  in  order  to  protect  results  that  are  expected  to  be 
commercially or industrially exploited. In addition, the justification for project-by-project opt-out by IR 
and  VLD  projects  can  be  further  reinforced  due  to  the  nature  of  Complementary  Grants  awarded; 
meaning  that  collective  results  (SESAR  Solutions)  shall  be  published  and  accessible  rather  than 
individual project-by-project results. This process is coordinated and put in place by the SESAR JU. 

2.5.3  Stakeholder engagement 
A  fundamental  principle  of  the  SESAR  JU  is  to  broaden  and  deepen  collaboration  with  a  range  of 
different stakeholders in order to benefit from their expertise and gain their assurance that candidate 
SESAR Solutions meet the needs of the entire European and global ATM and air transport community 
and that they deliver the performance benefit required under the SES policy. The fact that such a wide 
range of stakeholders contribute to the SESAR JU, the Master Plan and the work programme projects 
and validation activities, secures to a large extent the operational inputs necessary and is in line with 
users’ expectations on the expected deliveries of SESAR solutions. As such, the SESAR JU will in 2019 
maintain and enhance the secured participation and active input into the SESAR JU tasks of the SESAR 
project Definition phase (the European ATM Master Plan) and Development phase (SESAR 2020). Over 
the course of 2019, the SESAR JU will continue to foster strong ties with all European and global key 
stakeholder groups, the details of which are included below: 

  European  Airports  -  under  the  established  specific  framework  contract  the  SESAR  JU  will 
secure support from all airport categories to the  SESAR JU.  This includes the provision of 
expertise for specific airport-related activities.  Likewise, the  SESAR JU  will support airport 
activities  such  as  roadshows  and  conferences  etc.  with  SESAR  specific  inputs  for  securing 
awareness, buy-in and commitment; 

  Civil Airspace Users - under the specific framework contract the SESAR JU will secure support 
from the different airspace user categories  and for the SESAR JU to support airspace user 
categories in their respective activities that are agreed to relevant and necessary to secure, 

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awareness,  buy-in  and  commitment  to  the  SESAR  solutions.  This  can  be  done  through 
dedicated workshops, conferences and presentations; 

  New innovative airspace user entrants in the field of Unmanned Aviation Systems (UAS) and 
high-level operations will be approached on a case-by-case basis to find the most efficient 
mechanism of cooperation for the benefit of SESAR JU tasks and activities;   

  Professional Staff Organisations - under the MoC the SESAR JU will secure support from the 
different professional staff associations in the provision of operational expertise across the 
tasks of the SESAR JU. Moreover, this cooperative arrangement serves to enhance the buy-
in of front-end users to the new ATM developments.  Furthermore, the SESAR JU will support 
the  professional  staff  associations  in  their  respective  activities  which  are  agreed,  to  be 
relevant and necessary to secure inclusion in developments and commitment to the SESAR 
solutions; 

  National  Aviation  Authorities  (NAAs)  -  the  SESAR  JU  will  work  under  the  established 
memorandums  of  cooperation  with  the  European  national  authorities  (NAA´s)  to  secure 
support  to  the  SESAR  JU  from  the  different  national  authorities  in  securing  the  early 
involvement  and  inputs  to  de-risk  SESAR  solutions  readiness  for  industrialisation  and 
subsequent deployments; 

  European  Aviation  Safety  Agency  (EASA)  –  The  SESAR  JU  will  collaborate  under  the 
established  memorandum  of  cooperation  with  the  EASA  to  secure  early  involvement  and 
inputs  to  the  SESAR  JU  to  de-risk  SESAR  Solution  development 
in  readiness  for 
industrialisation and subsequent deployments. The MoC will, at the same time, cater for the 
direct support of the SESAR JU to EASA in activities relating to securing the necessary safety, 
security and regulatory arrangements; 

  Clean  Sky  JU  –  the  established  memorandum  of  cooperation  caters  for  sharing  of  best 
practices, to identify gaps and secure synergies in areas where a joint approach would be 
needed in respective development, validation and demonstration activities. The cooperation 
will also enhance the definition of the performance targets, in particular for environmental 
targets; 

  EUROCAE - the participation of the SESAR JU in the Council and Technical Advisory Committee 
(TAC) will continue in 2018 with collaboration with EUROCAE to continue the involvement of 
SESAR members and the availability of SESAR material in support of standardisation to ensure 
alignment of priorities in relation to SESAR 2020 Programme, the ATM Master Plan and the 
ICAO GANP; 

  Advisory Council for Aviation Research and Innovation in Europe (ACARE) — the SESAR JU 
participates  in  the  Advisory  Council  for  Aviation  Research  and  Innovation  in  Europe 
framework  to  ensure  the  appropriate  representation  of  ATM  in  the  European  strategic 
innovation and research agenda and to secure the link with Flightpath 2050; 

  European ATM Standardisation Coordination Group — the SESAR JU will further strengthen 
its involvement in the European ATM Standardisation Coordination Group to ensure that a 
consistent and credible plan for the development of ATM standards is maintained, aligned 
with the priorities of SESAR 2020, the ATM master plan and the ICAO GANP; 

  ESCP – The SESAR JU will actively participate in the activities under the EASA-led European 
Strategic Coordination Platform for the coordination of the definition and implementation of 
the European Strategy for Cybersecurity in Aviation; 

  European Defence Agency  (EDA) –  the  established  memorandum of  cooperation with  the 
EDA  will  secure  support  from  the  military  community  (in  their  roles  as  ANSP,  Airport 
operator,  AUs  and  regulators)  for  the  SESAR  JU  and also  for  the  SESAR  JU  to  support  the 
military community through the EDA with SESAR specific inputs for securing awareness, buy-

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in and commitment to the ATM Master Plan and the SESAR 2020 Programme. In particular, 
the  areas  of  common  interest  include  the  Master  Plan,  regulations,  space-based  systems, 
RPAS  integration,  cyber-security  threats  and  vulnerabilities  to  ATM  and  aviation/ATM 
standards development; 

  European Space Agency (ESA) – the established memorandum of cooperation will make it 
possible to focus on strategic cooperation to coordinate roadmaps specifically in relation to 
the  integrated  CNS  strategy  and  the  ATM  Master  Plan,  defining  the  role  of  satellite 
communication as part of the future enabling infrastructure of ATM; 

  European  GNSS  Agency  (GSA)  –  the  current  informal  cooperation  framework  will  be 
reinforced,  by  ensuring  that  all  R&D  projects  with  a  satellite  navigation,  positioning  and 
timing  component  will  be  cross-reviewed,  to  ensure  the  maximisation  of  synergies  and 
coherent messages to the industry. 

International Affairs 

2.5.4 
The  SESAR  JU  will  continue  to  engage  actively  with  key  international  partners  in  support  of  global 
interoperability and harmonisation. At global level in relation to the ICAO, the SESAR JU will maintain 
its active participation and collaboration under the European Commission’s chairmanship and with the 
SESAR JU 2020 members in order to prepare for the 2019 update of the ICAO Global Air Navigation 
Plan (GANP) and the Aviation System Block Upgrades (ASBUs), following up on the outcome of the 
ICAO Thirteenth Air Navigation Conference in 2018. The alignment between the ICAO GANP, the SESAR 
ATM Master Plan and SESAR 2020 Programme is crucial to de-risk development towards deployment. 
The SESAR JU will in this respect continue to coordinate in the European ICAO ATM Coordination Group 
under the European Commission’s chairmanship. 

The close collaboration with the FAA and its NextGen programme will continue with a focus on the 
SESAR full life cycle of definition, development and deployment, securing the collaboration of not only 
the  FAA  but  also  entities  like  NASA  for  exploratory  research  coordination  and  RPAS.  International 
harmonisation and global interoperability risks will be further identified and mitigations further refined 
in order to agree standards and positions on ICAO provisions. 

The existing cooperative agreements with other international partners either directly with the SESAR 
JU  or  indirectly  under  the  European  Union  agreements  covering  the  ATM  domain,  will  be  further 
enhanced in 2019 as the SESAR Solutions evolve and are being deployed. This involves arrangements 
with Japan, Qatar and Singapore. The SESAR JU will also work closely with the European Commission 
and other SESAR Members to identify and leverage opportunities to extend and deepen international 
collaboration, including under EU technical cooperation projects with China, South East Asia, South 
Asia and Latin America. In doing so, the SESAR JU will closely follow the policies of the EU and the needs 
of the EU Aviation Strategy and of the SES framework.  

Indicators and measurements applicable to the Strategic Area of Operation 5 

2.5.5 
The outcome of these activities will be measured according to the metrics indicated in the 2015-2020 
Communications Strategy (e.g. level of participation of stakeholders, website analytics, social media 
analytics, etc.). 

Objectives 

Indicators 

Target for 2019 

the 

Global 
Strengthen 
Interoperability 
activities 
aligned  with  EC  expectations, 
especially towards  the ICAO in 

Coverage of GANP ASBU modules 
aligned and agreed with NextGen. 
Transparent progress steps towards 
agreed interoperable and 

Active participation in GANP working 
group 

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close  collaboration  with  the 
FAA/NextGen and other global 
modernisation initiatives 

harmonised timelines between 
SESAR and Next Gen on air/ground 
data communication protocols, 
network and applications 

Alignment of priorities in standards 
developments with the ATM Master 
Plan and SESAR 2020 needs 

links 

Strengthen 
towards 
Standard Making Organisations 
like  EUROCAE,  RTCA  etc.  with 
the 
involvement  of  SESAR 
members and the availability of 
SESAR  material  in  support  of 
standardisation.  

Well aligned and supporting 
roadmaps relevant for standards 
among SESAR, SMO’s, international 
bodies and the ICAO 

SESAR JU active participation in the 
European ATM Standardisation 
Coordination Group, EUROCAE 
Council and TAC to ensure alignment 
of the work programmes 

SESAR Member/Project contribution 
to standard development groups 

SESAR 
demonstration events 

dissemination 

and 

See above in table 23 

Strengthen  dissemination  of 
SESAR 
Solutions/demonstrations/ER 
activities  and  results  through 
SESAR publications, workshops 
and communications events 

Active 
cooperative 
arrangement with all European 
(Member  States  and  Regions) 
actors, international actors and 
other modernisation initiatives 
in  aviation  relating  to  SESAR 
Definition  and  Development 
phases 

new 

Prepare 
cooperative 
arrangement  with  European 
(Member  States  and  Regions) 
actors, international actors and 
other modernisation initiatives 
in  aviation  relating  to  SESAR 
Definition  and  Development 
phases 

SESAR participation to relevant  ATM 
events 
SESAR publications 

Active  cooperative  arrangements  or 
agreements with European (Member 
States and Regions) actors  

Active  cooperative  arrangements  or 
agreements with international actors 
and  other  ATM  modernisation 
initiatives 

of 

up 

new 

Set 
cooperative 
arrangements  or  agreements  with 
European 
States  and 
Regions)  actors,  International  actors 
and  other  ATM  modernisation 
initiatives 

(Member 

Table 25: Objectives, indicators and 2019 targets for SESAR Outreach 

See above in table 24 

International 

Actors and initiatives to be addressed 
as a priority: 
-  NAAs 
- 

Airports  Council 
Europe (ACI Europe) 
Clean Sky JU 
EASA 
EDA 
ESA 
European GNSS Agency (GSA) 
EUROCAE 

- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
Actors and initiatives to be addressed 
as a priority: 
- 
- 
- 
- 

ICAO 
FAA 
Japan (2019 Steering Board, tbc) 
Singapore 
Steering 
(2019 
Committee, tbc) 

-  Qatar (2019 workshop, tbc) 
Actors and initiatives to be addressed 
as a priority:  
- 
- 
- 
- 

China 
South East Asia 
South Asia  
Latin America 

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2.6  Strategic  Area  of  Operation  6  (transversal  activity):  Deliver  effective  financial, 

administrative and corporate management 

This chapter outlines the activities that will be carried out to deliver the objectives of the  SESAR JU 
relating to financial, administrative and corporate management. These objectives are summarised in 
Paragraph 2.6.10 and associated with relevant indicators and 2019 targets. 

2.6.1  Calls for proposals and Grants Management  
Article  189  of  Regulation  (EU,  Euratom)  No  2018/1046  provides  that:  ‘Grants  shall  be  awarded 
following a publication of calls for proposals, except in the cases referred to in Article 195.’ 

The  following  activities  are  scheduled  to  take  place  in  2019  in  relation  to  the  calls  for  proposals 
mentioned earlier in this document39: 

  The management of grant agreements, monitoring project implementation and execution of 
payments in accordance with the financial circuit for the grant agreements within the H2020 
set of rules where reporting periods become due and/or projects close their work and final 
payment is due, namely: 

o  The  ER2  and  ER3  calls  for  proposals  (with  reference  H2020-SESAR-2016-1  and  H2020-

SESAR-2016-2), 

o  The Wave 1 call for proposals for IR and VLD (with reference H2020-SESAR-2015-2) – it 
should be noted that no grant budget amendment will take place in 2019 for these grants, 

o  The 2016 VLD Open call for proposals (with reference H2020-SESAR-2016-2); 

  The management of grant agreements, monitoring project implementation and execution of 
payments in accordance with the financial circuit for the grant agreements with sets of rules 
other than H2020 where reporting periods become due and/or projects close their work and 
final payment is due, namely: 

o  The 2017 Geo-fencing call for proposals (with reference SESAR-2017-1), 
o  The U-space call for proposals (with reference CEF-SESAR-2018-1); 

  The launch, evaluation, award and grant agreement preparation of two calls for proposals 
within the H2020 set of rules, the conditions of which are defined in Paragraphs 2.6.1.2 and 
2.6.1.3 below: 

o  The restricted call for proposals for Wave 2 for IR and VLD (with reference H2020-SESAR-
2019-1):  launch,  evaluation,  award,  grant  agreement  preparation  and  signature,  and 
launch of projects in execution with the related management of grant agreements, 

o  The  open  ER4  call  for  proposals  (with  reference  H2020-SESAR-2019-2):  launch  and 

evaluation, 

  The finalisation of the preparation of the VLD Open 2 call for proposals within the H2020 set 

of rules (with reference H2020-SESAR-2020-1), 

39 Regulation (EU) No 1290/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013 laying down the rules 
for participation and dissemination in “Horizon 2020 - the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2014-2020)” 
(OJ L 347, 20.12.2013) only applies to Horizon 2020 funding 

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  The definition of the content and preparation of the call material for the last call for proposals 
under the H2020 set of rules: the IR Wave 3 call for proposals (with reference H2020-SESAR-
2020-2), as identified above in Chapter 2.3. 

2.6.1.1  General conditions for the two H2020 calls for proposals to be launched in 2019 
The provisions of this paragraph have been established in accordance with Council Regulation (EU) No 
721/2014 of 16 June 201440, recital 16, and Article 5(m), Article 9 (Paragraph 1) and Article 10 of the 
Statutes of the JU, and with Article 25 of the Horizon 2020 Framework Regulation41. In line with these 
legal  texts,  ‘public-private  partnerships  shall  make  public  funds  accessible  through  transparent 
processes and mainly through competitive calls, governed by rules for participation in compliance with 
those of Horizon 2020’ (Horizon 2020 regulation Article 25). Exceptions to the use of competitive calls 
should be duly justified. The SESAR JU shall financially support R&I actions through grants awarded as 
a result of calls for proposals in accordance with the Horizon 2020 Rules for Participation42.  

In light of this, and considering that by the end of the duration of the H2020 financial framework, the 
entire financial contribution to the SESAR JU shall be allocated by the EU, the SESAR JU will publish two 
calls for proposals in 2019 (with references H2020-SESAR-2019-1 and H2020-SESAR-2019-2). For these 
H2020 calls for proposals, the SESAR JU will comply with all provisions of the H2020 Work Programme 
2018-202043  part  19.  General  Annexes,  under  the  conditions  defined  in  the  following  paragraphs. 
These General Annexes are complemented by conditions specific to the two aforementioned calls for 
proposals which are set out in Paragraphs 2.6.1.2 and 2.6.1.3 respectively.  

2.6.1.1.1  List of countries, and applicable rules for funding  
Part A of the General Annexes to the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 Work Programme 2018-
2020 applies with specific additional provision for cases in which the SESAR JU deems participation of 
the entity essential for carrying out the action funded through Horizon 2020. This means in particular 
for SESAR when the following apply: 

  The non-EU country concerned has signed at least one aviation agreement with the European 

Union; 

  The participation of  the  entity concerned adds  value  to SESAR 2020 and to the  European 
Union actions. Such added value shall be assessed on the basis of the following elements: 

o  Operational and technical continuity of European airspace (in particular in, but not limited 
to, the context of Functional Airspace Blocks – FABs): this concerns in particular countries 
which have signed the European Common Aviation Area (ECAA) Agreement and Iceland, 
Morocco, Norway and Switzerland. These countries are part of the SES and therefore they 
should be fully part of SESAR; 

40  Council  Regulation  (EU)  No  721/2014  amending  Council  Regulation  (EC)  No  219/2007  of  27  February  2007  on  the 
establishment of a  Joint Undertaking to develop the new generation European air  traffic management system, modified by Council 
Regulation (EC) No 1361/2008 (SESAR JU Regulation)  

41 Regulation (EU) No 1291/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013 establishing Horizon 
2020 - the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2014-2020) and repealing Decision No 1982/2006/EC 

42 Regulation (EU) No 1290/2013 of the European Parliament and the Council of 11 December 2013 laying down the rules for 
participation and dissemination in ‘Horizon 2020 – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2014-2020) and 
repealing Regulation (EC) No 1906/2006 

43 The H2020 Work Programme 2018-2020 was adopted on 27 October  2017 and published on the  Funding and Tenders 
Portal (European Commission Decision C(2017)7124 of 27 October 2017) 

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o  Technological  partnerships:  this  concerns  in  particular  countries  that  participate  in 
Research Framework Programmes, and that are natural technological partners of Europe; 
Organisations or undertakings around the world which have a technological partnership 
with European industry should also be considered in this category, in order to promote 
global interoperability; 

o  Market  access:  For  emerging  countries  which  will  need  to  invest  in  new  technologies; 
These countries represent considerable market opportunities for the European aviation 
industry; 

o  Competence/expertise of the non-EU country entity; 
o  Access to research infrastructure, to particular geographical environments and to data. 

  A programme equivalent to SESAR exists in the non-EU country; reciprocity in terms of access 

for the European industry to equivalent funding possibilities is an absolute necessity. 

  The transfer of technological know-how should benefit European society in terms of building 
European technological competence and creating jobs in Europe. Transfers of know- how to 
non-EU country members should be managed by the European members. 

As  noticed  in  the  General  Introduction  of  Horizon  2020  Work  Programme  2018-2020,  it  should  be 
noted that until the UK leaves the EU, EU law continues to apply to and within the UK, when it comes 
to rights and obligations; this includes the eligibility of UK legal entities to fully participate and receive 
funding in Horizon 2020 actions such as those called for in this work programme. Please be aware 
however that the eligibility criteria must be complied with for the entire duration of the grant. If the 
UK  withdraws  from  the  EU  during  the  grant  period  without  concluding  an  agreement  with  the  EU 
ensuring in particular that British applicants continue to be eligible, they will no longer be eligible to 
receive EU funding and their participation may be terminated on the basis of Article 50 of the grant 
agreement. 

2.6.1.1.2  Standard admissibility conditions 
All proposals must conform to the conditions set out in the Rules of Participation and to the provisions 
of the H2020 Work Programme 2018-2020 Part 19. General Annexes section B. ‘Standard admissibility 
conditions, page limits and supporting documents’. 

The topic description used as reference is provided in the paragraph entitled ‘Activities covered by this 
call for proposals’ of the respective call below. 

2.6.1.1.3  Eligibility conditions for grant proposals and related requirements, specific provisions and 

funding rates 

Please refer to the H2020 Work Programme 2018-2020 Part 19. General Annexes sections C. ‘Standard 
eligibility conditions’ and D. ‘Types of action: specific provisions and funding rates’.  

Types of actions considered under the aforementioned calls for proposals are: 

  Research & innovation actions (RIA), 
 
  Coordination & support actions (CSA). 

Innovation actions (IA), 

Funding rates depend on the type of action and, for Innovation Actions, on the type of entity applying. 

Furthermore,  the  SESAR  JU  will  distinguish  between  two  types  of  calls  for  proposals  (open  and 
restricted) and will grant agreements with specific eligibility conditions:  

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  Open, competitive  calls for proposals  that, pursuant  to Article 9.5  of  the H2020 Rules for 

participation (Regulation (EU) No 1290/2013), will be addressed to any eligible entity; 

  Restricted calls for proposals, which will limit the type of beneficiary to SESAR JU Members 

(defined in Annex XI). 

The type of procedure for each of the 2019 calls for proposals is indicated under the ‘Eligibility criteria’ 
of each call specific conditions paragraph below.  

2.6.1.1.4  Evaluation rules 
Please refer to the H2020 Work Programme 2018-2020 Part 19. General Annexes section H. ‘Evaluation 
rules’. The full evaluation procedure is described in the relevant guide published on the Funding and 
Tenders Portal. 

Use of internal experts for the evaluation  

Moreover, the SESAR JU will make use of internal experts for the evaluation. Indeed, the SESAR JU was 
established by its Founding Regulation as a body that has its own technical expertise and competence 
in the domain of ATM, and that is responsible for coordination with regard to content and across a 
wide programme of grants awarded to both members and other beneficiaries, enabling a ‘pipeline of 
innovation’  and  securing  the  delivery  of  operational  procedures  and  technologies  leading  to 
performance improvements for SES. The skills needed to undertake this specificity are formalised in 
the  Organisation  Chart  included  as  Annex  X  to  this  SPD  and  the  staffing  that  includes  ATM  and 
programme experts is in accordance with the Human Resources Policy (Annex IV). Then, these uniquely 
skilled and accountable SESAR JU expert staff and secondees (collectively intramuros staff) are used to 
complement external independent experts and independently assess proposals and/or deliverables 
and  reports,  always  subject  to  the  confirmation  of  no  conflict  of  interest.  To  ensure  appropriate 
external scrutiny for calls for proposals, the SESAR JU will ensure that all proposals are evaluated by a 
minimum of three external independent experts selected from the H2020 database (i.e. following the 
H2020 call for experts, published in the Official Journal of the EU on 22 November 2013), and secured 
using the appropriate IT tools and may decide to complement this number with additional internal 
experts. 

The SESAR JU shall ensure that independent external experts are involved in all stages of the evaluation 
procedure  and  will  also  appoint  an  independent  external  observer  to  ensure  that  due  process  is 
respected and lessons learnt are captured to continuously improve the procedures.  

Independently of the internal or external nature of experts, the SESAR JU shall always ensure absence 
of conflict of interest for all experts involved in the process.  

Evaluation in light of selection criteria 

Provisions set in section H. of the Work Programme 2018-2020 on financial capacity and operational 
capacity apply.  

Evaluation in light of award criteria 

Award criteria are defined for each call for proposals specifically and therefore are indicated in the 
paragraph  ‘Award  criteria’  within  each  call  specific  conditions.  Provisions  set  in  these  paragraphs 
comply with the general conditions set in the aforementioned section of the Work Programme 2018-
2020 Annex. 

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2.6.1.1.5  Budget flexibility 
Please refer to the H2020 Work Programme 2018-2020 Part 19. General Annexes section I. ‘Budget 
flexibility’.  

2.6.1.1.6  Actions involving financial support to third parties 
Please refer to the H2020 Work Programme 2018-2020 Part 19. General Annexes section K. ‘Actions 
involving financial support to third parties’.  

2.6.1.1.7  Conditions related to open access to Research Data 
Please refer to the H2020 Work Programme 2018-2020 Part 19. General Annexes section L. ‘Conditions 
related to open access to Research Data’.  

However, for the same reasons as explained in Paragraph 2.5.2, IR projects and VLD activities under 
the call for proposals with reference H2020-SESAR-2019-1 will opt out of the provisions of the said 
Annex. This opt-out also aims to protect results that are expected to be commercially or industrially 
exploited. 

2.6.1.1.8  Complementarity of grants  
In addition, and as already used in the call for proposals H2020-SESAR-2015-2 restricted to Members, 
for the call for proposals H2020-SESAR-2019-1 and for the Application-oriented research part of the 
open  call  for  proposals  H2020-SESAR-2019-2,  the  grants  awarded  may  include  the  possibility  of 
enabling the options regarding 'complementary grants' of the SESAR JU Model Grant Agreement for 
Members (MGAM) and SESAR JU Model Grant Agreement (MGA) in force at the time of the call and 
the associated provisions therein. This includes additional access rights to background and results for 
the  purposes  of  the  complementary  grant(s)  and  will  ensure  the  complementarity  of  the  activities 
performed in the calls are coordinated in the wider interest of the SESAR JU in its role in coordinating 
research  and  the  SESAR  2020  Programme,  being  independent  from  the  direct  interests  of  the 
beneficiaries.  This  approach  is  consistent  with  the  partnership  established  under  the  SESAR  JU 
Membership Agreement. In this respect, the SESAR JU may implement the ‘complementary’ concept 
between  calls  launched  in  different  years,  if  deemed  necessary  for  the  overall  achievement  of  the 
objectives of the IPs and/or CCAs. 

2.6.1.1.9  Consortium agreement  
The legal entities wishing to participate in a project may form a consortium and appoint one of its 
consortium  members  to  act  as 
its  coordinator  depending  upon  whether  other  partnering 
arrangements  exist  at  the  SESAR  JU  Membership  level  and  are  deemed  suitable  by  the  applicant. 
Consequently, applications from SESAR JU Members shall submit a coordinated proposal but are not 
required  to  conclude  a  Consortium  Agreement,  in  accordance  with  Article  24  (2)  of  the  Rules  of 
Participation. In other cases, entities wishing to participate in a project shall conclude a Consortium 
agreement among themselves prior to the signature of a Grant agreement. 

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2.6.1.2  Specific conditions for the IR-VLD Wave 2 call for proposals (with reference H2020-SESAR-

2019-1)  

2.6.1.2.1  Call identifier 
This restricted call for proposals has the reference H2020-SESAR-2019-1. 

2.6.1.2.2 

Indicative call timetable  

Publication date 

Opening date 

Final date for submission 

January 2019 

January 2019 

April 2019 

Information on the outcome of the evaluation  Maximum 5 months from the final date for submission 

Signing of grant agreements 

Not later than the end of Q1 2020 

Table 26: Indicative timetable for the IR-VLD Wave 2 call for proposals with reference H2020-SESAR-2019-1 

2.6.1.2.3 
The indicative budget for this call is EUR 151.481.975. 

Indicative call budget 

Budget  

Commitment (first estimate) 

Payment (first estimate) 

In 2019: EUR 67.247.427 

In 2019: EUR 53.797.941 

In 2020: EUR 84.234.548 

In 2020: EUR 58.964.185 

In 2021: EUR 22.838.693 

In 2022: EUR 7.686.160 

In 2023: EUR 8.194.996 

Table 27: Indicative budget for the IR-VLD Wave 2 call for proposals with reference H2020-SESAR-2019-1 

This restricted call for proposals relies on the arrangements co-financed by contributions from both 
the  Industry  Members  and  EUROCONTROL  through  in-kind  contributions  as  per  the  SESAR  JU 
Membership  Agreement,  and  in  accordance  with  the  H2020  regulation  and  the  SESAR  JU  financial 
rules. In operating the PPP it is extremely important for the success of the PPP in meeting its mission 
to have an appropriate allocation of funding across the Key Features (allocated per project) and the 
complementary  allocation  per  major  ATM  skills  and  competencies,  specifically  Airborne  Systems, 
Ground ATM Systems and Service Provision. While not mandatory, this distribution provides the basis 
for  the  Wave  2  call  for  proposals  and  is  fully  described  in  Paragraph  2.6.1.2.5  (budget-to-scope 
allocation). 

2.6.1.2.4  Activities covered by this call for proposals 
The  SESAR  JU  proposed  a  list  of  initial  candidate  solutions  derived  from  its  Single  Programming 
Document (SPD) concept elements and also incorporating the results of a wide consultation process 
e.g.  innovation  workshops,  SESAR  innovation  pipeline,  etc.  Independent  experts  assessed  these 
candidate  solutions,  in  particular,  their  potential  to  achieve  the  SESAR  performance  ambitions  (i.e. 

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capacity)  as  well  as  their  digitalisation  potential.  Based  on  a  set  of  criteria  (described  in  Section  II, 
Paragraph  2.4.2)  the  independent  experts  assessment  delivered  a  selection  of  candidate  SESAR 
Solutions that aligned best with the SESAR strategy/needs/priorities.  

The  independent  experts  list  was  further  considered    with  the  views  of  the  SESAR  JU  governance 
(PC/DMSC) and the Master Planning Committee evaluating the alignment with the SESAR priorities. 
During  this  process,  the  stakeholders/members  were  given  the  opportunity  to  provide  additional 
information related to the potential of the candidate solutions. Once the consultation process finished, 
the SESAR  JU started  the elaboration of  the Technical Specifications for the IR VLD Wave 2 call  for 
proposals describing the final set of candidate solutions. 

Given that it may not be possible to cover all candidate SESAR Solutions within the budget envelope 
stemming from the SPD, the proposals will cover a selection of the candidate Solutions to address the 
topics  listed  in  the  paragraphs  below.  In  line  with  the  ATM  Master  Plan  update  campaign  and  the 
recommendations from the European Court of Auditors, the selection of the candidate SESAR Solutions 
covered by the proposal shall be justified according to the following set of principles: 

  Demonstrating  contribution  to  increasing  network  capacity  and/or  access  to  airports 

including regional/secondary airports; 

  Demonstrating added value for the ATM network in particular about: 

o  Defragmentation of service provision: promoting a common service architecture across 

the European ATM system; 

o  Interoperability: enabling the seamless exchange of information between systems;  
o  sharing of infrastructure: promoting the efficient and shared use of infrastructure such as 

CNS; 

o  Scalability:  delivering  Solutions  that  enable  the  ATM  System  to  be  enlarged,  to  easily 

adapt operational capacity to meet demand. 

  Demonstrating that the solution development will ensure a deployment oriented outcome. 

WORK AREA I. INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH 

Maximising the potential of digitalisation is key to the future success of aviation throughout Europe 
and will be the overall theme of the next ATM Master Plan update campaign. The aviation industry is 
being  transformed  by  digitalisation  with  increasing  automation,  and  exchange  of  data  amongst  all 
parts of the aviation value chain. But this is only the start and digitalisation will play an increasingly 
important role in the capacity delivery and  future safety and efficiency of the aviation industry. SESAR 
2020 Wave 2 has to mark a first significant step for the key European aviation stakeholders who must 
work together to ensure that the digital transformation of aviation does not become fragmented and 
pursue game changing ideas to meet the objectives of the EU’s SES and the EU Aviation Strategy, in 
particular providing the required network capacity to accommodate with the expected traffic growth.  

During the reporting period, SESAR 2020 Industrial Research and Validation (IR) activities will continue 
to facilitate the migration of ideas from Exploratory Research and have them further extended in the 
Applied  Research  phase  and  finally  to  pre-industrial  development,  validation, 
large  scale 
demonstration  and  then  final  preparation  for  deployment.  In  addition,  the  industrial  research 
programme will include lower maturity topics in order to allow the injection of innovative concepts to 
embrace the ATM Master Plan digitalisation challenge. 

Therefore, the main objective of this strategic area is to deliver SESAR Solutions derived from the ATM 
Master Plan and identified in the SESAR JU’s multi-annual work programme.  

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During the period 2018-2019, the IR Wave 2 call for proposals will be in preparation, with execution 
taking place during the period 2019-2022. This second IR call for proposals will enable the flexibility 
needed to align future research with the results of Wave 1, re-assess relative priorities and ensure the 
best value-for-money for the EU and delivery against SES goals, thus contributing to the mitigation of 
major risk with reference CORP01 ‘R&D activities do not deliver solutions allowing to reach expected 
ATM performance’ (see annex VIII). 

This call for proposals will also allow for strategic input to scope new projects from the Master Plan 
update, allow to build on results of the outcome of Exploratory Research projects under the ER1 call 
for proposals to increase the maturity of the research towards future solutions. It will also allow for 
the completion of some solutions which have not reached V3 within Wave 1. 

In preparation for this, during the year 2018, the SESAR JU has carried out activities required to define 
the content of the IR Wave 2 call for proposals. 

The  objective  is  to  launch  the  call  for  proposals  in  early  2019  and  perform  the  evaluation  of  the 
proposals, and the selection and the grant awards by the end 2019. This approach enables the launch 
into execution of the Wave 2 IR projects during Q4 2019 and the development and delivery of Wave 2 
candidate SESAR Solutions during the year 2020 and through to the year 2022.  

The following sections describe, per Work Area, the list of topics and candidate SESAR Solutions that 
should be covered by the call for proposals.  

In order to provide for coordination and guidance to the whole programme, receive proposals from 
Exploratory Research results and provide an integration role across maturity phases and Work Areas, 
two Topics (as Coordination and Support Actions (CSA)) will cover transversal areas. 

  Topic  PJ.19  W2  ‘Content  Integration,  Performance  management  and  Business  case 
Development’:  to  support  Programme  execution  and  solution  projects  developments  for 
delivering the SESAR Solutions in line with the ATM Master Plan: 

o  Organising and executing Content Configuration Change process  
o  Organising  on  a  continuous  basis  the  activities  needed  at  programme  level  aiming  to 
coordinate,  consolidate  and  integrate  SESAR  ATM  and  Technological  Solutions,  and  as 
such to support and guide the processes to ensure their completeness, consistency and 
coherency from a holistic perspective 

o  Contributing to the Solution maturity assessment 
o  Ensuring the translation of the MP performance ambition into validation targets 
o  Support  Solution  projects  in  their  performance  evaluation  and  aggregate  performance 

results into business cases. 

o  Ensuring the evolution of future envisaged concept of operations (CONOPS) aligned with 

the SESAR Vision and Performance Ambition as set at the Master Plan level 1; 

o  Enabling  and  supporting  system  engineering  data  management  framework  allowing  to 
capture SE data (requirements and validation/demonstrations objectives and results) in a 
structured way and ensuring consistency, coherence and coverage analysis at Programme 
level 

  Topic PJ.20  W2  ‘Master  Planning’:  to  apply  top-down  approach  to  facilitate  the  strategic 

steering of the SESAR project as a whole in line with Policy priorities : 

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o  Organising the Master Plan update campaign (one update campaign is tentatively planned 
to take place in 2022, precise year to be confirmed by the SESAR JU and its Governance 
Bodies) and publication of the ATM MP Level 1; 

o  Publication of the ATM MP Level 2 and monitoring of its alignment and consistency with 

the Level 1 

o  Yearly Deployment Planning & Reporting of ATM MP Level 3 

In addition, in this Work Area, there are 11 topics (Research and Innovation Actions (RIA)) that will 
actually develop the candidate SESAR Solutions in Wave 2. They are described below structured per 
Key Feature. 

2.6.1.2.4.1  SESAR Key Feature High‐Performing Airport Operations 

Topic PJ.02 W2 ‘Airport airside and runway throughput’.  

Problem statement and R&D needs  

At  capacity  constrained  airports,  traffic  demand  for  runway  operations  can  exceed  the  runway 
capacity. With the expected rapid growth in air traffic, there will be an increasing number of capacity-
constrained  airports  for  significant  periods  of  each  day,  and  this  situation  will  become  even  more 
critical  under  adverse  weather  conditions.  Airport  will  have  to  improve  the  efficiency  of  runway 
operations and their resilience in visually and/or meteorological challenging conditions. This would be 
achieved  in  fully  integrating  surface  management  tools  with  other  systems  including  runway 
occupancy time prediction, wake separation and arrival and departure management (AMAN/DMAN) 
systems. In turn it will further reduce the number of incidents / accidents at the airport e.g. collisions 
on the apron and taxiway with traffic and/or fixed obstacles. 

Airports and airlines need to enhance their capability to deliver, plan and improve the use of airport 
resources so that costs, emissions and fuel consumption can be reduced, whilst improving passenger 
satisfaction.  

Performance expectations 

The delivered solutions are expected to have a positive impact on: 

  Airport and Airspace TMA Capacity - Increase runway and airspace throughput (e.g. reducing 
runway  occupancy  time,  or  arrivals  and  departures  wake  turbulence  separation)  and 
resilience; 

  Safety:  maintain  or  increase  runway,  taxiway  and  apron  safety  levels,  increase  situational 

 

awareness, ATC Workload maintained or reduced; 
Improved access to secondary airports, with expected benefits in resilience, cost-efficiency 
and increased flexibility under non-nominal conditions at the airport; 

  Predictability - increased predictability and airport efficiency (e.g. runway occupancy time, 

runway exit and departure rotation); 

  Environmental Sustainability - reduced fuel consumption and noise near the airports 

Candidate SESAR Solutions space 

  Solution PJ.02-W2-14 Evolution of separation minima for increased runway throughput. 

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The  solution  addresses  the  refinement  and  consolidation  of  static  pairwise  separation 
matrixes  and  weather  dependent  separation  minima  for  successive  arrivals,  the 
development of static pairwise separation matrixes for successive departures and between 
arrivals and departures. It includes the development and validation of ATCO tools and also 
covers the potential use of flight-specific aircraft characteristics taken from the eFPL, or from 
an evolution of the eFPL (e.g. aircraft weight), downlinked from the aircraft. 
  Solution PJ.02-W2-21 Digital evolution of integrated surface management.  

The solution covers the development (e.g. using new algorithms, artificial intelligence/expert 
systems)  of  procedures  and  required  system  support  for  an  improved  surface  traffic 
management, including extension of the A-SMGCS routing functions and the integration of 
inputs from airport DCB processes. The solution covers as well the guidance assistance to 
both pilots and vehicle drivers using Airfield Ground Lighting (AGL), the consolidation of the 
‘Follow-The-Greens’  procedures,  the  exchange  of 
information  between  ATC  and 
vehicles/aircrafts using airport data link and other guidance means, and the development of 
enhanced airport safety nets for controllers beyond those delivered in SESAR 1. 
  Solution PJ.02-W2-04 Advanced geometric GNSS based procedures in the TMA. 

This solution addresses the use of GNSS geometric guidance from the initial approach fix or 
earlier,  in  order  to  make  the  transition  easier  in  certain  MET  conditions  (e.g.  high 
temperatures). The research will address the potential impact of MET conditions on the safe 
conduct of advanced curved operations and the required separation minima. The research 
may also address curved departures, potentially combined with precise geometric altimetry, 
in order to further develop curved departure routes that turn shortly after take-off. 

  Solution PJ.02-W2-17 Improved access to secondary airports. 

The solution aims at increasing access to secondary  airports in all conditions, including in 
particular low  visibility conditions by developing systems and operational procedures that 
allow operational credits as considered by the Performance Based Aerodrome Operational 
Minima (PBAOM). The validation will focus on business aviation, general aviation, rotorcraft 
and military aircraft. 

  Solution PJ.02-W2-25 Safety support tools for avoiding runway excursions. 

The solution aims at improving runway condition awareness to increase safety in order to 
prevent  runway  excursions  (take-off  and  landing),  including  the  enhancement  of  runway 
status  information  on  secondary  airports,  the  on  board  runway  friction  coefficient 
elaboration and the airport runway status model update. The objective is to provide the flight 
crews  with  objective  and  synthetic  information  elements  for  them  to  make  the  right 
decisions during take-off, approach, and landing phases. 

Topic PJ.04 W2 ‘Total airport management’ 

Problem statement and R&D needs  

The full integration between Airport and Network Operations has still to be achieved. In particular, the 
management of predicted airport performance deterioration needs to be aligned with the Network. 
Collaborative  recovery  procedures  and  support  tools  in  coordination  with  all  the  relevant  ATM 
stakeholders  are  required  to  facilitate  the  pro-active  management  of  predicted  performance 
deteriorations  such  as  airport  capacity  reduction.  Total  airport  demand  and  capacity  balancing 
processes  and  tools  require  further  integration  with  the  execution  tools  (arrivals  and  departure 
management  systems  and  advanced  surface  movement  guidance  &  control  systems)  and  resource 
allocation  planning  tools  (e.g.  stand/gate  allocation)  with  the  objective  of  optimising  the  airport 

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capacity to better comply with the traffic demand. Airport landside/airside performance monitoring 
and management processes need to be further integrated while the turnaround monitoring within the 
Airport Operations Centre (APOC) requires refinement in coordination with the Airspace Users. Impact 
assessment  tools  available  to  the  APOC  need  to  better  integrate  information  about  MET  forecast 
uncertainty. Post-operations analysis processes, support tools and reporting capabilities need to be as 
well developed. 

Performance expectations 

The delivered solutions are expected to have a positive impact on : 

  Better use of existing airport capacity and its optimisation to comply with traffic demand; 
  A better situational awareness through SWIM information sharing, enabling provision and 

reception of Airport CDM data including MET and AIM. 

  A  significant  increase  in  the  predictability,  efficiency,  environmental  sustainability  and 
flexibility  of  airport  operations  thanks  to  a  performance-driven  airport  through  KPIs 
monitoring and early detection of deviations, collaborative decision making using support 
tools and what-if functions, post-operations analysis used as learning process, etc.; 

  Proactive  management  of  predicted  impacts  to  normal  operations,  quicker  reactions  on 

 

 

deviations; 
Increased  resilience  through  shorter  and  effective  recovery  to  normal  operations  and 
collaboration  with  the  Network,  from  predicted  or  unpredicted  adverse  operating 
conditions; 
Increased safety in the airport environment due to reduced uncertainty of operations and 
reduced congestion through better planning. 

Candidate SESAR Solutions space 

  Solution PJ.04-W2-28 Enhanced Collaborative Airport Performance Planning and Monitoring. 
The  solution  aims  at  enhancing  the  collaborative  airport  performance  planning  and 
monitoring  processes,  in  particular,  through  the  inclusion  in  the  airside  processes  of  the 
relevant  landside  (passenger  and  baggage  flow)  process  outputs,  the  consideration  of 
connectivity and multi-modality aspects and the extension of turn-round monitoring within 
the APOC. The solution goal is to achieve a full and seamless interoperability with the AU 
operational  systems  and  to  improve  the  connectivity  between  regional  airports  and  the 
NMOC.  

  Solution PJ.04-W2-29 Digital Collaborative Airport Performance Management.  

The solution addresses the digital data management of airport performance thanks to the 
development and validation of rationalised predictive data driven dash boards fed with all 
landside and airside leading key performance airport indicators covering the TAM processes. 
The SESAR  Solution will enable stakeholders to pro-actively identify  demand and capacity 
imbalances, their timeframe, location and impacted trajectories and solve them supported 
by what-if capabilities. The solution explores data and video analytics, big data and machine 
learning techniques. 

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Topic PJ.05 W2 ‘Digital technologies for Tower’ 

Problem statement and R&D needs  

Some  small  and  remote  European  cities  are  highly  dependent  of  local  and  regional  airports  for 
connection purposes, maintaining local business and cargo. Remote Tower Services (RTS) provide an 
opportunity for continued operation of airports and rural development. The costs for performing Air 
Traffic Service (ATS) are high and could be reduced, particularly at low to medium density airports, by 
provision of Air Traffic Services (ATS) from a remote tower specifically through a highly efficient multi 
remote  tower  solution.  The  focus  on  maintaining  situation  awareness  becomes  an  increasingly 
important  factor  with  multiple  remote  tower  operations,  therefore  additional  automation 
functionalities e.g. voice recognition, conflict detection, and conflict resolution advisories should be 
developed  in  order  to  gradually  increase  the  operating  range  of  the  concept.  There  is  a  need  for 
effective planning tools in both short term and long term all managed by a supervisor role.  

The efficiency of using the CWP HMIs for the airport tower requires improvements by exploiting the 
latest mature technologies and new interaction modes e.g. touch, gesture, voice, etc.. 

Performance expectations 

This project will develop solutions that are expected to provide: 

 
 

 

Improved cost-efficiency with the optimisation of the use of available resources; 
Increased safety with an increased awareness of the traffic situation thanks to the use of digital 
display information available to the tower controller; 
Increased ATCO efficiency with the use of technologies allowing ATCOs to focus on key tasks. 

Candidate SESAR Solutions space 

  Solution PJ.05-W2-35 Multiple Remote Tower and Remote Tower centre. 

The solution addresses the remotely provision of Air Traffic Services (ATS) from a Remote 
Tower  Centre  (RTC)  to  a  large  number  of  airports.  It  includes  the  development  of  RTC 
supervisor and support systems and advanced automation functions for a more cost efficient 
solution. The solution also covers the integration of approach for airports connected to the 
remote centre and connections between RTCs with systems for flow management and the 
development of  tools and  features for a flexible planning of all aerodromes connected  to 
remote tower services. 

  Solution PJ.05-W2-97 HMI Interaction modes for Airport Tower. 

The solution addresses the development of new human machine interface (HMI) interaction 
modes  and  technologies  in  order  to  minimise  the  load  and  mental  strain  on  the  Tower 
controllers. The SESAR solution shall consider modern design and development approaches 
and  methodologies  such  as  modularity,  SoA,  adaptive  automation,  etc.  The  new  HMI 
interaction  modes  include  the  use  of  in-air  gestures,  attention  control,  user  profile 
management systems, tracking labels, virtual and augmented reality, etc. 

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2.6.1.2.4.2  SESAR Key Feature Optimised ATM Network Services 

Topic PJ.07 W2 ‘Optimised airspace users operations’ 

Problem statement and R&D needs  

The  current  ATM  environment  based  on  static  flight  plans  is  evolving  towards  a  trajectory  based 
environment  in  order  to  improve  airports  and  ATM  network  performance.  Airspace  users’  (AU) 
decision processes and resulting business priorities differ from AU to AU and from flight to flight within 
one AU. The trajectory development and management processes in ATM currently do not allow each 
individual  user  to  incorporate  specific  aircraft/flight  priorities  into  the  requested  trajectory,  and 
respect any constraint in a way that best meets the business priorities. Similarly, OAT flight plans are 
not harmonised at European level and information is not disseminated into the network, this induces 
a  lack  of  awareness  about  military  traffic  intentions  that  can  impact  ATM  network  performance 
(including  safety),  a  lack  of  flexibility  in  the  definition  of  cross-borders  exercises  and  limitations  in 
terms of interoperability. Irregular operations impose unplanned/additional cost on airlines and have 
a huge impact on airlines’ annual costs and revenue. Today the ATM system allows little flexibility to 
airspace users (e.g. ATFM slot swapping process). Airspace users’ full participation through their flight 
operations centres (FOC/WOC) into ATM collaborative processes, including flights’ prioritisation with 
the  full  user  driven  prioritisation  process  (UDPP),  is  essential  to  minimise  impacts  of  deteriorated 
operations for all stakeholders including airspace users. A better recovery process that should offer 
more flexibility to accommodate AUs’ changing business priorities and equity in the ATM system. The 
collaborative planning and flight execution processes shall be performed at  ‘level playing field’, i.e. 
performance  of  all  actors  is  taken  into  consideration.  Rules  must  be  implemented  in  case  no 
collaborative planning is possible. 

Performance expectations 

This  project  will  develop  solutions  that  are  expected  to  have  a  positive  impact  on  the  Network 
improving: 

 

 

Increased  capacity  based  on  a  better  integration  of  the  AUs  trajectory  definition  and  the 
network demand and capacity function 
Increased  flexibility  by  allowing  the  airspace  users  to  recommend  to  the  network 
management function a priority order for flights; 

  Environmental sustainability  -  fuel efficiency  thanks  to the use of  the preferred trajectory 

 

taking into consideration the Airspace users needs; 
Increased  punctuality  and  predictability  of  individual  flights  thanks  to  the  collaborative 
framework of the trajectory management. 

Candidate SESAR Solutions space: 

The topic ‘Optimised airspace users operations’ covers the following candidate SESAR Solutions: 

  Solution  PJ.07-W2-38  Enhanced  integration  of  AU  trajectory  definition  and  network 

management processes. 
The objective of this solution is to reduce the impact of ATM planning on Airspace Users’ 
costs of operations, by providing them a better access to ATM resource management and 

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allowing  them  to  better  cope  with  ATM  constraints.  The  solution  shall  improve  Airspace 
Users flight planning and network management through improved FOC participation into the 
ATM network collaborative processes in the context of FF-ICE and its potential evolutions. 
  Solution  PJ.07-W2-40  Mission  trajectories  management  with  integrated  Dynamic  Mobile 

Areas Type 1 and Type 2. 
The objective  of  the  solution  is to improve  the  use  of airspace capacity for  both civil and 
military users and the efficiency of airspace management by introducing more automation 
and increased flexibility in the civil-military coordination. The solution delivers improvements 
to the planning phase of the mission trajectory, including the connection of MT management 
with the booking of ARES (in the context of this solution DMA Type 1 and Type 2), for which 
the WOC will be the key actor. The coordination between WOC and regional NM is a  key 
element for this solution. 

  Solution PJ.07-W2-39 Collaborative framework managing delay constraints on arrivals. 

The  solution  develops  a  collaborative  framework  that  will  enable  the  integration  and 
necessary  coordination  of  4D constraints  from  various  stakeholders  (airports,  ANSPs, AUs 
and NM). This will ensure the continued stability and performance of the network and will 
give the opportunity to the Airspace Users to prioritize their most important flights hence 
reducing  the  impact  of  ATM  planning  constraints  on  the  costs  of  their  operations.  The 
solution will streamline all prioritisation processes occurring in the planning phase from all 
stakeholders concerned on arrivals. 

Topic PJ.09 W2 ‘Digital Network Management Services’ 

Problem statement and R&D needs  

Today, air traffic flow and capacity management (ATFCM), airspace management (ASM) and air traffic 
control (ATC) are still separated processes and the interfaces between ATFCM, ASM and ATC processes 
and systems require further integration, as well as full collaboration between ATM actors and airspace 
users. Also, the sharing of airspace information is not optimally adapted to Aircraft Operators (AO) and 
other Airspace User (AU) processes, which is leading to limited usage of available dynamic configurable 
airspace. Similarly, the current ATM environment provides neither an accurate prediction of traffic and 
relevant measurements of its uncertainty nor the sector predicted workload with a confidence index, 
with which to determine efficient airspace organisation.  

The organisation of resources across Area Control Centres need to be improved as well as the scoping 
of measures from local level to full network impact assessment, and the promotion of opportunity 
measures  over  those  with  implication  on  airspace  users  costs.  The  operational  data  shared  in  the 
network  operations  plan  (NOP)  has  to  be  expanded  in  scope  and  time  horizon  to  integrate  more 
tactical (real-time) dynamic airspace configuration and Airports data. The relevant information should 
be accessible to everyone and distributed in a transparent but cohesive way with the aim of ensuring 
sufficient flexibility in the short term DCB phase and the efficient ATC involvement in the DCB process 
execution. Accurate traffic prediction has to be made available to all actors concerned (e.g. NM, AUs, 
ATC)  from  medium-term  planning  till  execution  of  the  trajectories  for  managing  traffic  complexity, 
solving traffic constraint issues and optimising the performance of the network. Relevant indicators to 
assess DCB measures and monitor execution against the predicted impact on network performance 
need to be defined and provided through automated tools enabling what-if and what-else analysis.  

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Performance expectations 

This  project  will  develop  solutions  that  are  expected  to  have  a  positive  impact  on  the  Network 
improving: 

  Capacity  through  a  dynamic  configuration  of  airspace  responding  with  flexibility  to  the 

Airspace users flight trajectory needs 

  Safety: Improved safety in better anticipating and managing potential overloads; 
  Efficiency thanks to the monitoring of the DCB measures against network performance and 

the implementation of corrective actions  

  Cost-efficiency:  DCB  allows  improved  ATM  resource  planning  and  better  use  of  existing 

capacities leading to reduced ATC and Airport Capacity costs; 

  Predictability:  the  NOP  will  provide  the  planned  network  situation  considering  all  known 
constraints and time deviation will be managed by anticipating demand/capacity imbalance 
detection and improving the implementation of DCB solutions; 

  Flexibility:  common  awareness  to  all  stakeholders  through  the  NOP  and  access  to 

opportunities in case of late changes in capacity or demand. 

Candidate SESAR Solutions space: 

The project ‘Digital Network Management Services’ covers the following candidate SESAR Solutions: 

  Solution PJ.09-W2-44 Dynamic Airspace Configurations (DAC): 

The objective  of  the  solution is to improve  the  use  of airspace capacity for  both civil and 
military users by increasing the granularity and the flexibility in the  airspace configuration 
and management within and across ANSPs’ areas of responsibilities. This solution will address 
the integration of concepts and procedures to allow flexible sectorisation boundaries to be 
dynamically  modified  based  on  demand.  This  includes  potential  implications  for  ATCO 
licences, international boundaries and potentially IOP and A/G multi-datalink communication 
capabilities. 

  Solution  PJ.09-W2-45  Enhanced  Network  Traffic  Prediction  and  shared  complexity 

representation. 
The solution aims at improving the accuracy of the network manager traffic prediction from 
medium-term  planning  phase  (D-2)  to  execution  (included),  relying  in  particular  on  new 
trajectory  management  features  such  as  the  preliminary  FPL.  It  shall  adapt  existing 
methodologies and algorithms for demand prediction and regional complexity assessment. 

  Solution PJ.09-W2-47 Network optimisation of multiple ATFCM time based measures. 

The solution aims at improving the efficiency and reducing the adverse impact of multiple 
regulations affecting the same flight or flows. It explores the relationships between the DCB 
regulations and their interactions trough the flights to quantify the network effect of those 
interactions. Key to this solution is to identify and avoid regulations with negative impact on 
network performance. 

  Solution PJ.09-W2-48 Digital Integrated Network Management and ATC Planning (INAP). 

The SESAR solution ‘digital INAP’ aims at filling the gap between the management of traffic 
flows at network level (dDCB) and the control of flights in individual sectors. The solution 
develops  and  integrates  local  functions  and  associated  tools,  roles  and  responsibilities 
providing an automated interface between local NM and ATC planning to assist controllers 
in alleviating traffic complexity, traffic density, and traffic flow problems. 

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  Solution PJ.09-W2-49 Collaborative Network Performance Management. 

The solution aims at providing a common framework and toolbox to the other solutions and 
actors,  allowing  them  to  assess  the  Network  Performance  in  the  pre-tactical  and  tactical 
phases of the Network Management. The solution shall develop transparent and shareable 
network performance indicators, network state monitoring and prediction to support NMOC 
supervision and awareness, network performance what-if and what-else capabilities. 

2.6.1.2.4.3  SESAR Key Feature Advanced Air Traffic Services 

Topic PJ.01 W2 ‘Enhanced Arrival and Departures’ 

Problem statement and R&D needs  

With the extension of Arrival Management (AMAN) systems horizons, En-Route sectors are affected 
by  concurrent  arrival  management  strategies  due  to  the  overlapping  AMAN  horizons  of  several 
independent Terminal Manoeuvre Areas (TMAs). The interaction between traffic synchronisation and 
demand-capacity balancing (DCB) within the extended horizon needs to be addressed, and potential 
information integration needs and balancing mechanisms need to be investigated and developed to 
ensure delivering the optimal capacity. Complex interacting traffic flows in the TMA (including from/to 
multiple airports) need to be more actively managed to increase safety and improve fuel efficiency 
whilst capacity is increased. Continuous climb and continuous descent operations (CCO/CDO) at near 
idle thrust are environmentally friendly, because they are more fuel efficient and also minimize the 
time that aircraft have to be at low altitude, thereby reducing their noise impact. However, controllers 
often need to use intermediate level-offs in order to ensure separation. Use of stepped climbs and 
descents should be reduced at the same time as optimising flights laterally and with appropriate speed 
management, and optimising the overall Air Traffic Control (ATC) task. Multiple arrival management 
systems need to ensure a more regular flow of arriving aircraft managed for TMA optimisation as well 
as  runway  optimisation.  Multiple  departure  management  systems  are  required  to  enable  a  more 
consistent delivery of departures into the TMA and ultimately to En Route sectors. Improved flows will 
help  to  facilitate  optimised  profiles  for  aircraft,  with  dynamic  route  structures  able  to  provide 
additional  solutions  integrated  with  the  management  of  queues.  IFR  Rotorcraft  operations  are 
constrained to use same approach/departure procedures as fixed wing aircraft and due to their lower 
speed  profiles,  runway  throughput  is  very  often  negatively  impacted  at  busy  airports.  Specific 
rotorcraft  procedures  need  to  be  defined  in  particular  in  adverse  weather  conditions  to  assist 
rotorcraft pilots by extending landing to degraded visual conditions. 

Performance expectations 

This  project  will  develop  solutions  that  are  expected  to  have  a  positive  impact  on  the  Network 
improving: 

  Airspace  capacity  (improved  throughput  /  airspace  volume  &  time)  and  airport  capacity 
(improved runway throughput flights/hour) thanks to the synchronisation of the arrival and 
departure sequences to and from airports using extended AMAN overlapping operations; 
  Environmental sustainability and fuel Efficiency thanks to the implementation of continuous 

descent and climb profiles ; 

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  Predictability with the increased accuracy of the AMAN data); 
  Cost-efficiency (reduced direct ANS cost per flight); 
  Safety with in particular assisting rotorcraft pilot for landing in bad weather conditions. 

Candidate SESAR Solutions space: 

The project ‘Enhanced Arrival and Departures’ covers the following candidate SESAR Solutions: 

  Solution PJ.01-W2-08 Dynamic E-TMA for advanced continuous climb and descent operations 

and improved arrival and departure operations.  
The objective of this solution is to improve descent and climb profiles in busy airspace, as 
well  as  the  horizontal  flight  efficiency  of  arrivals  and  departures,  while  at  the  same  time 
ensuring traffic synchronisation, short-term DCB  and separation. This requires a very broad 
scope,  which  includes  advances  in  airspace  design,  development  of  ground  tools,  and 
development of ATC and airborne procedures. 

  Solution PJ.01-W2-01 Next generation AMAN for 4D environment.  

This solution will provide enhancements to the arrival management systems and procedures 
in  the  context  of  digitalisation  in  ATM:  uplink  of  AMAN  constraints,  uplink  of  a  STAR  or 
custom arrival route to the aircraft via ATN B2 from the ATSU, potential use of maximum 
descent  speeds,  etc.  It  investigates  strategies  to  increase  the  use  of  managed/automatic 
mode  for  flights  handled  by  TTL/TTG  during  sequencing,  improved  consideration  of 
downlinked aircraft data by AMAN algorithms, use of machine learning for the refinement of 
AMAN algorithms, etc. 

  Solution PJ.01-W2-06 Advanced rotorcraft operations in the TMA.  

The  solution  addresses  the  development  of  a  number  of  advanced  procedures  and 
technologies for rotorcraft (e.g. Head up Display (HUD), Helmet Mounted Display (HMD)) to 
assist  rotorcraft  pilots  by  extending  landing  to  degraded  visual  conditions.  The  solution 
covers as well the development of new cost efficient traffic surveillance systems enhancing 
the  pilots’  situation  awareness  as  well  as  rotorcraft  interoperability  with  GA,  drones  and 
RPAS. 

Topic PJ.18 W2 ‘4D skyways’ 

Problem statement and R&D needs  

The SESAR concept is based upon the fundamental element of trajectory sharing. The ultimate goal is 
a  trajectory  based  ATM  system  where  actors  optimise  business  and  mission  trajectories  through 
common trajectory information taking into account users priorities and ATC constraints. The objective 
is the sharing of the trajectories between the ATM actors including airspace users through an iterative 
process to take into account more accurate data once available (e.g. intentions, MET forecast, current 
traffic,  airspace  management).  This  will  allow  the  Airspace  User  to  choose  the  preferred  way  of 
integrating ATM constraints when required. There is a need to agree in more details on the elements 
that will constitute the reference business trajectory (RBT) in trajectory based operations (TBO) and 
better  understand  how  these  will  be  used  operationally.  The  new  ATM  Solutions  will  need  better 
trajectory predictions and additional data exchanges between systems. 

A generic principle of the SES and the SESAR programme is that, where services can be delivered in a 
harmonised manner, they should be done so. The future high level architecture should offer an option 
for the de-fragmentation of the ATM system through the provision of harmonised or Common Services 

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(a service to consumers that provides a capability in the same form that they would otherwise provide 
themselves). Introducing a Common Service will change how a solution is delivered and this is likely to 
change organisational relationships between the stakeholders due to the provision and consumption 
of the new service. 

Performance expectations 

The project will contribute to increase: 

  Safety  by  generating  and  proposing  conflict  free  clearance  that  considers  aircraft 

performance 
 
Interoperability by sharing the same trajectory view between air and all ground actors; 
  Predictability by improved trajectory accuracy and sharing information updates throughout 

the flight; 

  Flexibility by matching the trajectory with the Airspace User needs; 
  Flight efficiency: flight is managed closer to its optimal profile; 

Candidate SESAR Solutions space: 

The project ‘4D skyways’ covers the following candidate SESAR Solutions: 

  Solution PJ.18-W2-53 Improved Ground Trajectory Predictions enabling future automation 

tools.  
The solution focuses on the operational validation of improved CD&R tools. The main goal is 
to increase the quality of separation management services reducing controller workload and 
separation buffers and facilitating new controller team organisations. The foundation is the 
improvement of the ground TP(EPP data beyond weight and CAS, known MET data or new 
MET data and capabilities, etc.). 

  Solution PJ.18-W2-56 Improved vertical profiles through enhanced vertical clearances. 

The objective of this solution is to develop an automation support for ATCOs to issue vertical 
constraints that support more  efficient flight profiles while ensuring separation provision. 
First step, for flight still in climb, enhanced prediction of vertical profile data are presented 
to  ATCOs  to  facilitate  decision  making.  In  a  second  more  advanced  step,  the  ATC  system 
would  generate  proposals  for  conflict-free  clearances  that  take  anticipated  aircraft 
performance into account, which can be uplinked to the flight crew by ATCO.. 

  Solution PJ.18-W2-57 RBT revision supported by datalink and increased automation. 

The solution aims at supporting a continuous increase in the amount and the usefulness of 
information  shared  between  air  and  ground  and  of  the  level  of  automation  support  to 
controllers  and  pilots,  e.g.  towards  the  automatic  uplink  of  clearances  with  or  without 
previous controller validation and towards increased use of the auto-load to FMS of uplinked 
clearances and of managed/automatic mode by the flight crew. 

  Solution PJ.18-W2-88 Trajectory Prediction Service.  

This solution is a technical service conceived as being provided to Europeans ANSPs, AUs, AO, 
Military and the Network Manager (NM) in support of trajectory operations. The solution is 
intended to provide a single point of truth for a specific trajectory in the time frame from 
creation in long term pre-flight planning through to the flight execution phase. The solution 
is  not  intended  to  replace  today’s  flight  data  processing  systems  and  consequently  the 
service can be used as an input to ATC systems but not used directly for control purposes.  

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Topic PJ.10 W2 ‘Separation Management and Controller Tools’ 

Problem statement and R&D needs  

Current  operations  within  continental  En-route  and  TMA  airspace  are  based  on  sectorisation 
structures  that  intend  to  handle  the  traffic  demand  according  to  the  capacity  of  the  controllers  to 
handle it. It results in the tactical use of multiple radar vectors and stepped climbs and descents to 
maintain separation between aircraft in high traffic situations. This leads to less efficient flight profiles 
and high levels of workload for both ATC and the flight crews. It makes it also very difficult to balance 
the operators’ requirements in terms of flight efficiency (notably user-preferred trajectories) with the 
need for overall capacity, safety of the operations and ATC workload. Occasionally, where no further 
splitting  of  sectors  is  possible  due  to  limited  controller  resources,  the  sector  demand  exceeds  the 
available  controller  capacity  resulting  in  flow  restrictions,  level-capping  and  other  measures  that 
ensure safety at the expense of flight efficiency and timeliness. Future En-Route and TMA environment 
is anticipated to be even more loaded and complex than todays.  

New system functionalities and further steps of automation provide the chance to achieve significant 
operational benefits. New ATC tools and the development of new concepts will allow for sectorless 
environment  (where  appropriate)  to  suit  various  airspace  structures  like  free  route,  various  traffic 
levels and complexities. Controller productivity needs to be addressed with new team organisations 
to cope with the collaborative planning and control based on the unplanned boundaries concept. 

In today’s situation Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) usually host a monolithic ATM system in 
each Air Traffic System Unit (ATSU) with very few information services and infrastructure elements 
being  shared  between  the  different  centres.  In  the  virtual  centre  approach,  the  controller  working 
positions are decoupled and may even be geographically separated from the ATM information services 
that they consume, and these ATM information services may be shared between different ATSUs or 
even between ANSPs. The main benefits expected from the virtual centre approach are cost reduction 
and more flexibility to support load-balancing between the participating ATSUs, delegation of airspace 
or  manage  contingency  situations.  The  development  of  technical  services  and  common  interfaces 
resulting  from  new  technologies,  working  methods,  service  oriented  architectures  (SOA)  and 
procedures would also need to address human factors considerations.  

There is a need to increase the efficiency of using the CWP HMIs for the En-Route and APP ATC centre 
by exploiting the latest mature technologies and new interaction modes e.g. touch, gesture, voice, etc.  

Performance expectations 

This  project  will  develop  solutions  that  are  expected  to  have  a  positive  impact  on  the  Network 
improving: 

  Safety by being flight centric focused in particular in Free route environment and a reduction 

of the potential conflict that are laterally far better distributed over the airspace; 

  Capacity thanks to the reduction of the partitioning of the airspace (sectors),  the airspace 
capacity  is  not  longer  restricted  by  sector  capacity  and  thanks  to  the  reduction  of  the 
controller workload (reduction of sectors handovers) that would lead to increase the amount 
of flights per ATCO 

  Efficiency with a reduction of coordination and handover the pilot has to comply with and 

the set up  

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  Flexibility  thanks  to  the  load-balancing  or  the  management  of  the  contingency  situations 

between ACCs and controllers when applying virtual centre concept ; 

  Cost-efficiency thanks to the interoperability between system and the decoupling of the ATM 
data provision from the ATC service provision enabling data to be shared between different 
ATSUs. 

Candidate SESAR Solutions space: 

The  project  ‘Separation  Management  and  Controller  Tools’  covers  the  following  candidate  SESAR 
Solutions: 

  Solution  PJ.10-W2-73  Flight-centric  ATC  and 

Improved  Distribution  of  Separation 

Responsibility in ATC. 
The solution covers a concept that consists of assigning aircraft to ATCOs without references 
to geographical sectors, and have the aircraft controlled by that same ATCO across two or 
more  geographical  sectors.  The  solution  requires  flight-centric  specific  allocation, 
visualisation  (traffic  filtering),  coordination  tools  (e.g.  in  the  event  of  a  conflict,  establish 
which  controller  is  responsible  for  its  resolution)  and,  for  high  traffic  densities  advanced 
CD&R  tools  (that  are  not  flight-centric  specific).  The  solution  also  covers  the  concept  of 
collaborative  control  with  planned  boundaries  in  which  sectors  are  retained  as  they  are 
today,  with  aircraft  being  assigned  to  a  sector  according  to  its  geographic  location.  The 
boundaries between sectors have planned coordination conditions like in current operations, 
but with some additional flexibility by allowing controllers to issue clearances without prior 
coordination to aircraft in a different sector. 

  Solution PJ.10-W2-93 Delegation of airspace amongst ATSUs.  

The  objective  of  this  solution  is  to  explore  the  different  possible  delegation  of  airspace 
amongst  ATSUs  based  on  traffic  /  organisation  needs  (either  static  on  fix-time  transfer 
schedule (Day/Night) or dynamic e.g. when the traffic density is below/over certain level) or 
on contingency needs. The solution covers an operational thread, which aims at defining and 
validating the different types of delegation of airspace and a technical thread, which aims at 
specifying the impacts of the operational thread on the services defined in the Virtual centre 
concept. 

  Solution PJ.10-W2-96 HMI Interaction modes for ATC centre. 

The solution addresses the development of new human machine interface (HMI) interaction 
modes and technologies in order to minimise the load and mental strain on controllers in the 
ATC centre. The SESAR solution shall consider modern design and development approaches 
and  methodologies  such  as  modularity,  SoA,  adaptive  automation,  etc.  The  new  HMI 
interaction  modes  include  the  use  of  in-air  gestures,  attention  control,  user  profile 
management systems, tracking labels, virtual and augmented reality, etc. 

  Solution PJ.10-W2-70 Collaborative control and Multi sector planner (MSP) in en-route.  

The  solution  addresses  the  collaborative  control  with  unplanned  boundaries  concept,  in 
which the traditional requirement to coordinate traffic at all sector boundaries is waived for 
an area covering two or more sectors. In  case it is not completed in wave 1, the solution 
scope  covers  as  well  the  development,  for  the  en-route  environment,  of  the  concept  of 
operation and the required system support e.g. coordination tools for operating in a team 
structure where a Planner has responsibility for the airspace under the executive control of 
two or more independent Executive Controllers (multi-sector planner or MSP). The MSP is 
able  to  adjust  the  internal  (executive)  sector  boundaries  so  that  workload  is  balanced 
between the Executive controllers. 

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Topic PJ.13 W2 ‘IFR RPAS’ 

Problem statement and R&D needs  

The number of remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) is continuously increasing and this will imply 
higher  interactions  with  the  wider  ATM  system.  IFR  RPAS  operation  characteristics  e.g.  speed, 
manoeuvrability,  etc.,  together  with  their  avionic  system  equipage  may  differ  substantially  from 
conventional aircraft. 

One basic principle underpinning the integration of IFR RPAS in ATM, in alignment with ICAO principles, 
is  that  RPAS  have  to  be  treated  in  a  similar  manner to  manned  aircraft  while  duly  considering  the 
specific character of remotely-manned operations. IFR RPAS must be transparent (alike) to ATC and 
other airspace users. 

Performance expectations 

This  project  will  develop  solutions  that  are  expected  to  have  a  positive  impact  on  the  Network 
improving: 

  Safety thanks to the development of detect and avoid system for preventing collision with 

other traffic; 

  Efficiency with the definition of adequate procedure and systems enabling the introduction 

of IFR RPAS in a controlled environment 

  Access and equity in enabling airspace access to new users 

Candidate SESAR Solutions space: 

The project ‘IFR RPAS’ covers the following candidate SESAR Solutions: 

  Solution PJ.13-W2-111 ‘Collision avoidance for IFR RPAS’. 

The solution will develop and operationally validate a detect and avoid (DAA) system for IFR 
RPAS, which consists of two functions: collision avoidance (CA) and remain well clear (RWC), 
in order  to allow  the remote pilot  to contribute  to  safety by preventing collisions, should 
normal separation provision fail. The RWC function is designed to provide the remote pilot 
with greater situational awareness. 

  Solution PJ.13-W2-115 IFR RPAS accommodation in Airspace Class A to C. 

The solution is aimed at accommodating IFR RPAS in non-segregated airspace in the short-
term,  in  accordance  with  the  drone  roadmap  in  the  ATM  Masterplan.  The  objective  is  to 
enable IFR RPAS operating from dedicated airfields to routinely operate in airspace classes 
A-C as GAT without a chase plane escort. The development of ATC procedures, adaptations 
to the flight planning processes, contingency etc. are included in the solution. 

  Solution PJ.13-W2-117 IFR RPAS integration in Airspace Class A to C. 

The  SESAR  solution  aims  at  providing  the  technical  capabilities  and  procedural  means  to 
allow IFR RPAS to comply with ATC instructions and the development of new procedures and 
tools to allow ATC to handle IFR RPAS in a cooperative environment in full integration with 
manned aviation. 

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2.6.1.2.4.4  SESAR Key Feature: Enabling Aviation Infrastructure 

Topic PJ.14 W2 ‘Integrated CNSS’ 

Problem statement and R&D needs  

Communication, Navigation and Surveillance, except for few cases, are actually significantly relying on 
national infrastructure deployed and operated by Air Navigation Services Providers. This leads to a 
deployment  of  technologies  based  on  local/national  choices  and  priorities  resulting  in  un-
synchronised, un-homogeneous and fragmented deployments. Some of these technologies have been 
in operation since decades and are not capable to support the automation of the ATM and the future 
need of airspace users including new  entrants (e.g. RPAS). New  technologies are being introduced. 
However, optimisation of the infrastructure has not largely been undertaken resulting in accumulation 
of  legacy  and  new  technologies  having  negative  impacts  of  cost  of  operation  and  maintenance, 
spectrum usage, number of embarked systems. 

Performance  requirements  for  Communication,  Navigation  and  Surveillance  (CNS)  systems  are 
becoming  increasingly  complex  and  demanding  considering  convergence  towards  a  common 
infrastructure, and a unified concept of operations (CONOPS) across the different (COM, NAV and SUR) 
domains. The new technical capabilities must be developed to fully meet the requirements derived 
from operational needs, taking into account the new emerging CNS technologies. 

Performance expectations 

While the technological solutions developed under this topic do not have direct impact on operational 
key  performance  areas,  they  are  in  the  critical  path  to  deliver  the  ATM  Master  Plan  performance 
ambition in areas as efficiency, capacity, safety, security and cost-efficiency. 

Candidate SESAR Solutions space: 

The project ‘Integrated CNSS’ covers the following candidate SESAR Solutions: 

  Solution PJ.14-W2-76 Integrated CNS and Spectrum.  

The solution addresses the CNS cross-domains consistency in terms of robustness, spectrum 
use and interoperability including the civil-military aspects through the provision of a global 
view of the future communications, navigation and surveillance services and the definition 
of the future integrated CNS architecture (and the CNS spectrum strategy). 

  Solution PJ.14-W2-77 FCI Services.  

The Solution will allow the real-time sharing of trajectories, timely access to ATM data and 
information services and the support to SWIM. The ‘Communication Services’ will support 
ATN-B1, ATN-B2 ATS services, and be expandable to support advanced ATM applications such 
as ATN-B3 ATS  services.  It  will  support  AOC  services  and  digital  voice  (VoIP)  services.  The 
Communication Services will be delivered using ATN/IPS and will allow interoperability with 
ATN/OSI protocols.  

  Solution PJ.14-W2-107 Future Satellite Communications Data link.  

The  solution  addresses  the  development  of  the  future  satellite  data  link  technologies  Iris 
Long term Class A SatCom for both the continental and remote/oceanic regions needed for 
supporting the future concepts beyond 2020.  

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  Solution PJ.14-W2-60 FCI Terrestrial Data Link and A-PNT enabler (L-DACS).  

The solution constitutes the future terrestrial A/G and A/A data link solution, which is one of 
the ‘ICAO technologies’, and supports the increasing ATM performance requirements (due 
to the growth of air traffic and its complexity). L-DACS constitutes a potential component of 
the A-PNT to support positioning and navigation requirements in PBN/RNP operations in case 
of a GNSS degradation or outage.  

  Solution PJ.14-W2-81 Long-term alternative Position, Navigation and Timing (A-PNT).  

The solution aims at developing A-PNT systems capable to provide better performances in 
comparison  to  the  short-term  solution  (based  on  DME-DME)  and  support  PBN/RNP 
operations in case of a GNSS degradation or outage. Long term A-PNT airborne solution is 
expected to support: RNP 1 for the Standard Instrument Departure Route (SID) or Standard 
Terminal Arrival Route (STAR) developed upon RNP 1 navigation specification, the airways 
defined with RNP 0.3 or RNP 1 constraints, and preferably RNP-APCH operations down to 
LNAV/VNAV minima supposing appropriate ground infrastructure. The solution also address 
the standalone mid-term aircraft technological enhancement (researched in Wave  1) that 
supports RNP‐based Operations in the TMA e.g. RNP1 SIDs and STARs (mid-term A-PNT). 
  Solution PJ.14-W2-79 Dual Frequency / Multi Constellation DFMC GNSS/SBAS  and GBAS. 

The solution addresses the progress in development of GBAS approach service type F (GAST-
F) and its degraded modes, which is the final goal to achieve the target ambition of SESAR. 
The  solution  also  addresses  DFMC  GNSS/SBAS/GBAS  receivers  architectural  consideration 
and the completion of wave 1 activities related to ABAS / SBAS DFMC GNSS developments 
for  multi-constellation  GNSS  receivers  and  GBAS  approach  service  type  D  (GAST-D)  (e.g. 
extended  scope  including:  Expanded  Service  Volume  (ESV),  extreme  latitudes,  complex 
airports). 

  Solution PJ.14-W2-61 Hyper Connected ATM. 

The solution aims at identifying and specifying the high level operational requirements for a 
fast  and  exponentially  capable  broadband  air/ground  and  air/air  datalink  for  supporting 
future ATM and U-space operations, air/ground data exchanges, etc.  
  Solution PJ.14-W2-110 Aircraft as an AIM/MET sensor and consumer. 

The SESAR solution addresses the application of information made available by the aircraft 
such  as  Aircraft  Meteorological  DAta  Relay  (AMDAR)  or  any  other  avionics  source 
(information  derived  from  ADS-C  application  can  be  used),  and  future  evolutions,  or  CNS 
status  information,  in  Air  Traffic  Management,  and  the  representation  and  the  improved 
usage of MET and AIM information to airspace users in order to enhance their situational 
awareness  and  to  improve  strategic  trajectory  management  and  collaborative  decision 
making. 

  Solution PJ.14-W2-83 Surveillance Performance Monitoring.  

The solution aims at enabling an improved performance monitoring of surveillance systems 
e.g.  ‘quasi  real-time’  functionality  and  ensuring  the  correct  functioning  of  the  ATM 
surveillance function. This applies both at the individual sensor level and at ATC end-to-end 
level (input to the controller working position) e.g. spotting degradation trends early in the 
process.  The  solution  shall  consider  both  current  and  emergent  surveillance  techniques: 
WAM,  ground-based  and  space-based  ADS-B,  independent  non-cooperative  surveillance 
sensors (INCS, including MSPSR), MLAT, SMR, etc. 

  Solution  PJ.14-W2-84  New  use  and  evolution  of  Cooperative  and  Non-Cooperative 

Surveillance. 
The solution covers major improvements of cooperative and non-cooperative surveillance 
systems  in  areas  such  as  composite  surveillance,  multi-sensor  data  fusion,  new  non-

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cooperative  surveillance  systems,  secured  surveillance  systems  and  future  ADS-B 
communications link. 

Topic PJ.17 W2 ‘SWIM infrastructure’ 

Problem statement and R&D needs  

System  Wide  Information  Management  (SWIM)  Technical  Infrastructure  (TI)  Air-Ground  (A/G) 
Solutions are required for supporting Information Exchange Services and SWIM-enabled Applications 
for the future ATM System. Further work is required to mature and validate SWIM A/G solutions (SWIM 
Technical Infrastructure purple profile) for safety critical services, and SWIM solutions supporting civil-
military interoperability.  

Performance expectations 

While the technological solutions developed under this topic do not have direct impact on operational 
key  performance  areas,  they  are  in  the  critical  path  to  deliver  the  ATM  Master  Plan  performance 
ambition in areas as efficiency, capacity, safety and security. Cost-efficiency of operating air/ground 
communication systems is expected to be greatly improved. 

Candidate SESAR Solutions space: 

The project ‘SWIM infrastructure’ covers the following candidate SESAR Solutions: 

  Solution  PJ.17-W2-100  SWIM  TI  Purple  Profile  for  Air/Ground  Safety-Critical  Information 

Sharing.  
The  solution  allows  the  distribution  of  safety-critical  information  through  A/G  SWIM 
infrastructure  and  aeronautical  telecommunications  network/Internet  protocol  suite 
(ATN/IPS)  networking,  rather  than  legacy  point-to-point  contracted  services.  Technical 
specifications will have to be defined to support safety and security requirements allowing 
exchange of safety critical information. 

  Solution PJ.17-W2-101 SWIM TI Green profile for G/G Civil Military Information Sharing.  

The solution aims at enabling Ground/Ground civil – military SWIM based coordination at 
SWIM  technical  infrastructure  level  through  SWIM  profiles  with  an  adequate  quality  of 
service, including (cyber) security/ resilience, needed by military stakeholders and agreed by 
civil stakeholders. 

WORK AREA II. VERY LARGE SCALE DEMONSTRATIONS  

The  role  of  Very  Large  Scale  Demonstrations  (VLDs)  is  to  bridge  the  research  &  innovation  with 
deployment, and not to replace either type of activity. VLDs use early versions of end-user systems 
and  include  the  integration  of  new  technology  elements  into  existing  systems  when  needed  and 
possible. 

As Very Large Scale Demonstrations are designed to help bridge the gap between development and 
deployment  phases,  they  are  at  the  boundary  in  terms  of  maturity  transition  from  the  Industrial 
Research &  Validation and the industrialisation and subsequent deployment and will mostly derive 
from work matured through earlier phase of Industrial Research & Validation.  

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Some  of  the  proposed  VLDs  may  require  the  contribution  from  Airspace  Users  (AUs)  who  are  not 
members of the SESAR JU. Unlike in the Wave 1 IR-VLD call for proposals, it is expected that the SESAR 
JU members will subcontract the required AU contribution for the VLDs described in this section. 

The following sections describe, per Topic, the areas that might be covered by the call for proposals.  

Topic VLD.01 W2 ‘GBAS/SBAS precision approaches including variable approach paths’ 

Problem statement and R&D needs  

GBAS based procedures can help mitigating the negative effects of weather and especially low visibility 
conditions as key contributors to airport and network delays.  

GBAS helps as well overcoming the limitations inherent to ILS operations, in particular the need to 
protect the ILS critical and sensitive areas, which results in restricted ground movements and extra 
spacing margins between aircraft in order to accommodate the longer runway occupancy times (ROT). 
Since GBAS has limited (GBAS Local Object Consideration Areas) or no protection areas, usually located 
outside aircraft movement areas, this allows for reducing the ROT in low visibility conditions, resulting 
in reduced spacing between arrival aircraft, although the amount of runway throughput that can be 
gained depends on wake turbulence separation and any other additional spacing needs due to the 
airport layout. GBAS supports CNS infrastructure rationalisation since, whilst ILS operations require 
one  ground  station  per  runway,  one  GBAS  ground  station  only  can  be  used  for  multiple  runways 
operations. 

Performance expectations 

This demonstration is expected to show benefits in the following areas: 

  Airport and Airspace TMA Capacity - Increase runway and airspace throughput and resilience; 
  Predictability  -  Increasing  predictability  and  airport  efficiency  (e.g.  of  the  landing  rate,  of 

Runway Occupancy Time, runway exit and departure rotation); 

  Environmental Sustainability - Reducing fuel consumption and noise near the airports. 

Candidate SESAR Solutions space: 

The  VLD  aims  at  demonstrating  a  number  of  GBAS/SBAS-enabled  advanced  approach  procedures 
developed and validated in wave 1 using: dual thresholds (DT), second runway aiming point (SRAP), 
increased glide slope (IGS), adaptive increased glide slope (A-IGS) and increased glide slope to a second 
runway  aiming  point  (IGS-to-SRAP).  The  scope  may  include  the  demonstration  of  similar  concepts 
(when possible) based on RNAV (Baro LNAV/VNAV) rather than GBAS/SBAS.  The VLD shall consider 
different  airport  layouts,  setting-up  various  airport  platforms  at  the  level  of  pre-operational  or 
operational  status  to  support  the  Proof  of  Concept.  This  topic  may  include  activities  aiming  at 
completing  TRL-6  maturity  for  the  following  aspects:  the  extended  scope  (beyond  the  outcome  of 
SESAR 1) of GBAS GAST-D under candidate solution 79 ‘Dual Frequency / Multi Constellation DFMC 
GNSS/SBAS and GBAS’ and the mid-term alternative Position, Navigation and Timing (A-PNT) under 
candidate solution 81. 

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Topic VLD.02 W2 ‘Airport Surface Management, Airport Safety Nets and ATSAW’ 

Problem statement and R&D needs  

The importance of moving aircraft on the airport surface from stand to runway and vice versa in a safe, 
controlled and organised manner is paramount for airports and even more when capacity restrictions 
resulting from weather or other circumstances affect operations. 

Performance expectations 

Improve airport safety levels and efficiency in the platform management operations. 

Candidate SESAR Solutions space: 

The VLD aims at demonstrating candidate SESAR Solutions that improve airport surface management 
and safety at the airport. In particular it may cover the following candidate SESAR Solutions:  

 

 

 

 

‘Traffic alerts for pilots for airport operations’ aims at warning pilots in case a traffic conflict 
is  detected  on  airport  surface.  The  solution  is  applicable  to  both  mainline  and  business 
aircraft and the demonstration shall cover exercises for both. Note that the performance and 
quality reception of broadcast aircraft data (ADS-B) is a key enabler for the solution; 
‘Guidance assistance through airfield ground lighting’ is a ground-based service, intended for 
controllers,  flight  crews  and  vehicle  drivers,  and  supported  by  the  Advanced  Surface 
Management Guidance and Control Systems (A-SMGCS) Guidance function; 
‘CAVS’ consists of a concept for delegation of separation from ATC to the flight crew on final 
approach (CDTI-assisted visual separation (CAVS)). The concept is based on the flight crew 
using the CAVS application on the CDTI, which requires ADS-B-in information; 
‘On-board  Braking  Action  Computation  System’  (OBACS)  considers  the  aircraft  as  a 
measuring device, a ‘sensor in itself’ and collects in real-time all relevant raw on-board data 
(engine  settings,  aircraft  weight,  aerodynamic  braking,  speed,  deceleration,  directional 
control etc.) to compute an on-board braking action. This on-board computed braking action 
is  transmitted  to  the  ground  system  to  be  considered  and  integrated  in  the  RWYCC 
assessment algorithm. 

  The topic may include activities aiming at progressing the maturity of candidate solution 61 
‘Hyper Connected ATM’ given that it is expected that airport operations are the first scenario 
where hyper-connectivity will be deployed and the number of stakeholders participating in 
the demonstration activities represent a good opportunity to start capturing requirements 
for this solution. 

Topic VLD.03 W2 ‘Improving runway throughput in one airport’ 

Problem statement and R&D needs  

At capacity constrained airports traffic demand for runway operations exceeds the runway capacity. 
With the growth in air traffic there is an increasing number of airports that are  becoming capacity 
constrained for significant periods of each day. 

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Performance expectations 

  Safety:  Maintain  or  increase  runway,  taxiway  and  apron  safety  levels,  increase  situational 

awareness. ATC Workload maintained or reduced; 

  Airport and Airspace TMA Capacity - Increase runway and airspace throughput (e.g. reducing 
runway occupancy time, or landing and departure wake turbulence separation) and resilience; 

Candidate SESAR Solutions space: 

The  VLD  aims  at  demonstrating  the  following  candidate  SESAR  Solutions  that  improve  runway 
throughput while keeping safety levels:  

  Arrival concept Static-Pairwise (S-PWS or PWS-A) provides a more precise definition of the 
minimum  safe  wake  separation  required  for  a  pair  of  ICAO  aircraft  types  through  an 
optimisation of the ICAO wake turbulence separation classes; 

  Wake Turbulence Separations (for Departures) based on Static Aircraft Characteristics aims 
at  optimizing  the  ICAO  wake  turbulence  separation  classes  by  use  of  longitudinal  wake 
turbulence static pair-wise separation (S-PWS) minima on departures for the initial common 
departure path from the runway, applicable in all operating conditions; 
  Weather-dependent reductions of separation may also be demonstrated; 
  Optimised Runway Delivery (ORD) for arrival and departures that have been also developed 
in the solution shall be used. These tools make use of Target Distance Indicators (TDIs) to 
enable consistent and efficient delivery of the required separation or spacing between arrival 
pairs on final approach up to the runway landing threshold; 

  Wake  decay  enhancing  concepts  a  technical  design  of  the  so-called  plate  lines  shall  be 
elaborated that is compatible with airport structural requirements (e.g. stability, frangibility) 
and approval of authorities for the installation of the plate line shall be obtained; 

 

  Reduction  of  radar  separation  to  2NM  for  in-trail  pairs  on  final  approach Solution  #02-03 
(researched in Wave 1) refers to the concept of Minimum Pair Separation Based on Required 
Surveillance  Performance  (RSP)  in  support  of  a  reduction  of  the  in-trail  Minimum  Radar 
Separation from 2.5 NM to 2 NM on final approach at Large and Medium Airports and TMA 
High  Complexity  and  TMA  Medium  Complexity  sub-operational  environments  so  as  to 
provide a direct positive impact on runway throughput during periods of capacity constrained 
operations; 
Integrated  AMAN-DMAN  SESAR  considers  a  number  of  concepts  that  aim  at  optimizing 
runway operations by providing dynamic assistance to controllers and supervisors in TWR 
and TMA. Their objectives are to increase runway throughput through the optimisation of 
arrival/departure spacing. The improvements include the use of a Runway Manager (RMAN) 
to optimise the planning of the runway use, and the sequence-based coupling of AMAN and 
DMAN including a sequence update a few minutes before touchdown and the use of TDIs 
between arrivals to support ATCOs to create the right gap between arrivals. This VLD will 
demonstrate the application of these concepts in order to optimise the use of the runway 
capacity for single or multiple runway airports; 

  The VLD may include activities  to complete  the TRL-6 maturity for candidate solutions 83 
‘Surveillance Performance Monitoring’ and 84 ‘New use and evolution of Cooperative and 
Non-Cooperative Surveillance’. 

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Topic VLD.04 W2 ‘Advanced Rotorcraft and Business Aviation (BA) Operations’ 

Problem statement and R&D needs  

IFR Rotorcraft operations are constrained to use same approach/departure procedures as fixed wing 
aircraft and due to their lower speed profiles, runway throughput is very often negatively impacted at 
busy  airports.  Low  visibility  conditions  impact  negatively  flight  crews  as  well,  with  reducing  their 
situational  awareness  in  the  aerodrome  overall  picture  overall  picture.  A  unique  advantage  of  the 
solution is that it is mainly supported by the aircraft system instead of airport systems and there is no 
need of complex and costly ground infrastructures. 

Performance expectations 

Access  and  equity  to  airport  thanks  to  dedicated  procedure  and  system  enabling  rotorcraft  and 
business aviation to perform approach and departure procedures in low visibility conditions. 

Candidate SESAR Solutions space: 

Solutions #01-06 and #02-05 addressed in Wave 1 enhanced Rotorcraft operations in the TMA. The 
VLD shall cover the following aspects: 

  GNSS-  based  (e.g. APV SBAS/Baro)  approach/departure  procedures  with  vertical  guidance 
procedures at busy airports by using Rotorcraft specific independent IFR procedures to/from 
FATO (Final Approach & Take- Off area) located at airports in order to remove IFR rotorcraft 
from active runways and allow fixed wing aircraft and  rotorcraft to perform simultaneous 
non-interfering (SNI) operations. These rotorcraft-specific  independent IFR operations will 
be enabled by Point-in-Space (PinS) procedures to allow approach to/departure from a VFR 
FATO. When reaching the PinS, the pilot  shall decide  either to proceed to a landing or to 
abort the approach. The PinS is also the MAPT (Missed Approach Point). Dedicated IFR SNI 
concepts can provide an alternative IFR capability to small airports where the installation of 
traditional  navigation  aids  is  not  financially  viable  or  unfeasible  due  to  other  specific 
constraints. 

  Advanced (e.g. curved) SBAS/GBAS guided PinS RNP approaches towards landing locations 
and PinS departures from landing locations are created with connections to/from Low Level 
IFR route network. The curved segment of the advanced PinS can be placed in the initial, 
intermediate or missed approach segment. The procedures can contribute to a reduced noise 
footprint and improved access to VFR FATOs. There is also a contribution to safety (fewer 
VFR  approaches in marginal VMC, IFR approaches with vertical guidance). Use  of a Head-
Mounted Display (HMD) facilitates both the execution of curves in approach segments and 
departure procedures, and the transition from instrument flying and navigating via external 
visual cues. In this case, a three-dimensional path that the pilot has to follow (or to be more 
precise,  a  corridor  in  which  the  pilot  has  to  stay)  is  displayed  in  the  HMD;  such  a  three-
dimensional  path  has  to  give  both  lateral  and  vertical  guidance.  The  HMD  provides,  with 
‘eyes-out’ of the cockpit, the information that can be used to facilitate safe flying along the 
PinS procedure (take-off and approach), facilitating the transition from IFR instrument phase 
to visual phase (for ‘proceed visually’ PinS) or from IFR to VFR (for ‘proceed VFR’ PinS) and 
vice-versa, and reduces pilot workload; 
‘Enhanced visual operations’ consists of taking credit of emerging visual based technologies 
such  as  EFVS and  SVS  combined  through  CVS  and  displayed  in  coloured  HMD  in  order  to 

 

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increase  the  operational  efficiency  in  both  taxi  and  landing  while  significantly  improving 
situational awareness.  

Topic VLD.05 W2 ‘Virtual Centre’ 

Problem statement and R&D needs  

In today’s situation Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) usually host a monolithic ATM system in 
each Air Traffic System Unit (ATSU) with very few information services and infrastructure elements 
being shared between the different centres. In the Virtual Centre approach, the Controller Working 
Positions are decoupled and may even be geographically separated from the ATM information services 
that they consume, and these ATM information services may be shared between different ATSUs or 
even between ANSPs. The main benefits expected from the Virtual Centre approach are cost reduction 
and more flexibility to support load-balancing between the participating ATSUs or manage contingency 
situations.  The  development  of  technical  services  and  common  interfaces  resulting  from  new 
technologies, working methods, Service Oriented Architectures (SOA) and procedures would also need 
to address human factors considerations. The proliferation of proprietary systems with proprietary 
interfaces shall be avoided as well as the use of non-user friendly interfaces. 

Performance expectations 

The demonstration shall provide evidences on the technical feasibility of the solution and benefits in 
terms of cost-efficiency. 

Candidate SESAR Solutions space: 

This  VLD  aims  at  demonstrating  solution  #16-03,  which  is  expected  to  reach  TRL6  in  Wave  1.  The 
solution allows an innovative Virtual Centre architecture between a Virtual Centre ATSU and ATM Data 
Service Provider (ADSP). The demonstration shall provide added value with respect to the technical 
validation performed by 16-03 e.g. increased number of validated services for the SOA architecture 
including cross validation of the services 

The technical use cases may include demonstration validation of the required quality of service is met, 
in particular for the transfer of data between geographically separated locations, remote installation 
of HMI, remote supervision, transversal technical features as recording. Although demonstrations are 
normally  aiming  at  live  trials,  in  this  case  it  is  acceptable  to  achieve  the  objectives  through  other 
techniques such as shadow mode. In any case, connection to real data is expected. 

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2.6.1.2.5  Budget-to-Scope allocation 
The SESAR 2020 Programme is performance-driven. Therefore, the SESAR JU established the allocation 
of budget per topic by considering the contribution  of each topic and the related  candidate  SESAR 
Solutions to key performance areas set in the European ATM Master Plan (see Section II, Chapter 1.3), 
especially: contribution to Capacity improvements (at Airports, in TMA and En-route), environmental 
and cost-efficiency, predictability and punctuality. This approach aims to ensure the best value-for-
money for Wave 2. Hence, under this call for proposals, the allocation per topic is as follows: 

Key Feature 

Name of topic (Wave 2) 

Wave 2 View Planned 

Indicative budget 
distributed 
across Topics 

Indicative breakdown across Stakeholder groups 

AIRBORNE 
SYSTEMS 
CONTRIBUTION 

GROUND ATM 
SYSTEMS 
CONTRIBUTION 

SERVICE 
PROVISION 
CONTRIBUTION 

PJ.19 W2 

Content Integration 

€ 5.366.033 

€ 880.000 

€ 1.243.118 

€ 3.242.915 

PJ.20 W2 

Master Plan Maintenance 

€ 2.013.519 

€ 480.000 

€ 621.697 

€ 911.822 

TOTAL SESAR 2020 TRANSVERSAL WAVE 2 

€ 7.379.552 

€ 1.360.000 

€ 1.864.815 

€ 4.154.737 

High-Performing 
Airport 
Operations 

PJ.02 W2 

Airport  Airside  &  Runway 
Throughput 

€ 17.369.077 

€ 4.816.687 

€ 5.883.131 

€ 6.669.259 

PJ.04 W2 

Total Airport Management 

€ 7.881.644 

PJ.05 W2 

Digital Technology for Tower 

€ 10.021.206 

€ 0 

€ 0 

€ 4.077.696 

€ 3.803.948 

€ 7.019.262 

€ 3.001.944 

Optimised ATM 
Network Services 

PJ.07 W2 

Optimised 
Operations 

Airspace 

users 

€ 4.674.164 

€ 2.126.426 

€ 1.287.989 

€ 1.259.749 

PJ.09 W2 

Digital  Network  Management 
Services 

€ 8.376.490 

€ 0 

€ 2.930.317 

€ 5.446.173 

Advanced Air 
Traffic Services 

PJ.01 W2 

Enhanced Arrivals & Departures 

€ 8.928.771 

€ 2.651.996 

€ 3.250.908 

€ 3.025.867 

PJ.10 W2 

Separation  Management  En-
Route & TMA 

€ 18.440.502 

€ 200.000 

€ 10.545.765 

€ 7.694.737 

PJ.13 W2 

IFR RPAS 

€ 10.958.708 

€ 4.252.852 

€ 4.544.522 

€ 2.161.334 

PJ.18 W2 

4D Skyways 

€ 15.971.495 

€ 4.173.205 

€ 5.315.066 

€ 6.483.224 

Enabling Aviation 
Infrastructure 

PJ.14 W2 

Integrated BNSS 

€ 16.270.038 

€ 5.581.869 

€ 8.650.340 

€ 2.037.829 

PJ.17 W2 

SWIM Infrastructure 

€ 4.710.328 

€ 1.329.016 

€ 2.739.087 

€ 642.225 

TOTAL SESAR 2020 IR PROJECTS WAVE 2 

€ 123.602.423 

€ 25.132.051 

€ 56.244.083 

€ 42.226.289 

TOTAL  SESAR  2020  TRANSVERSAL  &  IR  PROJECTS  WAVE  2 
(MAXIMUM) 

€ 130.981.975 

€ 26.492.051 

€ 58.108.898 

€ 46.381.026 

20,2% 

44,4% 

35,4% 

Work 
Areas 

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a
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e
v
s
n
a
r
T

n
o
i
t
a
d

i
l

a
V
d
n
a
h
c
r
a
e
s
e
R

l

a
i
r
t
s
u
d
n

I

VLD 

TOTAL SESAR 2020 VLD Wave 2 (MAXIMUM) 

TOTAL  SESAR  2020  PPP  (Transversal,  IR  and  VLD)  for 
Wave 2 (MAXIMUM) 

€ 20.500.000 

€ 151 481.975 

Table 28: Budget-to-scope allocation for the IR-VLD Wave 2 call for proposals (H2020-SESAR-2019-1) 

The table above establishes the indicative budget per Topic for this call. For both the VLD Wave 2 and 
the total SESAR 2020 PPP budget, there is no flexibility beyond the maximum figure stated, as these 
figures are determined by the maximum funding and distribution contained in the SESAR JU Founding 
Regulation. 

The indicative budget distribution per Topic is subject to the budget flexibility conditions referenced 
in the general conditions of the call (Para 2.6.1.1.5). In the reference document, budget flexibility in 

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the call budget per topic is limited to a maximum of 20%.Regarding the VLDs, the EUR 20,5 million EUR 
envelope  for  co-financing  is  not  further  broken  down  per  Key  Feature.  However,  a  maximum  co-
financing value of EUR 8 million per proposal will be allowed to ensure the possibility to award multiple 
VLDs and avoid getting a single VLD proposal asking for a substantial part  or total of  the EUR 20,5 
million budget. 

During  the  evaluation  process,  and  taking  into  account  the  award  criteria  (see  below  in  Paragraph 
2.6.1.2.13), the SESAR JU will assess the best value-for-money of proposals submitted by the Members. 

2.6.1.2.6  Expected results 
The results from the IR-VLD Wave 2 will provide the basis to set up a changed ecosystem for aviation 
and more specifically modernising the underlying air traffic management infrastructure. 

This ecosystem will be mainly built upon ATM solutions characterised by: 

  Higher levels of autonomy and connectivity of all air vehicles coupled with a more automated 

management of the traffic; 

  Digital  and  automated  tools  provided  on  board  of  the  air  vehicle  itself  or  as  part  of  the 

ground-based infrastructure 

  Virtual technologies to decouple the physical infrastructure such as sensors, communication 

or navigation devices from the services that are provided to manage the airspace; 

  Big data analytics and open source data usage to encourage the creation of new services; 
  System modularity to allow scalable and easier upgrades and greater interoperability. 

2.6.1.2.7  Duration and key milestones 
The awarded projects should be starting preparing and executing the validation and demonstration 
activities by end of 2019 and shall deliver full result no later than end of December 2022. 

2.6.1.2.8  Funding rate, number of contracts and location 
Types of action: specific provisions and funding rates 

a.  Research and Innovation Actions (RIAs): in accordance with preamble (24) and Article 28 (3) of 
the  H2020  Rules  for  Participation,  eligible  costs  of  Research  and  Innovation  (RIAs)  will  be 
reimbursed according to a single reimbursement rate of 70%. 

o  This single co‐financing rate will also apply to non‐profit entities. 

b. 

Innovation Actions (IAs): in accordance with preamble (24) and Article 28 (3) of the H2020 
Rules for Participation, eligible costs of Innovation (IAs) will be reimbursed according to a single 
reimbursement rate of 70%. 

o  This single co‐financing rate will also apply to non‐profit entities. 

c.  Coordination and Support Actions (CSAs): in accordance with preamble (24) and Article 28 (3) 
of the H2020 Rules for Participation, eligible costs of Coordination and Support Actions (CSAs) 
will be reimbursed according to a single reimbursement rate of 70%.  

o  This single co‐financing rate will also apply to non‐profit entities. 

The expected number of projects that will be funded through this call for proposals is 18. 

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Eligibility conditions for participation are set out in the Rules of Participation and to the provisions of 
H2020  Work  Programme  2018-2020  Part  19.  General  Annexes  section  C.  ‘Standard  admissibility 
conditions, page limits and supporting documents’. 

A) For CSAs ‐ at least one applicant established in a Member State or associated 

Country shall participate in the activity; 

B) For RIAs and IAs ‐ at least three applicants shall participate in the activity. Each of the three shall be 
established  in  a  different  Member  State  or  associated  country.  All  three  legal  entities  shall  be 
independent of each other. 

The  list  of  associated  country  can  be  found  in  General  Annexes  section  A  of  Horizon  2020  Work 
Programme 2018-2020. 

2.6.1.2.9  Grant conditions 
General conditions for the eligibility of costs are set in accordance with Article 26 of the H2020 Rules 
for Participation and Article 6 of the Model Grant Agreement.  

The costs for avionics update are not eligible under this call for proposals. 

2.6.1.2.10  Complementary grants 
Complementarity  between  particular  topics  will  be  specified  within  their  scope,  in  the  topics 
description. The SESAR JU shall receive in particular access rights for: 

1.  technical specifications (documents approved by the SESAR JU upon recommendation of the 
Programme Committee which provides the necessary details about a specific operational and 
technical requirement for repeated or continuous application, with which compliance is not 
compulsory), 

2.  validation reports (i.e. deliverables which contributes to the validation of operational threads 

ensuring overall consistency with the Programme) as well as on 

3.  standards  and  norms  proposals:  i.e.  documents  which  define,  amongst  other,  uniform 
technical  and/or  operational  Specifications 
technical  criteria, 
configurations, materials, equipment, methods, procedures and practices, and aim ultimately 
at ensuring interoperability of air traffic management systems in Europe and at enhancing Air 
Traffic  Management  capabilities  in  Europe,  such  as  safety,  capacity,  security,  environment, 
which may become compulsory upon approval and adoption of the duly empowered authority. 

for  engineering  or 

The  SESAR JU  Members and beneficiaries of grants awarded by the  SESAR JU shall give each other 
access on a royalty free basis the declared background and results needed to implement their own 
tasks  under  an  SESAR  JU  Action  for  the  full  duration  of  the  SESAR  Project.  The  SESAR  JU  shall  also 
anticipate and allow for coordination with the Deployment phase activities taking into account the role 
of the Deployment  Manager. The required elements of this arrangement will be explicitly included 
within the appropriate Grant Agreement. 

2.6.1.2.11  Evaluation rules 
The SESAR JU will make use of internal experts for the evaluation of proposals received in response to 
this call for proposals, as described in Paragraph 2.6.1 above. 

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2.6.1.2.12  Eligibility criteria 
As a result of Administrative Board decisions ref. ADB(D)13‐2014 dated 04/11/2014 and ADB(D)02-
2016 dated 17 February 2016, the SESAR JU Members only are eligible under this call for proposals. 
The list of SESAR JU Members appears in Annex XI. 

Impact 

The following aspects 
will be taken into 
account in order to 
assess the extent to 
which the outputs of the 
project should impact at 
European and/or 
International level 

: 

Impact  on  SESAR 
1. 
Programme 
clear 
description  on  how  the 
described  activities  are 
appropriate  to  achieve 
the  expected  impact  in 
terms  of  coordination 
and support 

2. Quality of the 
proposed measures to: 
- Exploit and disseminate 
the project results 
(including management 
of IPR), and to manage 
research data where 
relevant. 
- 
project 
different 
audiences 

the 
to 
target 

Communicate 

activities 

2.6.1.2.13  Award criteria  
Transversal Activities 

Type of 
Actions 

Excellence 

The following aspects will be 
taken into account in order to 
assess the extent to which  the 
proposed work corresponds to 
the topic description 

scope 

1. Clarity and pertinence of the 
proposal: degree to which the 
objectives, 
and 
requirements  defined  in  the 
Technical  Specifications  are 
well  understood  and 
fully 
addressed. 

2. Feasibility and adequacy of 
the  proposed  methodology: 
degree to which the proposed 
methodology  is  feasible  and 
the 
adequate 
to  address 
required 
coordination  and 
support action. 

and 

3.  Quality  of  the  proposed 
coordination 
support 
actions:  degree  to  which  the 
demonstrates 
proposal 
previous 
of 
knowledge 
coordination 
support 
and 
action work and explains how 
their  action  will  address 
previous  results  and  possible 
shortcomings. 

Coordination 
and  Support 
Actions (CSAs) 

130 

© – 2019 – SESAR JU 

Implementation 

The following aspects will be 
taken into account in order to 
assess the quality and efficiency 
of the implementation 

1. Quality and effectiveness of the 
Project  Management  Plan 
: 
degree  to  which  the  proposed 
plan  is  adequate  considering  its 
integration  within  the  overall 
Programme  lifecycle  (Compliance 
with  SESAR  2020  PMP  and 
Programme Execution Guidance is 
to 
required) 
which  the  resources  assigned  to 
work  packages  are  in  line  with 
their objectives and deliverables. 

including  extent 

Appropriateness 

of 
structure 

the 
2. 
management 
and 
procedures:  degree  to  which  the 
proposed  management  structure 
including 
are 
complementarity 
the 
participants within the Project. 

appropriate, 

of 

of 

Appropriateness 

3. 
the 
technical  expertise:  degree  to 
which  the  technical  expertise  is 
appropriate  for  undertaking  the 
proposed  tasks  (including  quality 
of  the  CV  of  the  proposed  Grant 
Coordinator 
Transversal 
and 
Activity  Coordinators)  and  for 
ensuring that all participants have 
a  valid 
role  and  adequate 
resources  in  the  project  to  fulfil 
that role. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
SINGLE PROGRAMMING DOCUMENT 2019-2021 

Industrial Research & Validation Activities 

Type of 
Actions 

Excellence 

The following aspects will be 
taken into account in order to 
assess the extent to which  the 
proposed work corresponds to 
the topic description 

Impact 

The following aspects 
will be taken into 
account in order to 
assess the extent to 
which the outputs of the 
project should impact at 
European and/or 
International level 

Implementation 

The following aspects will be 
taken into account in order to 
assess the quality and efficiency 
of the implementation 

scope 

1. Clarity and pertinence of the 
proposal: degree to which the 
objectives, 
and 
requirements  defined  in  the 
Technical  Specifications  are 
well  understood  and 
fully 
addressed. 

2. Feasibility and adequacy of 
the  proposed  methodology: 
degree to which the proposed 
methodology  is  feasible  and 
adequate 
the 
solutions 
candidate  SESAR 
from their initial to their target 
maturity level. 

to  mature 

operations 

3.  Level  of  awareness  of  the 
state-of-the-art:  degree 
to 
which 
proposal 
the 
demonstrates  knowledge  of 
and 
current 
relevant  previous  R&D  work 
(both in and outside of SESAR) 
and 
their 
proposed  work  is  beyond  the 
art, 
state 
and 
the 
demonstrates 
innovation 
potential. 

explains 

how 

of 

Research 
Innovation 
Actions (RIAs) 

the 

on 
Impact 
1. 
performance:  degree  to 
which 
proposal 
demonstrates  that  the 
research  will  contribute 
to 
the 
achieve 
performance 
benefits 
outlined in the European 
ATM  Master,  according 
to 
justification 
principles.  

the 

2. Appropriateness of the 
to 
contribution 
standardisation 
and 
regulation:  the  proposal 
demonstrates  that  the 
project  will  adequately 
contribute 
the 
relevant  standardisation 
and  regulatory  activities 
(when relevant). 

to 

3. Quality of the 
proposed measures to: 
- Exploit and disseminate 
the project results 
(including management 
of IPR), and to manage 
research data where 
relevant. 
- 
project 
different 
audiences 

the 
to 
target 

Communicate 

activities 

considering 

1. Quality and effectiveness of the 
Project Management Plan: degree 
to  which  the  proposed  plan  is 
adequate 
its 
integration  within  the  overall 
Programme lifecycle  (Compliance 
with  SESAR  2020  PMP  and 
Programme Execution Guidance is 
to 
required) 
which  the  resources  assigned  to 
work  packages  are  in  line  with 
their objectives and deliverables. 

including  extent 

Appropriateness 

of 
structure 

the 
2. 
management 
and 
procedures:  degree  to  which  the 
proposed  management  structure 
including 
are 
complementarity 
the 
participants within the Project. 

appropriate, 

of 

of 

Appropriateness 

the 
3. 
technical  expertise:  degree  to 
which  the  technical  expertise  is 
appropriate  for  undertaking  the 
proposed  tasks  (including  quality 
of the CV of the proposed project 
manager  and  solution  managers) 
and 
all 
ensuring 
participants have a valid role and 
adequate resources in the project 
to fulfil that role. 

that 

for 

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Very Large Scale Demonstration activities 

Type of 
Actions 

Excellence 

The following aspects will be 
taken into account in order to 
assess the extent to which  the 
proposed work corresponds to 
the topic description 

scope 

1. Clarity and pertinence of the 
proposal: degree to which the 
objectives, 
and 
requirements  defined  in  the 
Technical  Specifications  are 
well  understood  and 
fully 
addressed. 

2.  Feasibility  and  adequacy  of 
the  proposed  methodology: 
degree to which the proposed 
methodology  is  feasible  and 
adequate  to  undertake  the 
action. 

Innovation 
Actions (IAs) 

operations 

3.  Level  of  awareness  of  the 
state-of-the-art:  degree 
to 
which 
proposal 
the 
demonstrates  knowledge  of 
current 
and 
relevant  previous  R&D  work 
(both in and outside of SESAR) 
their 
and 
proposed  work  is  beyond  the 
art, 
state 
and 
the 
demonstrates 
innovation 
potential 

explains 

how 

of 

132 

© – 2019 – SESAR JU 

Impact 

The following aspects will 
be taken into account in 
order to assess the extent 
to which the outputs of the 
project should impact at 
European and/or 
International level 

to  which 

1. Impact on performance: 
the 
degree 
proposal is appropriate for 
(i.e. 
bridging 
from  R&I 
identified  Solutions) 
to 
deployment  in  generating 
buy-in  and  contributing  to 
achieve  the  performance 
benefits  outlined 
in  the 
European ATM Master 

2.  Appropriateness  of  the 
to 
contribution 
standardisation 
and 
regulation:  the  proposal 
demonstrates 
the 
project  will  adequately 
contribute  to  the  relevant 
and 
standardisation 
regulatory activities (when 
relevant). 

that 

3. Quality of the proposed 
measures to: 
- Exploit and disseminate 
the project results 
(including management of 
IPR), and to manage 
research data where 
relevant. 
- Communicate the project 
activities 
different 
to 
target audiences 

Implementation 

The following aspects will be 
taken into account in order to 
assess the quality and efficiency 
of the implementation 

1.  Quality  and  effectiveness  of 
the  Project  Management  Plan: 
degree  to  which  the  proposed 
plan is adequate considering its 
integration  within  the  overall 
Programme 
lifecycle 
(Compliance  with  SESAR  2020 
PMP and Programme Execution 
Guidance  is  required)  including 
extent  to  which  the  resources 
assigned  to  work  packages  are 
in line with their objectives and 
deliverables. 

the 
2.  Appropriateness  of 
management 
structure  and 
procedures:  degree  to  which 
the  proposed  management 
appropriate, 
structure 
including  complementarity  of 
the  participants  within 
the 
Project. 

are 

3.  Appropriateness  of 
the 
technical  expertise:  degree  to 
which the technical expertise is 
appropriate for undertaking the 
(including 
tasks 
proposed 
quality  of 
the 
the  CV  of 
proposed project manager) and 
for ensuring that all participants 
have a  valid role and adequate 
resources in the project to fulfil 
that role. 

4.  Adequacy  of  the  budget  : 
the 
Consistency 
the 
proposed 
expected 
the 
results 
estimated budget 

between 
activities, 

and 

 
 
 
 
 
 
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Table 29: Award criteria for the IR-VLD Wave 2 call for proposals with reference H2020-SESAR-2019-1 

The  scoring  scheme  used  in  evaluation  for  each  criterion  will  be  on  a  scale  ranging  from  0-5  with 
decimal points being valid. Pass thresholds per criterion and overall are established in the table below: 

Excellence 

Impact 

Implementation 

Weight (%) 

Threshold per criteria 
(n/5) 

Overall 
Threshold (%) 

Pass 

40 

3 

30 

3 

70 

30 

3 

Table 30: Scoring scheme and thresholds for the IR-VLD Wave 2 call for proposals with reference H2020-SESAR-
2019-1 

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2.6.1.3  Specific conditions for the ER4 call for proposals (with reference H2020-SESAR-2019-2) 
The objective of the SESAR 2020 Exploratory Research Programme is to address, where possible, the 
known  yet  unsolved  problems  across  the  ATM  Research  domain,  taking  on  board  these  new  or 
continuous challenges using traditional methods or new techniques, or transferring the results of past 
research and applying it to new applications and/or novel technologies in search of innovative and 
ground breaking results. 

In preparation for the ER4 call for proposals, the SESAR JU used its Scientific Committee to help identify 
high-potential  topics  as  well  as  existing  research  applications  into  ATM.  In  2019,  the  SESAR  JU  will 
launch the fourth calls for proposals on Exploratory Research (also referred to as ‘ER4’) with reference 
H2020-SESAR-2019-2, fully funded under Horizon 2020 for an amount of EUR 38,6 million, to enable 
continued work on conducting and consolidating innovate activities striving to achieve tangible results 
under the scope of: 

  ATM Excellent Science & Outreach aims at bridging ATM research with the wider research 
community and will provide the necessary scientific support to ATM change either directly 
or through connection research areas in other disciplines or sectors, 

  ATM  application‐oriented  research  will  help  mature  new  concepts  for  ATM  beyond  those 
identified in the European ATM Master Plan as well as help mature emerging technologies 
and methods to the level of maturity required to feed the applied research conducted in the 
SESAR JU. 

The  research  activities  under  ATM Operations,  Architecture,  Performance  &  Validation  will  directly 
contribute  to  the  SESAR  2020  transversal  activities  of  ATM  Design  &  Integration  Performance 
Management,  Validation,  Verification  &  Demo  infrastructure  and  European  ATM  Master  Plan 
maintenance. 

The final content of the call for proposals will be detailed in the call specifications.  

2.6.1.3.1  Call identifier 
This open call for proposals has the reference H2020-SESAR-2019-2. 

2.6.1.3.2 

Indicative call timetable  

Publication date 

Opening date 

End April 2019 

End April 2019 

Final date for submission 

End August 2019 

Information on the outcome of the evaluation  Maximum 5 months from the final date for submission 

Signing of grant agreements 

By end Q1 2020 

Table 31: Indicative timetable for the ER4 call with reference H2020-SESAR-2019-2 

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2.6.1.3.3 
The indicative budget for this call for proposals is EUR 38.564.361. 

Indicative call budget 

Budget  

Commitment  

Payment  

In 2019: EUR 38.564.361 

In 2019: EUR 875.000 

In 2020: EUR 10.000.000 

In 2021: EUR 17.400.000 

In 2022: EUR 10.289.361 

Table 32: Indicative budget for the ER4 call for proposals with reference H2020- SESAR-2019-2 

2.6.1.3.4  Activities covered by this call for proposals 
The ER4 call for proposals covers topics related to two Work Areas:  

  Work Area 1 - ATM Excellent Science & Outreach, 
  Work Area 2 - ATM Application-Oriented Research. 

Research activities across these two Work Areas are described in the paragraphs below. 

WORK AREA 1 - ATM EXCELLENT SCIENCE & OUTREACH 

ATM Excellent Science & Outreach aims at bridging ATM research with the wider research community 
and will provide the science necessary to support ATM change. The work will be performed not only 
within an existing ATM community but also through outreach to related research activities in other 
sectors and industries with the objective to look for potential applications into ATM.  

The  research  performed  under  ATM  Excellent  Science  &  Outreach  is  typically  curiosity-driven  and 
explores new and innovative research areas for ATM. This type of scientific research not only brings 
new  knowledge,  but  also  encourages  young  scientists  to  develop  innovative  ideas,  concepts  and 
theories for the future ATM evolution. This will bring mutual benefits to SESAR research activities and 
to the section 11 (Smart, green and integrated transport) of the Horizon 2020 Work Programme 2018-
2020.  Consequently,  the  purpose  of  this  research  area  is  to  investigate  through  research  and 
innovation  actions  which  new  technologies,  methodologies,  concepts,  or  validation  methods 
developed in non-ATM sector could be introduced in the context of ATM and in particular serve the 
identified  SESAR  business  needs  and  Flightpath  2050  vision,  or  identify  new  ATM  business 
opportunities.  

Sub Work Area 1.1 – Automation & Autonomy 

Automation could provide the key to significant performance improvements across many aspects of 
ATM. On the other hand,  human cognitive abilities,  especially in safety-critical  situations, can have 
positive  benefits  and  provide  strong  arguments  against  full  autonomy  in  certain  situations.  The 
challenge  is  therefore  to  propose  solutions  with  automation  levels  or  autonomy  that  have  the 
capability  to  provide  substantial  and  verifiable  performance  benefits  whilst  fully  addressing  safety 
concerns.  

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Therefore, research activities under this theme should also address the application of new approaches 
to allow automation to cope also with non-nominal and unexpected situations and should explore new 
concepts for supporting the human operator under all conditions. 

Under  this  sub  work  area,  there  is  substantial  scope  for  learning  from  aircraft  automation,  other 
industries and research sectors. 

Sub Work Area 1.2 – Complexity, Data Science & Information Management 

The research activities under this theme will address complexity science, data science and information 
management  and  their  potential  for  applications  in  ATM.  Complexity  science  will  deal  with  the 
application  of  complexity  theory  in  the  ATM  domain  and  will  therefore  contribute  to  a  better 
understanding  of  how  the  ATM  system  works,  in  particular  the  interaction  of  its  subsystems, 
capabilities and components. 

Data science is an emerging field of research in ATM concerned with managing and exploiting large 
data  sets  through  mining,  big-data  techniques,  novel  algorithms  or  artificial  intelligence  and  their 
application  to  air  traffic  management.  This  will  enable  further  exploitation  of  information 
management,  knowledge  creation  and  improved  insight  into  optimizing  planning  and  execution  of 
ATM. 

Effective application of information management into ATM must also address the need for Safety and 
Security, in particular cyber-security. Research activities in  this theme are expected  to address  this 
need  in  some  way  but  proposals  can  also  be  made  on  the  application  of  state  of  the  art  trust 
frameworks into ATM, such as blockchain. 

Sub Work Area 1.3 – Environment & Meteorology for ATM 

The research activities will aim at better understanding the impact of aviation on the environment and 
the ways in which ATM can reduce these effects. Research activities should take into account CO2 but 
also other aspects like for example NOx, contrails, air quality (NOx, particle matter) and noise. Research 
activities may address research aimed at developing 4D trajectories that are optimised to take account 
of environmental considerations.  

Further, research activates will study the vulnerability of the ATM system to local and global weather 
phenomena and how enhanced meteorological capabilities and their integration into ATM planning 
processes can be utilised for improving ATM efficiency and safety. This requires understanding of the 
potential  of  different  types  of  weather-related  information  that  could  be  used  in  ATM  operations 
taking into account the inherent uncertainty of meteorological information. 

Research  activities  will  also  investigate  the  impact  of  global  and/or  long-term  phenomena  such  as 
changes in the frequency and severity of extreme weather resulting from climate change, or ash-cloud 
formation on ATM operations and ways to increase ATM robustness. 

Sub Work Area 1.4 – Performance, Economics, Legal & Regulation 

In recent years, the importance of understanding the evolution of the ATM service market structure, 
the need to minimize airborne costs, use of cost-effective new business and pricing models has become 
evident.  The  research  performed  under  this  area  will  contribute  to  the  wider  innovation  and 
competitiveness of the European ATM industry, therefore contributing to Challenge 2 of Flightpath 
2050. 

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The links between economics, the legal and the regulatory frameworks and the research performed in 
each subject are close; this means that the implications of change in one area have to be integrated 
across the whole, otherwise change in ATM can be unnecessarily blocked. 

Sub Work Area 1.5 – ATM role in Intermodal Transport 

The  research  activities  under  this  theme  will  address  the  connection  and  dependence  between 
ATM/aviation and other transport modes, from the perspective of ATM. Consequently, it is envisaged 
that complementary research will be performed linking to activities launched by the EC and potentially 
other transport areas (i.e. rail, road, water) to ensure interoperability and delivery of complementary 
services to realise cross-modal performance as described by the EU transport policy documents. 

Sub Work Area 1.6 – CNS for ATM 

As  Communication,  Navigation  and  Surveillance  (CNS)  are  subjects  not  exclusive  to  ATM,  activities 
proposed under this theme must show clear relevance for ATM. 

Therefore the study and use, or adaptation, of new CNS technologies or techniques developed outside 
ATM must be able to meet both the operational needs as well as an appropriate analysis of the safety, 
performance and security implications for the ATM system.  

WORK AREA 2 - ATM APPLICATION-ORIENTED RESEARCH 

ATM application-oriented research will help mature new concepts for ATM that extend or go beyond 
those identified in the ATM Master Plan as well as help mature emerging technologies and methods 
to the level of maturity required to feed the applied research conducted in the Industrial Research and 
Validation  phase  of  SESAR;  thus  connecting  the  ATM  Exploratory  Research  to  the  ATM  Applied 
Research in the context of the European ATM Master Plan. 

In many cases, the research results from previous ATM Excellent Science & Outreach projects could be 
candidates for further research under Application-Oriented Research in order to increase the maturity 
and stakeholder buy-in to new ideas aligned to the European ATM Master Plan key features. 

Sub Work Area 2.1 – High Performing Airport Operations 

The  research  activities  under  this  theme  will  include  research  of  methods  to  increase  the  level  of 
automation of airport processes, research of innovative concept for airport operations like the use of 
service  drone and an  enhanced coordination with  other  transportation modalities and research on 
improved use of meteorological information at the airport. 

Sub Work Area 2.2 – Optimised ATM Network Management 

The  optimised  ATM  network  management  theme  will  include  research  activities  in  the  areas  of 
Digitalisation  of  the  ATM  Network  (including  network  management  operations  and  improved 
involvement  of  the  Airline  Operation  Centre),  innovations  in  network  management  (like  innovative 
technics and models for uncertainty management and innovative route charging schemes) and fully 
dynamic airspace. 

Sub Work Area 2.3 – Advanced Air Traffic Services 

The research activities under advanced air traffic services will include research into the Automation of 
Air Traffic Services including advanced Human-Machine-Interactions for controllers and concepts for 

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full automation in low density. They will further address innovation in Air Traffic Services like interfaces 
with orbital and very high level operations or concepts for formation flying, the long-term evolution of 
air/ground  synchronisation,  evolution  of  separation  minima  in  En-route  and  TMA  and  the  digital 
evolution of controller/pilot communication. 

Sub Work Area 2.4 – Enabling Aviation Infrastructure 

The research activities under enabling aviation Infrastructure will include research on concepts and 
methods for enhancing and securing CNS as well as approaches for integrated performance based CNS. 

Furthermore,  the  infrastructure  required  to  support  digitalised  ATM  applications  will  itself  need  to 
evolve;  in  particular,  the  secure  exchange  of  information  in  a  deterministic  time  is  an  essential 
characteristic  of  the  future  infrastructure.  An  efficient  security  framework  for  data  exchange  is  an 
essential component of the future digitalised ATM architecture. Methods to achieve this by exploiting 
best-practice techniques from other sectors is required. 

Sub Work Area 2.5 – ATM Operations, Architecture, Performance & Validation 

This  research  area  will  include  research  activities  about  performance  and  improved  indicators  and 
performance  measuring  methods 
resilience,  multi-model  performance, 
environmental  impact  and  cybersecurity.  Further,  it  will  include  research  activities  to  advance 
validation methods like E-OCVM and enhance approaches to detect emergent behaviour. Additionally, 
this research area will include topics addressing the digitalisation of the ATM Architecture and applying 
methods for enhancing cybersecurity of the ATM system.  

for  digitalisation, 

The development of a scalable and secure target ATM Architecture is a necessary part of the vision 
towards 2035.  Proposals that address a viable approach to achieving this ambition are encouraged. 

The results from the research activities under this topic will directly contribute to the overall SESAR 
2020  transversal  activities  of  ATM  design  &  integration,  performance  management,  validation, 
verification & demonstration infrastructure and ATM Master Plan maintenance. 

Sub Work Area 2.6 – IFR RPAS 

This  research  area  will  address  concept  elements  such  as  IFR  multi-RPAS  GCS,  integration  aspects 
further than those already covered in IFR RPAS topic in IR and reduced crew operations contingency 
management, in support of the full integration of IFR RPAS with manned aviation.  

Sub Work Area 2.7 – U-space44 

The activities to be performed under the sub work area ‘U-space’ need to take into consideration the 
outcomes of the on-going ER projects and lessons learnt from U-space demonstrations, which address 
U1 and U2 services. Automation principles originally developed for UAS traffic management in U-space 
may be a source of inspiration for application in Air Traffic Control. The concept elements that may be 
addressed include U3 services, U4 services, the interoperability of U-space service providers and U-
space interface with ATM and manned aviation. The resulting projects will contribute to the mitigation 

44In line with the Drones Outlook Study, the U-space blueprint document and the ATM Master Plan Roadmap for the safe 
integration of drones, this document uses the term ‘drones’ as a generic term to cover all types of unmanned aircraft systems 
(UAS), be they remotely piloted (RPAS - remotely piloted aircraft system) or automated. By exception, the term RPAS may be 
used when a specific aspect of such vehicles (the fact that it is operated by a pilot instead of being automated) is addressed. 

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of major risk with reference MP08 ‘The lack of R&D activities to cover U3/U4 developments beyond 
2019 may endanger the realisation of MP objectives’ (see annex VIII). 

2.6.1.3.5  Expected results 
ATM  Excellent  Science  &  Outreach  aims  at  bridging  ATM  fundamental  research  with  the  research 
performed by the wider research community. It will provide for results that trigger innovation in ATM 
though either refinement of or disruption to the existing ATM norms. 

ATM  application‐oriented  research  will  help  mature  new  high-potential  ideas,  technologies  and 
concepts  for  ATM  beyond  those  currently  identified  in  the  European  ATM  Master  Plan  as  well  as 
helping to mature emerging technologies and methods to the level of maturity required to feed the 
applied industrial research conducted in partnership with the Industrial member of the SESAR JU. 

2.6.1.3.6  Duration and key milestones 
The awarded projects will start preparing and executing their research activities between Q4 2019 and 
Q2 2020, and shall deliver their full results no later than end of Q4 2022 (maximum project duration 
of 30 months). 

2.6.1.3.7  Budget-to-Scope allocation 
The SESAR JU considers that proposals addressing topics in Work Area 1 can request a contribution 
from the EU between EUR 500.000 minimum and EUR 1.000.000 maximum and should end no later 
than  Q4  2022  (including  6  months  for  dissemination  activities  after  delivering  final  results).  These 
conditions are intended to allow the specific challenges to be addressed appropriately and if additional 
EU contribution is requested this must be strongly justified in any proposal.  

The SESAR JU considers that proposals addressing topics in Work Area 2 can request a contribution 
from the EU between EUR 1.000.000 minimum and EUR 2.000.000 maximum and should end no later 
than  Q4  2022  (including  6  months  for  dissemination  activities  after  delivering  final  results).  These 
conditions are intended to allow the specific challenges to be addressed appropriately. 

The overall budget for Work Area 1 is EUR 15.500.000. No specific share of the budget is assigned to 
individual Sub Work Areas of Work Area 1. 

The overall budget for Work Area 2 is EUR 23.064.361. No specific share of the budget is assigned to 
individual Sub Work Areas of Work Area 2. 

2.6.1.3.8  Funding rate, number of contracts and location 
In accordance with standard H2020 conditions for each type of Action as set in provisions of H2020 
Work Programme 2018-2020 Part 19. General Annexes section D. Types of action: specific provisions 
and funding rates. 

Eligibility conditions for participation are set out in the Rules of Participation and to the provisions of 
H2020  Work  Programme  2018-2020  Part  19.  General  Annexes  section  C.  ‘Standard  admissibility 
conditions, page limits and supporting documents’. 

A)  For  CSAs  ‐  at  least  one  applicant  established  in  a  Member  State  or  Associated  Country  shall 
participate in the activity; 

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B) For RIAs and IAs ‐ at least three applicants shall participate in the activity. Each of the three shall be 
established  in  a  different  Member  State  or  associated  country.  All  three  legal  entities  shall  be 
independent of each other. 

The  list  of  associated  country  can  be  found  in  General  Annexes  section  A  of  Horizon  2020  Work 
Programme 2018-2020. 

2.6.1.3.9  Grant conditions 
General conditions for the eligibility of costs are set in accordance with Article 26 of the H2020 Rules 
for Participation and Article of 6 of the Model Grant Agreement. 

2.6.1.3.10  Complementary grants 
Complementarity  between  particular  topics  may  be  specified  within  their  scope,  in  the  topics 
description although this will be limited to grants awarded under Work Areas I and II. 

2.6.1.3.11  Eligibility criteria 
For the ER4 call for proposals, this information is conform to the general conditions set in Paragraph 
2.6.1.1 above. 

2.6.1.3.12  Standard admissibility conditions, page limits and supporting documents 
The admissibility conditions for this call are conform to the provisions of the H2020 Work Programme 
2018-2020  Part  19.  General  Annexes  section  C.  ‘Standard  admissibility  conditions,  page  limits  and 
supporting documents’. For this call, the page limit for the full proposal is set to 35 pages. This is clearly 
shown in the proposal templates in the Funding and Tenders Portal electronic submission system. 

2.6.1.3.13  Award criteria 

Type of 
Actions 

Excellence 

Impact 

The following aspects will be 
taken into account in order 
to assess the extent to which  
the proposed work 
corresponds to the topic 
description 

The following aspects will be 
taken into account in order 
to assess the extent to 
which the outputs of the 
project should impact at 
European and/or 
International level 

Research 
Innovation 
Actions (RIAs) 

1.  Clarity  and  pertinence  of 
to 
the  proposal:  degree 
which  the  objectives,  scope, 
justification  principles  and 
requirements  defined  in  the 
Technical  Specifications  are 
well  understood  and  fully 
addressed. 

2.  Feasibility,  adequacy  and 
scientific  quality  of 
the 
proposed 
methodology, 
including  elaboration  of  the 
and 
research 
hypotheses,  as  well  as 
explicit  justification  of  the 

questions 

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research 

1.  Degree  to  which  the 
proposal  demonstrates  that 
the 
would 
contribute  to  achieve  both 
impact 
expected 
the 
call 
in 
outlined 
specification  and  provide 
additional 
to 
society. 

benefits 

the 

2. Quality of the proposed 
measures to: 
- Exploit and disseminate 
the project results (including 
management of IPR), and to 

Implementation 

The following aspects will be 
taken into account in order to 
assess the quality and 
efficiency of the 
implementation 

1.  Quality  and  effectiveness  of 
the  Project  Management  Plan: 
degree  to  which  the  proposed 
plan complies with the guidance 
material  referred  to  in  the  call 
specification including extent to 
which the resources assigned to 
work  packages  are  in  line  with 
their 
and 
objectives 
deliverables. 

the 
2.  Appropriateness  of 
management 
structure  and 
procedures:  degree  to  which 
the  proposed  management 
appropriate, 
structure 

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SINGLE PROGRAMMING DOCUMENT 2019-2021 

assumptions essential to the 
research. 

the 

operations 

3. Level of awareness of the 
state-of-the-art:  degree  to 
which 
proposal 
demonstrates  knowledge  of 
and 
current 
relevant  previous  R&D  work 
(both 
in  and  outside  of 
SESAR)  and  explains  how 
is 
their  proposed  work 
beyond  the  state  of  the  art, 
and 
demonstrates 
innovation potential 

manage research data 
where relevant. 
-  Communicate  the  project 
activities  to  different  target 
audiences  

including  complementarity  of 
the  participants  within 
the 
the  use  of 
and 
Project 
governance 
and 
advisory board as appropriate 

structure 

and 

3.  Appropriateness  of 
the 
technical  expertise:  degree  to 
which the technical expertise is 
appropriate for undertaking the 
proposed 
for 
tasks, 
ensuring  that  all  participants 
have a  valid role and adequate 
resources in the project to fulfil 
that  role    (including  proposed 
to  ensure  an 
mechanisms 
appropriate 
involvement  of 
stakeholders. 

4.  Consistency  between  the 
proposed  activities  and  the 
estimated budget. 

Table 33: Award criteria for the ER4 call for proposals with reference H2020-SESAR-2019-2 

The  scoring  scheme  used  in  evaluation  for  each  criterion  will  be  on  a  scale  ranging  from  0-5  with 
decimal points being valid. Pass thresholds per criterion and overall are established in the table below: 

Excellence 

Impact 

Implementation 

Weight (%) 

Threshold per criteria 
(n/5) 

Overall 
Threshold (%) 

Pass 

40 

3 

30 

3 

70 

30 

3 

Table 34: Scoring scheme and thresholds for the ER4 call for proposals with reference H2020-SESAR-2019-2 

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2.6.1.4  Finalisation of the preparation of the VLD Open 2 call for proposals (with reference H2020-

SESAR-2020-1) 

Considering that the Airspace Architecture Study will conclude at the end of 2018 and that the ATM 
Master Plan update campaign has been extended until the first quarter of 2019, the SESAR JU decided 
to postpone the launch of the VLD Open 2 call for proposals, initially scheduled in Q3 or Q4 2019, in 
Q1 2020. The reference of that open call for proposals is H2020-SESAR-2020-1. 

The SESAR JU has already carried out in 2018 the consultation activities (‘High-Level Definition’ and 
‘Detailed Definition’ phases) to define the content of this call for proposals, as was foreseen in the SPD 
2018-2020 (see SPD 2018-2020 Section III, Paragraph 2.1.2 and especially the Paragraph 2.1.2.1). In Q2 
or Q3 2019, the SESAR JU will carry out a last round of review of the planned content of the VLD Open 
2 call for proposals (with reference H2020-SESAR-2020-1) with the ATM Master Planning Committee. 
The preparation of the call for proposals material will be carried out in view of launching the call for 
proposals in the beginning of 2020. The call conditions will be documented in the SPD 2020-2022; the 
rest of the call material required for launching the call based on the H2020 requirements (including 
technical specifications, proposal templates, evaluation procedure and execution framework) will be 
prepared by the SESAR JU by the end of 2019. 

Financial Management  

2.6.2 
The SESAR JU will continue developing its internal financial processes and procedures, continuing its 
pro-active  approach  to  ensure  the  transparent  and  effective  management  of  financial  resources. 
During the course of 2019, the SESAR JU will continue to aim for a high level of budget implementation 
(both in terms of commitments and payments), to continue to streamline workflows within the SESAR 
JU’s  Finance  related  IT  systems  (ABAC/SAP)  and  with  regards  to  the  Horizon  2020  IT  tools 
(SYGMA/COMPASS), to maintain a high level of accuracy in budgetary forecasting. 

The SESAR JU will also continue its services so that reimbursements to external experts, participants 
to governance bodies and candidates are carried out in accordance with the financial rules and the 
relevant contractual obligations. 

In 2019, the provision of services that the SESAR Joint Undertaking have contracted to DG BUDGET will 
have reached full maturity. The procedures and tools at the SESAR JU related to those services will be 
fully  adapted  to  this  new  scenario.  Those  services  are  Treasury,  Accounting,  Central  Budgetary 
Framework, Recovery Actions, Validation of Local Systems and Reporting. 

Legal and Procurement support to operations 

2.6.3 
In the field of Legal and Procurement support to operations, and in continuation with activities carried 
out over the past years, in 2019 the SESAR JU will  

For Legal Affairs: 

  Develop legal analysis on various matters requiring so. Such analysis could take the form of 
legal  advices,  opinions, 
legal  risk  assessments  and  the  related  mitigation  actions, 
participation  in  SESAR  JU  technical  and  administrative  projects,  SESAR  JU  staff  training 
activities, guidelines or other material on legal matters, drafting, review and/or update of the 
SESAR JU’s internal rules and procedures within the  SESAR JU QMS (see below  Paragraph 
2.6.5). They aim to ensure: 

o  the  regularity  and  legality  of  all  SESAR  JU’s  binding  agreements,  contracts,  grants, 

decisions, processes, measures, 

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o  the  respect  of  the  PPP  principles  agreed  with  SESAR  JU  Members  (Membership 

Agreement), 

o  the  respect  of  the  agreements  concluded  with  SESAR  JU’s  founding  members  (EC 

Delegation Agreements, ECTRL agreement); 

  Coordinate with the European Commission and relevant SESAR JU external stakeholders with 

regard to legal aspects, 

  Contribute to inter-agency legal and procurement networks (IALN and NAPO) as well as to 

H2020 legal networks (NoL and LMIG); 

For Procurement: 

  Effective  implementation  of  the  procurement  plan  for  2019  (Annex  IX  of  this  document):  
preparation,  launch  and  administration  of  procurement  procedure  files,  contracts  and 
archives;  

  Develop  legal  analysis  on  various  matters  requiring  so  in  the  field  of  Procurement.  Such 
analysis could take the form of legal advices, legal risk assessments and the related mitigation 
actions,  SESAR  JU  staff  training  activities,  guidelines  or  other  material  on  procurement 
matters,  drafting,  review  and/or  update  of  the  SESAR  JU’s  internal  rules  and  procedures 
related to procurement activities within the SESAR JU QMS (see below Paragraph 2.6.5).  

2.6.4  Corporate Planning and Reporting activities 
By  January  31st,  2019,  the  SESAR  JU  will  prepare  the  first  amendment  to  the  Single  Programming 
Document, aiming for the adoption of the budget outturn and transfer of unused 2018 appropriations 
into the 2019 budget by the Administrative Board. 

By  January  31st,  2019,  the  SESAR  JU  will  prepare  and  submit  to  the  Budgetary  Authority  its  Single 
Programming  Document  for  2020,  covering  the  period  2020-2022.  This  document  will  be  further 
elaborated  by  the  end  of  2019  and  submitted  to  the  Administrative  Board  by  end  November  for 
adoption in mid-December 2019. 

By  the  end  of  2019,  the  SESAR  JU  will  prepare  and  submit  to  the  Administrative  Board  its  Single 
Programming Document for 2021, covering the period 2021-2023. The submission of this document 
to the EC will be prepared for January 31st, 2020. 

In addition, the SESAR JU will also prepare and submit its Consolidated Annual Activity Report for 2018, 
which will be ready for submission to the Budgetary Authorities by June 30th, 2019. 

2.6.5  Corporate Quality Management 
In  2019,  the  SESAR  JU  will  maintain  its  Quality  Management  System  and  monitor  quality.  Specific 
continuous improvement actions will be defined and followed up within the QICT Committee. 

The SESAR JU will also run its Information & Document Management System and the supporting IDMS 
platform. Continuous improvement actions will be planned and undertaken, and will be followed up 
within the QICT Committee. 

2.6.6  Human Resources 
In  2019,  the  SESAR  JU  will  seek  to  further  raise  staff  competence  and  capability,  delivering 
organisation-wide productivity improvements through the application and administration of a range 
of enablers such as effective training, staff development and transparent and fair staff appraisal and 

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promotion exercises. Efficiency gains are presented in Section II, Paragraph 3.2.1 and will be monitored 
in 2019. 

The  SESAR  JU  will  further  strengthen  its  culture  of  excellence  at  all  levels  by  providing  targeted 
technical  and  other  relevant  training  and  development  programmes  for  staff  to  develop  a  high-
performing organisation. Assisting staff in identifying their training needs and supporting learning to 
allow  access  to  appropriate  generic  and  technical  training  courses  and  material  will  also  remain  a 
priority.  

SESAR JU will also continue to develop leading practices in the recruitment, retention and recognition 
of  staff  with  the  emphasis  in  2019  on  improving  staff  retention  and  development  through  the 
introduction of a number of targeted initiatives designed to reduce potentially high turnover rates. 
These  consist  in  conducting  a  staff  survey,  organising  team-building  activities  and  performing  360° 
degrees  exercises  in  order  to  identify  key  areas  of  improvement  in  the  way  teams  collaborate  and 
communicate. Similar initiatives in previous years have helped keeping a high occupancy rate (90% at 
the end of 2017) and a low staff turnover rate of 9,2% at the end of 2017.  

The main objectives in the field of HR are to ensure that the SESAR JU’s Staff Establishment Plan is 
filled, ensure the efficient management of staff resources and an optimal working environment. HR 
activities will focus on the following during 2019: 

  42 positions to be filled throughout 2019 (39 TAs and 3 SNEs); 
 

In  conjunction  with  the  European  Commission,  the  Administrative  Board  will  continue  to 
adopt  the  relevant  Implementing  Rules  relating  to  HR  policy  where  appropriate  (middle 
management, learning & development, etc.); 

  Follow-up  of  the  Service  Level  Agreement  with  DG  HR  and  DIGIT  regarding  the 
implementation of the ‘Sysper for Agencies’ software (HR information management system). 

Facilities Management, ICT and Logistics 

2.6.7 
Facilities  Management,  ICT  and  Logistics  are  related  to  the  following  administrative  routine  and 
services: 

 

ICT Coordination, supporting the corporate governance by providing expert advice and input 
in the fields ICT & Unified Communications; 

  Missions Coordination, supporting SESAR JU staff by providing core support for their travel 
bookings and execution of missions, as well as to the reimbursement of the travel expenses 
towards the travel agency’s expenses and the traveller’ claims; 

  Facilities  management  Coordination,  supporting  intra-muros  staff  by  providing  facility 

coordination support in the Buildings and Logistics services; 
Insurance Coordination. 

 

During the reporting period, a continuous care will be granted to ensure that the ICT infrastructure 
implemented and operating environment are suitable to meet the needs and budget of the SESAR JU, 
deviations  could  result  or  in  Change  Requests  or  in  Transformation  projects.  Service  level 
measurement and performance improvement activities will be safeguarded by Service Improvement 
Requests & Problem Management. 

Ensuring continuity and interoperability of ICT service provided will require particular attention when 
renewing  contracting  elements  of  the  infrastructure  environment,  of  the  centralised  licencing 
portfolio, as well of for the ICT Coordination & Validation sourcing Services. 

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The execution of the SESAR JU Governance and the Business Continuity activities will be assured by 
studies services such as advice, benchmarking and high-level consultancy. 

Missions  support  will  also  continue  during  2019,  consisting  in  mission  process  management  and 
support to all staff across the SESAR JU while transitioning to new mission system over the period if 
necessary. 

In 2019, in terms of Facilities management, work will continue on a number of initiatives in SESAR JU’s 
premises in Brussels to improve the productivity, safety & efficiency of the working environment and 
facilities offered to SESAR JU staff. The team will work on continuous improvements in terms of facility 
maintenance  and  renovation  (such  as  handyman  works).  The  key  initiatives  are  the  Audit  of  the 
premises,  the  stocktake,  the  continuous  monitoring,  renewal  and  coverage  in  relation  to  the 
insurances and the Implementation of solutions to prevention and protection audit recommendations. 
Finally, a procurement call is planned for the provision of reception and reception back-office services 
of the SESAR JU. The outcome of this public call will result in a contract which is planned for May 2019. 

2.6.8 

Internal Control and Audits 

2.6.8.1  Financial Procedures 
In  2019  the  SESAR  JU  will  continue  to  ensure  the  robustness  and  appropriateness  of  its  financial 
circuits.  This  will  involve  the  continuous  improvement  of  checklists,  delegations  of  authority  and 
backup  systems  in  order  to  provide  clarity  and  consistency  between  financial  procedures.  Special 
emphasis will be placed on continuing to integrate the relevant provisions and workflows stemming 
from Horizon 2020 rules and tools into the existing SESAR JU financial environment and set-up. 

2.6.8.2  Ex-ante & Ex-post controls 
Ex-ante controls 

Ex-ante controls remain an important tool for the SESAR JU to prevent errors and avoid the need for 
ex-post corrective actions. In accordance with Article 74 of the EU Financial Regulation and Article 44 
of the SESAR JU’s Financial Rules ‘each operation shall be subject at least to an ex ante control relating 
to the operational and financial aspects of the operation, on the basis of a multiannual control strategy 
which takes risk into account’. The main objective of ex-ante controls therefore is to ensure that the 
principle of sound financial management is applied. In 2019 the following ex-ante activities will take 
place: 

  Generate and check grant agreements; 
 
  Assessment of periodic reports from grants and the verification and payment of cost claims. 

Initiate, check and verify invoices for administrative expenditure; 

Ex-post controls 

One of the other major pillars of assurance for  SESAR JU is its ex-post audit activity and as such, it 
represents a significant element of the Internal Control System. Its main objectives are to: 

  Provide the Authorising Officer with the necessary elements of assurance in a timely manner 

on the operational expenditure; 

  Assess the regularity and legality of the transactions; 

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  Attain residual error rates at an acceptable level at the closure of SESAR 2020 Programme, 
once the financial impact of all audits, correction and recovery measures has been taken into 
account; 

  Determine  the  sound  financial  management  of  the  transactions,  with  the  support  of  the 
internal or external technical experts, with the overall objective to assess the value for money 
of the SESAR JU operations; 
Identify systemic errors through the analysis and synthesis  of the results obtained and  to 
formulate recommendations to address the issues; 

 

  Provide  the  SESAR  JU  auditees  with  recommendations  in  order  to  improve  the  financial 
management,  processes,  procedures  and  practices  applied  to  the  activities  related  to  the 
SESAR JU contracts. 

In  2019,  the  audit  activity  will  be  split  in  two  focal  points:  a)  The  second  year  of  the  SESAR  2020 
Programme  and  b)  the  finalisation  of  any  open  audits  under  SESAR  1  (implementation  of  audit 
adjustments to previous cost claims).   

For the former, the H2020 Audit Strategy  applies. The SESAR JU’s payment of costs will be included in 
the population of the Common Representative Sample that will be drawn by the Common Audit Service 
of  the  EC.  This  activity  will  be  complemented  by  ‘additional  sample’  and  –if  necessary-  ‘Article  10 
sample’ established to provide timely results in order to enable the SESAR JU to draw the conclusions 
and report on its specific error rates.  

Additionally,  in  2019  the  audit  activity  will  plan  the  execution  of  audits  for  grants  signed  in  2018, 
regarding assigned revenue for Geo-fencing, U-Space and Airspace Architecture. 

2.6.8.3  Audits 
Internal Audit Capability 

The IAC will perform audit and consulting engagements based on risks identified in  2017 and 2018, 
with special focus on the recommendations from the interim evaluation of SESAR 2020 Programme 
conducted by the EC in 2017, and will coordinate activities of the IAS and ECA as described below. 

Internal Audit Service (IAS) 2019 Audits 

Internal audits are carried out by Internal Audit Service of the European Commission (IAS) in liaison 
with the SESAR JU’s Internal Audit Capability (IAC). It is expected that a strategic risk assessment will 
be performed by the Internal Audit Service of the European Commission (IAS) in 2019. The outcome 
of this overall assessment of risks will lead to a list of potential audit topics to cover the period 2019-
2021. 

European Court of Auditors (ECA) 2018 Audits 

At this stage, the SESAR JU is not aware of the external audits to be conducted by the ECA in 2019, with 
the exception of the recurring Annual Audit of the accounts for the financial year 2018. 

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2.6.9  Data Protection  
As from the entry into force of the new Regulation45, replacing Regulation 45/2001 and bringing in the 
principles of the GDPR46, the following novelties, which started to be introduced during 2018, will be 
continued over the course of 2019 in the SESAR JU as across other EU institutions and bodies: 

  Accountability and shift of responsibilities from the DPO to the ‘Controller’, as responsible 

for the compliance at three levels (insurance, demonstration and verification); 

  Documentation and consultation obligations closely tied to the risks; 
  Transparency and clear information to data subjects including new data subject rights; 
  New obligation of the SESAR JU to notify data breach notifications; 
  Strict data protection clauses in contracts.  

For this purpose, the SESAR JU will continue implementing the following tasks. 

  Plan, provide advice and report to the Controller on accountability at three levels. 
  Later stage of implementation of the Action Plan. 
  New  system of records replacing the previous notification system. The priority setting for 
reformatting from notification into record has been based on the assessment of the risk of 
the processing operations. During the second quarter of 2019, the SESAR JU will participate 
in a joint procurement procedure with the other Joint Undertakings, for the development 
and maintenance of an on-line data protection register tailor made to the needs of a Joint 
Undertaking. 

  Cooperation with EUROCONTROL Data Protection Officer. 
  Follow up on the new or updated guidance to be issued by the European Data Protection 

Supervisor. 

2.6.10  Indicators and measurements applicable for the Strategic Area of Operation 6 
The SESAR JU has the following objectives to be delivered during 2019 which are outlined in the table 
below and which will be tracked according to the following indicators: 

2019 Objectives 

Indicators 

Target for 2019 

Implement the calls for 
proposals and grants 
management framework 

Launch of the two calls for proposals under H2020 : 

100% 

 

 

IR-VLD Wave 2 call for proposals with reference 
H2020-SESAR-2019-1 
ER4 call for proposals with reference H2020-
SESAR-2019-2 

Call reference H2020-SESAR-
2020-1 (VLD Open 2 call for 
proposals): preparation of 
content and call material  

VLD Open 2 call for proposals (H2020-SESAR-2020-1) 
material prepared, call conditions documented in the 
SPD 2020-2022, call for proposals ready for publication 
and opening in early 2020 

100%  

45 Proposal for Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the protection of individuals with regard to the 
processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such data, 
and repealing Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 and Decision No 1247/2002/EC 

46 Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural 
persons  with  regard  to  the  processing  of  personal  data  and  on  the  free  movement  of  such  data,  and  repealing  Directive 
95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation, ‘GDPR’) 

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Implement remaining 
recommendations of EC’s 
mid-term review of H2020 
implementation 

Follow up audit 
recommendations 

Ensure full compliance with 
programming and reporting 
requirements  

Consultation of the ATM Master Planning Committee on 
the VLD Open 2 call for proposals content 

Percentage of interim review recommendations 
completed in 2019 

Percentage of full implementation of IAS previous years 
audits recommendation implementation completed in 
2019 

100% 

100% 

100% 

Full compliance with programming obligations for JUs  

Full compliance 

 

SPD 2019-2021 amendment 1 submitted to 
ADB for adoption by January 31st, 2019 
(transfer of unused 2018 appropriations into 
the 2019 budget) 

  Draft SPD 2020-2022 submitted to the 

 

 

Budgetary Authority by January 31st, 2019 
FiFi 2020 (budget request for 2020) submitted 
to the DG BUDG by January 31st, 2019 latest 
SPD 2020-2022 submitted to Administrative 
Board by end November 2019 for adoption in 
mid-December 2019 

100% 

100% 

100% 

100% 

Full compliance with reporting obligations for JUs  

Full compliance 

 

CAAR 2018 adopted by the ADB and sent to 
the Budgetary Authority by June 30th, 2019 
latest 

  Report on the implementation of the 

delegation agreements (see 3.2.2) submitted 
to DG MOVE by February 15th, 2019 

No critical observation from auditors 

100% 

100% 

Monitor Exception and Non-
Compliance Events Register 

Exceptions and non-compliance events per SESAR 
JU Area 

Max. 5% of 
transactions 

Percentage of completed legal and procurement aspects 
of the contractual action plan within deadlines 

95% 

Provision of legal advice to the SESAR JU on: 

  H2020 grants 
  Non-H2020 grants 

In accordance with 
the plan agreed 
with the requestor 

Other matters in relation with European Network with 
Agencies and Common Support Center 

Percentage of SESAR 1 finalised project audits 

H2020 project audits: provision of necessary inputs to 
CAS to execute 2018 audits 

100% 

100% 

Monitor efficiency and 
effectiveness of SESAR JU’s 
legal and procurement 
activities 

Monitor efficiency and 
effectiveness of SESAR JU’s 
project audit activities 

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Monitor efficiency and 
effectiveness of SESAR JU’s 
corporate and management 
activities  

Deliver the plan for audits on non-H2020 activities: Geo-
fencing, U-Space and Airspace Architecture 

Full compliance with Internal Control Framework by the 
end of 2019 (to be documented in the CAAR 2019) 

100% 

100% 

Discrepancies against processes, and their translation in 
QMS improvement actions 

Continuous registration of improvement actions as part 
of the SESAR JU QMS  

All process 
improvement 
actions are taken in 
due course 

Acceptable level of corporate risks as per risk 
management plan, and allow for leveraging of 
opportunities 

Effective staffing management: 

  Maximum turnover rate:  
  Minimum occupancy rate:  

Implementation of CDR and promotion exercise 

Percentage of implemented SYSPER phase 2 

Implementation or opt-out of EC implementing 
decisions and models 

All risk related 
actions 
implemented in 
due course 

10% 

90% 

100% 

100% 

100% 

Balance payments to 
Members and beneficiaries 

Percentage of SESAR 2020 balancing payments executed 
timely 

100% of requested 
payments made 

Budget execution: the commitment appropriations and 
payment appropriations are executed as planned in the 
2019 Budget 

90% for 
commitment 
appropriations 

Percentage of managed SESAR 1 remaining financial 
transactions? 

Completion of 2018 annual accounts 

Support to ECA audit and provision of relevant 
documentation leading to an unqualified opinion on the 
2018 accounts 

Quality of IT, infrastructure and facilities and existence 
of Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery planning 

Deliver infrastructure 
services to enable teams and 
the SESAR JU to operate 
smoothly 

70% for payment 
appropriations 

90% 

100% 

100% 

No major 
disruption of 
service unless 
triggered under 
business continuity 
& disaster planning 

Table 35: Objectives, indicators and 2019 targets for financial, administrative and corporate management 

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3  Budget & Resource Information 2019  

3.1  Budgetary Information for 2019 

Annexes I and II provide detailed budgetary information for 2019. 

Title I – Staff expenditure  

Title I expenditure is maintained at comparable levels to previous years for 2019. 

Title II – Infrastructure and operating expenditure 

Title II expenditure is maintained at comparable levels to previous years for 2019.  

Title III – Operational expenditure 

Title III includes operational activities directly conducted by the SESAR JU and those conducted by its 
Members.  

These activities to be conducted in 2019 are detailed by Strategic Area of Operation, as detailed above 
in Chapter 2. 

3.2  Staff Establishment for 2019 

The SESAR JU Staff Establishment Plan constitutes the document adopted by the Administrative Board 
defining  the  total  number  of  positions  by  grade  necessary  to  ensure  the  sound  operational  and 
financial management of the organisation and in order to execute its Work programme.  

The positions requested for 2019 will thus remain at 39 TAs, plus the 3 SNEs positions authorised by 
the SESAR JU Administrative Board. 

Since the SESAR JU Administrative Board decision of 31 May 2017, secondment of staff from SESAR JU 
selected Members do not occupy any longer positions from the SESAR JU establishment plan under 
Title I. 

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Annexes 

Annex  I:  Resource  Allocation  (budget  and  human  resources)  per 
Area of Operation 
Budget Allocation (Million EUR) 

The table below provides information related to Titles I, II and III financial contributions broken down 
per Strategic Area of Operation, in accordance with Chapters 3 of Sections II and III.  

Multi-Annual Strategic Area of Operation 

2019 

Multi-Annual Strategic Area of Operation 1: Provide Strategic 
Steering to the SESAR Programme 

Multi-Annual Strategic Area of Operation 2: Deliver Exploratory 
Research 

Multi-Annual Strategic Area of Operation 3: Deliver Industrial 
Research and Validation 

Estimate 
COMMITMENT 
Appropriations 

Estimate 
PAYMENT 
Appropriations 

M EUR 

% 

M EUR 

% 

7,18 

5% 

6,75 

4% 

41,78 

28% 

7,87 

5% 

66,47 

44% 

106,77 

63% 

Multi-Annual Strategic Area of Operation 4: Deliver Very Large Scale 
Demonstrations 

29,83  

20% 

43,67 

26% 

Multi-Annual Strategic Area of Operation 5: Deliver SESAR Outreach 

Multi-Annual Strategic Area of Operation 6: Deliver effective 
financial, administrative and corporate management 

3,24 

2,07 

2% 

1% 

2,73 

2,07 

2% 

1% 

TOTAL 2019 

150,6 

100% 

169,9 

100% 

2020 

Multi-Annual Strategic Area of Operation 1: Provide Strategic 
Steering to the SESAR Programme 

Multi-Annual Strategic Area of Operation 2: Deliver Exploratory 
Research 

Multi-Annual Strategic Area of Operation 3: Deliver Industrial 
Research and Validation 

5,90 

4% 

6,82 

5% 

1,08 

1% 

12,47 

10% 

90,22 

68% 

76,99 

60% 

Multi-Annual Strategic Area of Operation 4: Deliver Very Large Scale 
Demonstrations 

33,11 

25% 

27,90 

22% 

Multi-Annual Strategic Area of Operation 5: Deliver SESAR Outreach 

Multi-Annual Strategic Area of Operation 6: Deliver effective 
financial, administrative and corporate management 

1,19 

2,05 

1% 

2% 

2,49 

2,05 

2% 

2% 

TOTAL 2020 

133,54 

100% 

128,72 

100% 

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2021 

Multi-Annual Strategic Area of Operation 1: Provide Strategic 
Steering to the SESAR Programme 

Multi-Annual Strategic Area of Operation 2: Deliver Exploratory 
Research 

Multi-Annual Strategic Area of Operation 3: Deliver Industrial 
Research and Validation 

1,21 

11% 

2,35 

3% 

1,08 

10% 

18,88 

28% 

4,22 

38% 

27,43 

40% 

Multi-Annual Strategic Area of Operation 4: Deliver Very Large Scale 
Demonstrations 

1,43 

13% 

15,15 

22% 

Multi-Annual Strategic Area of Operation 5: Deliver SESAR Outreach 

Multi-Annual Strategic Area of Operation 6: Deliver effective 
financial, administrative and corporate management 

1,18 

2,09 

11% 

19% 

2,61 

2,09 

4% 

3% 

TOTAL 2021 

11,21 

100% 

68,52 

100% 

Table 36: Financial resource allocation per Strategic Area of Operation per year in the period 2019-2021 

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Human Resources 

The table below provides information related to human resources, broken down per Strategic Area of 
Operation, in accordance with Chapters 3 of Sections II and III.  

Multi-Annual Strategic Area of Operation 

Total HR 

% 

Estimate 2019 

Multi-Annual Strategic Area of Operation 1: Provide Strategic Steering to the 
SESAR Programme 

Multi-Annual Strategic Area of Operation 2: Deliver Exploratory Research 

Multi-Annual Strategic Area of Operation 3: Deliver Industrial Research and 
Validation 

Multi-Annual Strategic Area of Operation 4: Deliver Very Large Scale 
Demonstrations 

Multi-Annual Strategic Area of Operation 5: Deliver SESAR Outreach 

Multi-Annual Strategic Area of Operation 6: Deliver effective financial, 
administrative and corporate management 

TOTAL 2019 

Estimate 2020 

Multi-Annual  Strategic  Area  of  Operation  1:  Provide  Strategic  Steering  to  the 
SESAR Programme 

Multi-Annual Strategic Area of Operation 2: Deliver Exploratory Research 

Multi-Annual  Strategic  Area  of  Operation  3:  Deliver  Industrial  Research  and 
Validation 

Multi-Annual  Strategic  Area  of  Operation  4:  Deliver  Very  Large  Scale 
Demonstrations 

Multi-Annual Strategic Area of Operation 5: Deliver SESAR Outreach 

Multi-Annual  Strategic  Area  of  Operation  6:  Deliver  effective  financial, 
administrative and corporate management 

TOTAL 2020 

Estimate 2021 

Multi-Annual  Strategic  Area  of  Operation  1:  Provide  Strategic  Steering  to  the 
SESAR Programme 

Multi-Annual Strategic Area of Operation 2: Deliver Exploratory Research 

Multi-Annual  Strategic  Area  of  Operation  3:  Deliver  Industrial  Research  and 
Validation 

Multi-Annual  Strategic  Area  of  Operation  4:  Deliver  Very  Large  Scale 
Demonstrations 

Multi-Annual Strategic Area of Operation 5: Deliver SESAR Outreach 

Multi-Annual  Strategic  Area  of  Operation  6:  Deliver  effective  financial, 
administrative and corporate management 

5 

4 

15 

5 

4 

9 

42 

5 

4 

15 

5 

4 

9 

42 

5 

4 

15 

5 

4 

9 

12% 

9% 

37% 

12% 

9% 

21% 

100% 

12% 

9% 

37% 

12% 

9% 

21% 

100% 

12% 

9% 

37% 

12% 

9% 

21% 

TOTAL 2021 

42 

100% 

Table 37: Human resource allocation per Strategic Area of Operation per year in the period 2019-2021

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Annex II: Financial Resources (Tables) 2019 – 2021 
In this annex, the financial resources are presented for the whole SESAR JU. 

Table 1 – Expenditure  

Table 38: SESAR JU Expenditure Budget per Title in 2018 (year N) and 2019 (year N+1) – Commitment & Payment appropriations 

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 (EUR) Commitment appropriationsPayment appropriationsCommitment appropriationsPayment appropriationsTitle I             6.040.300               6.040.300              6.044.372               6.044.372 Title II             3.476.234               3.476.234              3.612.935               3.612.935 Title III          143.921.427           131.392.685          140.901.014           160.199.891 Total expenditure          153.437.961           140.909.219          150.558.321           169.857.198 ExpenditureN (2018)N+1 (2019) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 (EUR) Agency requestBudget ForecastTitle I - Staff Expenditure5.995.000             6.040.300              6.044.372             6.044.372              6.157.360     6.280.507      11 Salaries & allowances5.330.000             5.465.300              5.517.372             5.517.372              1,0%5.630.360     5.742.967      - of which establishment plan posts 4.730.000                 4.853.300                  4.913.132                 4.913.132                  1,2%5.013.635      5.113.908       - of which external personnel 600.000                     612.000                      604.240                    604.240                     (1,3)%616.725         629.060           12 Expenditure relating to Staff recruitment15.000                        15.000                         15.000                       15.000                        -15.000            15.300              13 Mission expenses470.000                     335.000                      335.000                     335.000                      -300.000          306.000           14 Socio-medical infrastructure-                              -                               -                              -                               --                   -                    15 Training85.000                        50.000                         50.000                       50.000                        -85.000            86.700              16 External Services60.000                        140.000                      92.000                       92.000                        (34,3)%92.000            93.840              17 Receptions and events-                              -                               -                              -                               --                   -                    19 Other Staff related expenditure35.000                        35.000                         35.000                       35.000                        -35.000            35.700              Title II - Infrastructure and operating expenditure4.180.351             3.476.234              3.612.935             3.612.935              3.417.079     3.465.671      20 Rental of buildings and associated costs[*]819.816                963.820                 918.880                918.880                (4,7)%900.944       918.963        21 Information and communication technology1.865.784             1.535.000              1.562.720             1.562.720              1,8%1.564.948     1.570.747      22 Movable property and associated costs55.000                  62.018                  10.000                 10.000                  (83,9)%10.200         10.404          23 Current administrative expenditure926.560                497.696                 713.335                713.335                43,3%530.987       547.357        24 Postage / Telecommunications51.500                  -                        -                       -                       --              -               25 Meeting expenses39.950                  19.700                  10.000                 10.000                  (49,2)%10.000         10.200          26 Running costs in connection with operational activities-                       -                        -                       -                       --              -               27 Information and publishing421.741                398.000                 398.000                398.000                -400.000       408.000        28 Studies-                       -                        -                       -                       --              -               Budget N+3 (2021)EXPENDITURECommitment appropriationsExecuted Budget N-1 (2017)Budget N (2018)Budget N+1 (2019)VAR N+1 / NBudget N+2 (2020) 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
EDITION 03.00 

Table 39: Detailed SESAR JU whole Expenditure Budget over the period 2017 – 2021 (N-1 to N+3) – Commitment appropriations 

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Title III - Operational expenditure103.005.914          143.921.427          140.901.014         140.901.014          123.969.949 1.467.500      SESAR 1 - 3.1 Studies/Development Conducted By the SJU1.229.808             -                        -                       -                       --              -               SESAR 1 - 3.2 Studies/Development Conducted By EUROCONTROL-                       -                        -                       -                       --              -               SESAR 1 - 3.3 Studies/Development Conducted By Other Members137.608                -                        -                       -                       --              -               SESAR 2020 3.1 - Providing Strategic Steering to the SESAR programme6.235.737             6.725.014              7.741.986             7.741.986              15,1%6.007.515     1.212.500      SESAR 2020 3.2 - Deliver Exploratory Research-                       1.047.374              40.628.117           40.628.117            3779,0%-              -               SESAR 2020 3.3 - Deliver Industrial Research and Validation80.072.355           98.493.896            61.928.989           61.928.989            (37,1)%86.006.734   -               SESAR 2020 3.4 - Deliver Very Large-Scale Demonstration activities15.330.406           36.614.631            28.286.522           28.286.522            (22,7)%31.679.535   -               SESAR 2020 3.5 - Deliver SESAR Outreach-                       1.040.512              2.315.400             2.315.400              122,5%276.165       255.000        TOTAL EXPENDITURE113.181.265          153.437.961          150.558.321         150.558.321          133.544.388 11.213.679    [*] Including possible repayment of interest; detailed information as regards building policy can be found in Annex V 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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157 

 (EUR) Agency requestBudget ForecastTitle I - Staff Expenditure5.995.000             6.040.300              6.044.372             6.044.372              6.157.360     6.280.507      11 Salaries & allowances5.330.000             5.465.300              5.517.372             5.517.372              1,0%5.630.360     5.742.967      - of which establishment plan posts 4.730.000                 4.853.300                  4.913.132                 4.913.132                  1,2%5.013.635      5.113.908       - of which external personnel 600.000                     612.000                      604.240                    604.240                     (1,3)%616.725         629.060           12 Expenditure relating to Staff recruitment15.000                        15.000                         15.000                       15.000                        -15.000            15.300              13 Mission expenses470.000                     335.000                      335.000                     335.000                      -300.000          306.000           14 Socio-medical infrastructure-                              -                               -                              -                               --                   -                    15 Training85.000                        50.000                         50.000                       50.000                        -85.000            86.700              16 External Services60.000                        140.000                      92.000                       92.000                        (34,3)%92.000            93.840              17 Receptions and events-                              -                               -                              -                               --                   -                    19 Other Staff related expenditure35.000                        35.000                         35.000                       35.000                        -35.000            35.700              Title II - Infrastructure and operating expenditure4.180.351             3.476.234              3.612.935             3.612.935              3.417.079     3.465.671      20 Rental of buildings and associated costs[*]819.816                963.820                 918.880                918.880                (4,7)%900.944       918.963        21 Information and communication technology1.865.784             1.535.000              1.562.720             1.562.720              1,8%1.564.948     1.570.747      22 Movable property and associated costs55.000                  62.018                  10.000                 10.000                  (83,9)%10.200         10.404          23 Current administrative expenditure926.560                497.696                 713.335                713.335                43,3%530.987       547.357        24 Postage / Telecommunications51.500                  -                        -                       -                       --              -               25 Meeting expenses39.950                  19.700                  10.000                 10.000                  (49,2)%10.000         10.200          26 Running costs in connection with operational activities-                       -                        -                       -                       --              -               27 Information and publishing421.741                398.000                 398.000                398.000                -400.000       408.000        28 Studies-                       -                        -                       -                       --              -               EXPENDITUREPayment appropriationsExecuted Budget N-1 (2017)Budget N (2018)Budget N+1 (2019)VAR N+1 / NBudget N+2 (2020)Budget N+3 (2021) 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
EDITION 03.00 

Table 40: Detailed Expenditure Budget over the period 2017 – 2021 (N-1 to N+3) – Payment appropriations 

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Title III - Operational expenditure181.473.032          131.392.685          160.199.891         160.199.891          119.142.377 58.770.032    SESAR 1 - 3.1 Studies/Development Conducted By the SJU23.096.479           4.403.499              -                       -                       (100,0)%-              -               SESAR 1 - 3.2 Studies/Development Conducted By EUROCONTROL-                       -                        -                       -                       0,0%-              -               SESAR 1 - 3.3 Studies/Development Conducted By Other Members77.231.070           16.591.794            -                       -                       (100,0)%-              -               SESAR 2020 3.1 - Providing Strategic Steering to the SESAR programme4.642.255             7.650.826              7.328.660             7.328.660              (4,2)%6.941.708     2.360.810      SESAR 2020 3.2 - Deliver Exploratory Research10.221.984           16.315.319            6.715.950             6.715.950              (58,8)%11.387.765   17.800.000    SESAR 2020 3.3 - Deliver Industrial Research and Validation54.571.756           58.819.683            102.157.241         102.157.241          73,7%72.720.027   23.159.279    SESAR 2020 3.4 - Deliver Very Large-Scale Demonstration activities10.904.487           24.901.051            42.183.041           42.183.041            69,4%26.513.727   13.764.943    SESAR 2020 3.5 - Deliver SESAR Outreach805.000                2.710.512              1.815.000             1.815.000              (33,0)%1.579.150     1.685.000      TOTAL EXPENDITURE191.648.383          140.909.219          169.857.198         169.857.198          128.716.816 68.516.211    [*] Including possible repayment of interest; detailed information as regards building policy can be found in Annex V 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
SINGLE PROGRAMMING DOCUMENT 2019-2021 

Table 2 – Revenue 
The EU contribution post 2019 is indicative, subject to the outcome of future budgetary procedures. 

Table 41: SESAR JU Revenues in 2018 (year N) and 2019 (year N+1) 

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 (EUR) EU contributionOther revenueTotal revenues                                          29.425.846                                           37.940.321                                         153.437.961                                         150.558.321                                         124.012.115                                         112.618.000 RevenuesN (2018)N+1 (2019)Revenues estimated by the agencyBudget Forecast 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
EDITION 03.00 

Table 42: Detailed In-Kind Revenue Budget over the period 2018 – 2021 (N to N+3)  

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IN-KIND CONTRIBUTIONall figures in EuroBudgetBudgetBudgetBudget2018201920202021Title / Chapter1.European Union Contribution1.1H2020 Contribution to Administrative Expenditure1.2H2020 Contribution to Operational Expenditure1.3Com/EP Contribution to VLD (Assigned Revenue)2.Contribution from Eurocontrol475.000.00073.388.67281.733.36171.114.62964.870.4002.1contribution in cash2.2contribution in kind475.000.00073.388.67281.733.36171.114.62964.870.4003.Contributions from Other Members307.372.40357.585.59267.354.74248.400.92034.599.1183.1contribution in cash3.2contribution in kind307.372.40357.585.59267.354.74248.400.92034.599.1184.Other Revenue4.1Revenue From Interests Yielded4.2Revenue From Taxes Recovered4.3Programme revenues from non Members4.4Exceptional Revenues - Decommitments4.5Interest to be returned to the EUBudget Outturn previous yearTOTAL REVENUE782.372.403130.974.264149.088.103119.515.54899.469.518 Programme estimates (Sept. 2016)Revenue Entitlements 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Table 43: Detailed SESAR JU Revenue Budget (financial contribution) over the period 2017 – 2021 (N-1 to N+3) 

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 (EUR) N-1 (2017)N (2018)N+1 (2019)N+1 (2019)Executed BudgetRevenues estimated by the agencyAs requested by the agencyBudget Forecast1 REVENUE FROM FEES AND CHARGES-                       -                        -                       -                       --              -               2 EU CONTRIBUTION          100.800.000           121.416.119          110.000.000           110.000.000 0-            119.380.626                  -    - of which Administrative (Title I and Title II) (Budget line 1100)3.241.507                 3.250.683                  3.252.411                 3.252.411                  0,1%3.765.024      -                     - of which Operational (Title III) (Budget line 1200 - EU)96.758.493               108.165.436              106.747.589            106.747.589             (1,3)%115.615.602 -                     - of which assigned revenues deriving from additional budget (Budget line 1300)800.000                     10.000.000                -                             -                              (100,0)%-                  -                    3 THIRD COUNTRIES CONTRIBUTION (incl. EFTA and candidate countries)             2.440.000               2.595.996              2.618.000               2.618.000 0                2.841.259                  -    - of which EFTA (Budget line 1200 - EFTA)2.440.000                 2.595.996                  2.618.000                 2.618.000                  0,8%2.841.259      -                     - of which Candidate Countries4 OTHER CONTRIBUTIONS (Budget lines 2100 + 3100)6.682.000             6.954.762              6.954.762             6.954.762              -4.770.556     6.954.762       - of which delegation agreement, ad hoc grants5 ADMINISTRATIVE OPERATIONS-6 REVENUES FROM SERVICES RENDERED AGAINST PAYMENT-                       -                        -                       -                       --              -               7 CORRECTION OF BUDGETARY IMBALANCES-                       -                        -                       -                       --              -               8 INTERESTS GENERATED-                       -                        -                       -                       --              -               9 UNUSED APPROPRIATIONS FROM PREVIOUS YEARS (Budget line 5100)3.259.265             22.471.085            30.985.560           30.985.560            37,9%6.551.946     4.258.917      TOTAL REVENUES          113.181.265           153.437.961          150.558.321           150.558.321  133.544.388     11.213.679 REVENUESVAR N+1 / NEnvisaged N+2 (2020)Envisaged N+3 (2021) 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
EDITION 03.00 

Table 3 – Budget Outturn and Cancellation of Appropriations 

Budget outturn 

Revenue actually received (+) 

Payments made (-) 

Carry-over of appropriations (-) 

Cancellation of appropriations carried over (+) 

2015 
123.174.781 

2016 
143.211.209 

2017 
202.760.405 

-112.775.973 

-102.973.228 

-144.784.881 

-3.027.976 

-3.194.963 

-374.682 

Adjustment 
appropriations from previous year (+) 

for 

carry  over  of  assigned 

revenue 

Exchange rate differences (+/-) 

Adjustment for negative balance from previous year (-) 

Total 

Table 44: Budget Outturn and Cancellation of Appropriations 

7.370.832 

37.043.018 

57.600.842 

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Annex III: Human Resources (Tables) 2019 - 2021 

Table 1 – Staff population and its evolution; Overview of all categories of staff 

Staff population 

Actually filled 
as of 31.12 N-
2 (2016) 

Authorised 
under EU 
budget N-1 
(2017) 

Actually filled  
as of 31.12.N-
1 (31.12.2017) 

Authorised 
under  EU 
budget for 
year N (2018) 

Draft budget 
for  year N+1 
(2019) 

Envisaged in 
N+2 (2020) 

Envisaged in 
N+3 (2021) 

AD 

AST 

AST/SC 

AD 

AST 

AST/SC 

Officials 

TA 

Total 

CA GFIV 

CA GF III 

CA GF II 

CA GFI 

33 

6 

38 

33 

6 

39 

2 

147 

29 

6 

35 

2 

33 

6 

39 

33 

6 

39 

33 

6 

39 

33 

6 

39 

0 

47 One contractual agent was hired to cover a temporary agent position on long term absence 

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Total CA 

SNE 

Structural service providers48  

TOTAL  

External 
replacement49 

staff 

for 

occasional 

0 

3 

2 

43 

4 

3 

3 

2 

46 

4 

2 

3 

2 

42 

4 

0 

3 

3 

45 

4 

0 

3 

3 

45 

4 

0 

3 

3 

45 

4 

0 

3 

3 

45 

4 

Table 45: Staff population and its evolution 2016 - 2021 

48 Service providers are contracted by a private company and carry out specialised outsourced tasks of horizontal/support nature, for instance in the area of information technology or 
reception services 

49 Replacement due to maternity leave, long term sick leave or unfilled positions 

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Table 2 – Multi-annual staff policy plan Year 2019 - 2021 

Establishment 
plan in EU 
Budget N-1 
(2017) 

Filled as of 
31/12/N-1 
(31.12.2017) 

Category 
and 
grade 

Modifications 
in year N-1 in 
application of 
flexibility rule 
(2017) 

Establishment 
plan in voted EU 
Budget N (2018) 

Modifications in 
year N in 
application of 
flexibility rule 
(2018) 

Establishment 
plan in Draft EU 
Budget N+1 
(2019) 

Establishment 
plan N+2 (2020) 

Establishment 
plan N+3 (2021) 

officials 

TA 

officials 

TA 

officials 

TA 

officials 

TA 

officials 

TA 

officials 

TA 

officials 

TA 

officials 

TA 

AD 16 

AD 15 

AD 14 

AD 13 

AD 12 

AD 11 

AD 10 

AD 9 

AD 8 

AD 7 

AD 6 

AD 5 

1 

4 

2 

2 

3 

6 

5 

9 

1 

1 

3 

1 

3 

2 

6 

4 

8 

1 

Total AD 

33 

29 

1 

4 

3 

2 

3 

6 

6 

7 

1 

33 

1 

4 

3 

2 

5 

5 

7 

6 

1 

4 

3 

2 

5 

5 

7 

6 

1 

4 

3 

2 

5 

5 

7 

6 

33 

33 

33 

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EDITION 03.00 

Establishment 
plan in EU 
Budget N-1 
(2017) 

Filled as of 
31/12/N-1 
(31.12.2017) 

Category 
and 
grade 

Modifications 
in year N-1 in 
application of 
flexibility rule 
(2017) 

Establishment 
plan in voted EU 
Budget N (2018) 

Modifications in 
year N in 
application of 
flexibility rule 
(2018) 

Establishment 
plan in Draft EU 
Budget N+1 
(2019) 

Establishment 
plan N+2 (2020) 

Establishment 
plan N+3 (2021) 

officials 

TA 

officials 

TA 

officials 

TA 

officials 

TA 

officials 

TA 

officials 

TA 

officials 

TA 

officials 

TA 

AST 11 

AST 10 

AST 9 

AST 8 

AST 7 

AST 6 

AST 5 

AST 4 

AST 3 

AST 2 

AST 1 

Total 
AST 

AST/SC1 

AST/SC2 

166 

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1 

1 

1 

2 

1 

6 

1 

1 

3 

1 

6 

1 

1 

2 

1 

1 

6 

1 

1 

2 

2 

6 

1 

1 

2 

2 

6 

1 

1 

2 

2 

6 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Establishment 
plan in EU 
Budget N-1 
(2017) 

Filled as of 
31/12/N-1 
(31.12.2017) 

Modifications 
in year N-1 in 
application of 
flexibility rule 
(2017) 

Establishment 
plan in voted EU 
Budget N (2018) 

Modifications in 
year N in 
application of 
flexibility rule 
(2018) 

Establishment 
plan in Draft EU 
Budget N+1 
(2019) 

Establishment 
plan N+2 (2020) 

Establishment 
plan N+3 (2021) 

officials 

TA 

officials 

TA 

officials 

TA 

officials 

TA 

officials 

TA 

officials 

TA 

officials 

TA 

officials 

TA 

0 

39 

35 

39 

39 

39 

39 

Category 
and 
grade 

AST/SC3 

AST/SC4 

AST/SC5 

AST/SC6 

Total 
AST/SC 

TOTAL 

Table 46: Multi-annual staff policy plan Year 2017 - 2021 

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EDITION 03.00 

Annex IV: Human Resources Policy 
The  main  objective  of  the  SESAR  JU  staff  policy  is  to  define  the  necessary  framework  for  the 
recruitment, equal treatment, organisation, assessment, development and training of the  SESAR JU 
staff members so that their collective skills and competencies which constitute an asset for the SESAR 
JU will contribute to the achievement of the SESAR JU mission and specific objectives.  

The SESAR JU Staff Establishment Plan constitutes the document adopted by the Administrative Board 
defining  the  total  number  of  positions  by  grade  necessary  to  ensure  the  sound  operational  and 
financial management of the organisation and in order to execute its work programme.  

A. Recruitment Policy 
As of the entry into force of Council Regulation (EC) 1361/2008, the Staff Regulations of Officials of the 
European Union, the Conditions of Employment of other servants of the European Union50 and the 
rules adopted jointly by the Institutions of the European Union for the purpose of applying these Staff 
Regulations  and  the  Conditions  of  Employment  apply  to  the  staff  of  the  Joint  Undertaking  and  its 
Executive Director.  

Following the Council Regulation (EU) 721/2014 amending the Council Regulation (EC) 1361/2008, the 
staff of the Joint Undertaking consists of TAs and CAs recruited for a fixed period that may be renewed 
once for a fixed period up to 5 years. Any other renewal shall be for an indefinite period in accordance 
with the EU Staff Regulations. The total period of engagement shall not exceed in any case the duration 
of the Joint Undertaking.  

The staff of the SESAR JU shall consist of highly specialised technical staff members in charge of the 
management  and  implementation  of  the  SESAR  Programme  and  highly  specialised  and  diversified 
administrative  and  financial  staff  to  support  the  operations.  In  establishing  the  different  job 
descriptions and the organisation chart of the SESAR JU, particular attention is paid to preserve the 
adequate separation of functions, to manage the risk of conflict of interest, to ensure an efficient and 
cost-effective functioning of the organisation.  

It has to be recognised that it is difficult to attract highly skilled persons on TA contracts for a limited 
duration, especially on technical activities where the SESAR JU is in competition, on the recruitment 
point of view, with other entities such as EUROCONTROL. 

1. Staff categories 

1.1 Officials 
The SESAR JU has currently no post occupied by an official from an Institution. Furthermore, the SESAR 
JU has no permanent posts in its establishment plan and, therefore, cannot appoint officials.  

1.2 Temporary agents 
On the basis of the missions and tasks set out by the SESAR JU Regulation, the SESAR JU considers that 
most of its existing workforce can be identified as positions of long term duration within the limits of 

50 As last amended by Regulation (EU, EURATOM) No 1023/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 October 
2013 amending the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union and the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants 
of the European Union (OJ L 287, 29.10.2013, p. 15–62) 

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the existence of the SESAR JU, whether in core business activities for which continuous expertise needs 
to be built and maintained or support activities in the area of Finance and Administration. 

Where the type of expertise requested for a certain position is not easily available on the free market 
and  is  retained  by  personnel  working  for  one  of  its  Members,  the  SESAR  JU  fills  in  these  highly 
specialised positions with secondments from its Members, ensuring that proper measures to manage 
potential  conflict  of  interest  are  in  place  (segregation  of  duties,  annual  declarations  on  conflict  of 
interest, etc.). 

All  temporary  agent  posts  have  been  identified  as  post  of  long  duration  and  are  offered  a  5-year 
contract (except for staff who were under Belgian contracts at 1 January 2009, in accordance with the 
transition provisions of Council Regulation (EC) 1361/2008, who are indefinite duration contracts still 
subject to the end of functioning of the SESAR JU on 31 December 2024 at the latest).  

The table under point 3 provides the information on the key functions for which the positions have 
been filled by TAs. The process followed is in compliance with the SESAR JU Implementing Rules on the 
engagement and use of Temporary Staff. 

The entry grades are determined in function of the level of the tasks to be performed and are those 
indicated in the staff establishment plan.  

It should be noted that the SESAR Programme requires highly specialised skills and competencies, and 
– often – advanced seniority of staff members. The SESAR JU grading approved by the Administrative 
Board reflects the need of highly specialised staff members to fulfil the duties of the management of 
a high level research programme. 

The  European  Commission  guidelines  on  Staff  Policy  describe  the  flexibility  as  regard  to  the 
recruitment grades in agencies.  

As already mentioned and notwithstanding the Transitional Provisions laid down in article 2 of Council 
Regulation (EC) 1361/2008, temporary agents are recruited for a fixed term contract, in principle of 5 
years, renewable once and for a fixed period up to 5 years. Any other renewal shall be for an indefinite 
period.  In  exceptional  cases,  the  Appointing  Authority  could  decide  on  a  different  duration  of  the 
contract. The total period of engagement will not exceed in any case the duration of the  SESAR JU 
(Article 2a of Council Regulation (EU) 721/2014).  

1.3 Contract agents 
Contract agents will serve the purpose of increasing capacity mainly in support functions (financial, 
legal or administrative).  

In exceptional cases, the Appointing Authority could decide for the needs of the SESAR JU to recruit a 
CA on a short term employment (to replace TA on maternity or parental leave, work overload, specific 
need). 

Contract agents are recruited for a fixed term contract, usually with a duration not exceeding 3 years, 
renewable once for a fixed period. Any other renewal shall be for an indefinite period. In exceptional 
cases, the Appointing Authority could decide on a different duration of the contract. The total period 
of  engagement  shall  not  in  any  case  exceed  the  duration  of  the  SESAR  JU  (Article  2a  of  Council 
Regulation (EU)721/2014).  

1.4 Seconded national experts 

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EDITION 03.00 

For the need of specific expertise, the SESAR JU recruits SNEs from competent organisations in the EU 
or EUROCONTROL Member States, especially where expertise within Regulators or public authorities 
is requested. 

1.5 Structural service providers  
For the purpose of managing, plan and control reception services, the SESAR JU has signed in 2011 a 1 
year renewable contract with a service provider called ‘Receptel’. This service provider provides 1 to 2 
FTE as receptionist/Back – office reception. It is not always the same person providing the services. In 
terms of ICT coordination, 1 person is provided by an external service provider. 

1.6 The Programme Support Office 
In 2008, EUROCONTROL established a Unit – the Project Support Office (PSO) – hosted by the SESAR 
JU  in  order  to  provide  the  necessary  support  in  the  management  of  the  SESAR  Programme  and 
consisting of a contribution in kind to the SESAR JU. PSO provides programme management support 
to the SESAR JU in strict coordination with the other SESAR JU Teams. Under the current SESAR JU-
EUROCONTROL Agreement for the duration of the SESAR 2020 Programme, this Unit is known as PMU 
(Programme management Unit). The number of staff part engaged in this function at the end of 2017 
is 19 persons. 

The PMU staff assigned to the SESAR JU for the execution of this Agreement shall remain subject to 
the EUROCONTROL’s staff regulations and rules.  

1.7 Seconded staff from SESAR JU Selected Members 
At its meeting of 31 May 2017, the Administrative Board of the  SESAR JU, having regard to Articles 
5(1)(p) and 8 of the Annex to the SESAR JU Regulation and the SESAR Joint Undertaking Membership 
Agreement, which entered into force on 6 July and was signed by the SESAR JU, EROCONTROL and the 
SESAR JU’s 19 Selected Members by virtue of Decision ADB(D)02-2016, decided: 

  to adopt specific conditions on the secondment of staff of SESAR JU Selected Members, as 

detailed in Annex 1 to the ADB (D)07-2017, 

  to  delegate  the  Executive  Director  to  establish  the  necessary  agreements  in  line  with  the 

aforementioned conditions.  

The  decision  of  the  Administrative  Board  is  also  motivated  by  the  nature  of  the  SESAR  JU  with  its 
Selected Members as public-private partnership, where public and private resources are commingled 
for the achievement of objectives. 

The secondment from the Selected Members constitutes a highly flexible mechanism to attract skilled 
experts, with contracts with specific duration and a low risk scheme.  

In compliance with the Administrative Board decision, the SESAR JU launches a call for expression of 
interest to its Selected Members, to establish a list of potential candidates for specific positions.  

The  secondment  to  the  SESAR  JU  is  subject  to  the  signature  of  a  secondment  agreement  that  will 
complement  the  SESAR  JU  Membership  Agreement  and  detail  the  selected  member’s  contribution 
under the secondment. 

Any  secondment  accepted  by  the  SESAR  JU  shall  be  considered  as  Additional  Contribution  in  the 
meaning  of  Article  10.4  of  the  Membership  Agreement  and  will  be  fully  reimbursed  under  the 
conditions defined in Annex 1 to ADB Decision afore mentioned. 

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2. Selection procedure 
The  described  selection  procedure  is  the  one  applicable  to  the  SESAR  JU  until  the  adoption  by  the 
SESAR JU administrative Board of new implementing rules on the selection of temporary agents 2 f. 

The SESAR JU launches recruitment procedures for Temporary Agents through the announcement of 
vacant posts on its website and the EPSO website. The SESAR JU may also recruit Contract Agents from 
the  European  Personnel  Selection  Office  -  EPSO's  reserve  lists,  for  the  specific  needs  here  above 
identified. 

Generally  vacancies  are  online  for  one  month.  During  this  time  candidates  can  submit  their 
applications.  Exceptionally,  this  period  may  be  extended.  The  exact  deadline  to  apply  for  a  job  is 
indicated in each vacancy notice of the selection procedure that provides as well information on the 
job  requirements  and  the  conditions  of  employment.  Candidates  are  requested  to  submit  their 
application exclusively by means of a functional email address specific to each vacancy notice. 

The  SESAR  JU  is  an  equal  opportunity  employer  and  strongly  encourages  applications  from  all 
candidates  who  fulfil  the  eligibility  and  requirements  without  any  distinction  on  the  grounds  of 
nationality, age, race, gender, political, philosophical or religious conviction or sexual orientation and 
regardless of disabilities, marital status or other family situation. 

Eligibility of candidates is assessed according to compliance with all formal requirements by the closing 
date for the submission of applications. Eligible candidates whose application shows evidence of all 
essential selection criteria described in the vacancy notice may be invited for an interview, which is 
held for the most part in English. During the selection process candidates may be required to undergo 
a competency assessment exercise.  

Candidates invited to an interview are requested to submit, on the day of the interview, a copy of their 
diploma(s) and evidence of their professional experience, clearly indicating the starting and finishing 
dates,  the  function(s)  and  the  exact  nature  of  the  duties  carried  out.  However,  prior  to  contract 
signature, selected candidates are requested to provide SESAR JU with original or certified copies of 
all relevant documents proving the eligibility requirements. 

As a result of the interviews, the Selection Panel recommends the most suitable candidates for the 
post in question. The list of suitable candidates established by the Selection Panel may also be used 
for  the  recruitment  for  a  similar  post  depending  on  the  needs  of  the  SESAR  JU.  All  candidates  are 
informed  by  letter  about  the  outcome  of  the  selection  procedure.  Candidates  are  informed  that 
inclusion on a reserve list does not guarantee recruitment. 

Selection Panel’s work and deliberations are strictly confidential and candidates are informed that any 
contact with its members is strictly forbidden. 

The Executive Director, SESAR JU AIPN, takes the final decision to offer the job to a selected candidate 
from the reserve list established by the selection panel. 

3. Table of 39 positions per area and activity on 31/12/2017: 

Activity 

Function / Job title 

Contract Type/duration 

Position 
entry 
grade 

Executive Director 

Executive Director 

TA fixed term + renewable  

AD 14 

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TBD 

Audit 

TBD 

TA fixed term + renewable 

AD 12 

Internal Audit Capability 

TA fixed term + renewable 

AD 5 

Executive secretariat 

Assistant to the Executive Director 

TA indefinite (*) 

Corporate Affairs 
including corporate 
support and corporate 
quality, planning and 
reporting 

Deputy  Executive  Director  Corporate 
Affairs 

TA indefinite (*) 

Head of Corporate Support 

TA indefinite (*) 

Administrative Assistant 

TA indefinite (*) 

AST 1 

AD 12 

AD 7 

AST 3 

Head of Corporate Quality, Planning & 
Reporting 

TA fixed term + renewable  

AD 8 

Chief Strategies & External Relations 

TA indefinite (*) 

AD 12 

Head of International Affairs 

TA fixed term + renewable 

AD 10 

Head of Stakeholders and Institutional 
Relations 

TA fixed term + renewable 

AD 10 

Strategies and relations 
with ICAO, follow up of 
MoC with third countries 
and communication 

Relations with different 
stakeholders and 
coordination of ED 
activities 

Communication 
internal/external, media 

Senior Communications & Media 
Relations Officer 

TA fixed term + renewable 

AD 5 

Implementation of the 
day-to-day 
communication strategy 

Communications & Events Officer 

TA fixed term + renewable 

AD 5 

Development & delivery, 
Release and validation 

Head of Release Management & 
Validation 

TA fixed term + renewable 

AD 7 

Development & delivery, 
grant management and 
development framework 

Call Coordinator 

TA fixed term + renewable 

AD 9 

Grant Manager 

Grant Manager 

Grant Manager  

Administrative Assistant – Expert 
Coordinator 

TA fixed term + renewable 

AD 6 

TA fixed term + renewable 

AD 6 

TA fixed term + renewable 

AD 6 

TA fixed term + renewable 

AST 1 

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ATM Architecture Framework Expert 

TA fixed term + renewable  

AD 5 

ATM 

Chief ATM 

TA fixed term + renewable 

AD 10 

ATM Expert – Architecture & Systems 
Engineering 

ATM Expert - Airport & Airspace User 
Operations  

TA fixed term + renewable 

AD 8 

TA fixed term + renewable 

AD 6 

ATM Expert - TMA, En-route & Network 
Operations 

TA fixed term + renewable 

AD 6 

ATM Expert - CNS & Avionics  

TA fixed term + renewable 

AD 5 

AU relations, business 
case, Master Planning 

Chief Economist & Master Planning 

TA indefinite (*) 

AD 10 

Digital transformation 
and innovation 

Manager Digital Transformation & 
Innovation  

TA fixed term + renewable 

AD 8 

General administration, 
Finance, legal and HR 

Chief Administration Affairs 

TA fixed term + renewable  

AD 12 

Project Audit 

Project Auditor  

TA fixed term + renewable 

AD 5 

Head of Finance & Budget  

TA fixed term + renewable 

AD 8 

Finance and Budget 
Coordination and 
responsibility for the 
follow up of the SESAR JU 
Budget 

Accounting 

Deputy Accounting Officer 

TA fixed term + renewable 

AST 5 

Financial administration 
and budget 

Legal Affairs and 
Contract 

Procurement 
procedures, personal 
data protection, day-to-
day legal issues 

Financial Officer 

TA fixed term + renewable 

AD 6 

Financial and Budget Officer 

TA fixed term + renewable 

AD 5 

Head of Legal Affairs and Procurement 

TA indefinite (*) 

AD 8 

Legal & Procurement Officer, Data 
Protection Officer 

TA fixed term + renewable 

AD 5 

Legal & Procurement Officer 

TA fixed term + renewable 

AD 5 

Legal & Procurement Officer 

HR Legal matters 

HR Legal Officer 

TA  fixed  term  +  renewable 
(**) 

AST 3 

TA  fixed  term  +  renewable 
(**) 

AD 7 

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Recruitment, HR 
Administration, staff 
development 

HR Officer 

TA indefinite (*) 

AST 7 

Table 47: List of the 39 SESAR JU positions (31/12/2017) 

(*) Staff member eligible to Transitional Provisions Article 2 of Council Regulation (EC) 1361/2008 (8 
staff) 

(**) Positions currently covered by a CA indefinite duration contract. These staff members are not 
additional to the 39 posts  included in  the Staff  Establishment Plan approved by the Administrative 
Board of the SESAR Joint Undertaking, but they are contractual forms used by the SESAR JU to fill in 
specific positions taking into consideration the needs and expertise requested. The same is applicable 
for the staff seconded by the Members to the SESAR JU, in accordance with Article 8 of the SESAR JU 
Statutes. 

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B. Appraisal of performance and reclassification/promotions 

Reclassification of temporary staff/promotion of officials 

Category  and 
grade 

Staff in activity at 1.01.2016 

How many staff members 
were promoted / reclassified 
in Year N-1 (2017) 

Average number of 
years in grade of 
reclassified / promoted 
staff members 

officials 

TA 

Officials 

TA 

AD 16 

AD 15 

AD 14 

AD 13 

AD 12 

AD 11 

AD 10 

AD 9 

AD 8 

AD 7 

AD 6 

AD 5 

Total AD 

AST 11 

AST 10 

AST 9 

AST 8 

AST 7 

AST 6 

AST 5 

AST 4 

AST 3 

AST 2 

1 

3 

1 

3 

2 

5 

4 

9 

1 

29 

1 

1 

2 

1 

N/A 

1 

1 

2 

1 

6,3 

3 

3 

3 

1 

4 

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Category  and 
grade 

Staff in activity at 1.01.2016 

How many staff members 
were promoted / reclassified 
in Year N-1 (2017) 

Average number of 
years in grade of 
reclassified / promoted 
staff members 

AST 1 

Total AST 

AST/SC1 

AST/SC2 

AST/SC3 

AST/SC4 

AST/SC5 

AST/SC6 

Total AST/SC 

Total 

officials 

TA 

1 

5 

Officials 

TA 

32 

7 

Table 48: Reclassification of temporary staff/promotion of officials 

Reclassification of contract staff 

Function 
Group 

Grade 

Staff in activity at 
1.01.2016 

How many staff 
members were 
reclassified in Year N-1 
(2017) 

Average number of years 
in grade of reclassified 
staff members 

1 

4 

2 

1 

0 

CA IV 

CA III 

18 

17 

16 

15 

14 

13 

12 

11 

10 

9 

8 

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7 

6 

5 

4 

3 

2 

1 

CA II 

CA I 

Total 

3 

1 

4 

Table 49: Reclassification of contract staff 

Since 2012, an individual development review is launched at the beginning of the year for a given year, 
laying  down  the  objectives  and  the  performance  of  the  staff  member  in  relation  to  the  Work 
Programme and the tasks related to the staff member’s job description. A career Development Report 
(CDR)  is  carried  out  on  the  basis  of  the  Appraisal  guide  that  is  published  at  the  beginning  of  the 
exercise.    Currently,  all  TA’s  and  CA’s  are  going  through  the  annual  appraisal  of  performance  as 
described in the ADB Decision 04-2012 of 29 March 2012.  

C. Mobility policy (internal mobility, between EU Bodies and between EU Bodies 

and the institutions) 

1. Mobility within the SESAR JU 
Vacancy notices are accessible internally as well as externally and staff members are always given the 
opportunity to apply. 

2. Mobility among EU Bodies 
The SESAR JU was previous excluded from the possibility for its staff to benefit of mobility between 
the agencies, limiting substantially one of the key elements of the career development of its staff. It is 
expected that this situation will change with the adoption in April 2016 of new implementing rules on 
the selection of temporary agents 2f under the new Staff Regulations. 

3. Mobility between the SESAR JU and the Institutions 
The SESAR JU has currently no post occupied by an official from an Institution51; nevertheless, where 
appropriate the SESAR JU can consider favouring mobility with the Institutions. 

51 There is one temporary agent (Liaison Officer) who is in secondment from the European Commission in its own interest 
respectively for 4 years. 

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D. Gender and geographical balance 
Since its establishment, the SESAR JU has ensured equal opportunities for staff and has done its best 
to attract specialised technical staff of the highest calibre. The equal opportunities policy is applied to 
recruitments  in  order  to  secure  gender  and  geographical  balance  in  a  domain  of  operations  that 
appears to be highly unbalanced.  

Geographical balance is regularly sought in accordance to Article 27 of the Staff Regulations and 12 
and 82(1) of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants; bearing in mind the small size of the 
SESAR JU, that search for the best qualified staff for the vacant post will be the first priority.  

To date, the SESAR JU has not noted any significant gender and geographical imbalance in its staff. At 
31/12/2017, the Establishment Plan (i.e. including TAs and CAs) is as follows: 

Nationalities 

Belgium 

Bulgaria 

Czech 

France 

Greece 

Germany 

Italy 

Ireland 

Lithuania 

Netherlands 

Portugal 

Spain 

Sweden 

UK 

TOTAL 

# 

6 

1 

1 

5 

1 

1 

3 

2 

1 

3 

1 

5 

1 

5 

Of which women 

3 

0 

1 

3 

1 

0 

3 

2 

1 

2 

1 

3 

0 

1 

36 

21 

Table 50: Gender and geographical balance 

Gender/Grade 

Male 

Female 

Total 

AD 

AST 

Total 

AD 

AST 

Total 

14 

1 

15 

39% 

2,5% 

41,5% 

15 

6 

21 

42% 

16,5% 

58,5% 

29 

7 

36 

81% 

19% 

100% 

Table 51: Grade vs. gender balance (excluding 3 Seconded National Experts) 

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E. Schooling 
European  Schools  in  Brussels  should  cover  the  SESAR  JU  staff  needs  in  this  respect,  for  the  staff 
currently eligible. 

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Annex V: Buildings (table) 
The  SESAR  JU  has  already  established  its  location  in  Brussels  through  the  rental  of  suitable  office 
accommodation and ancillary space secured for the duration of the extended SESAR JU. There is no 
plan to acquire any property or buildings in the future. 

Current building(s): 

location 

Name, 
building 

  and  type  of 

Other Comment 

be 
Information 
provided per building: 

to 

Avenue  de  Cortenbergh  100  – 
1000 Brussels 

Joint  occupancy  building  with 
non-EU bodies. 

Surface Area (m2) 

Surface  Area 
Office space 

(m2): 

1828 

1765 

Surface  Area 
Non-Office space 

(m2): 

63 

Annual rent (in EUR) 

427 925 

Type  and  duration  of 
rental contract 

9 year lease from 2016 

Host  country  grant  or 
support  

Present  value  of  the 
building 

N/A 

N/A 

Table 52: Buildings 

There  are  an  additional  28  Car 
Parking  Spaces  (not  measured  in 
surface area) 

Excluding  gratuities  and  other 
reductions 

With  Diplomatic  Clause 
for 
rupture  of  rental  contract  with  6 
months’ notice. 

Building projects in planning phase: n/a. 
Building projects submitted to the European Parliament and the Council: n/a. 

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Annex VI: Privileges and Immunities (table) 

Agency privileges 

Protocol  of  privileges  and  immunities  / 
diplomatic status 

Education / day care 

Privileges granted to staff 

VAT  exemption  as  of  16.10.2008, 
Administrative  Agreement  with  the 
Belgian Authorities since 30.03.2009 

Protocol  of  Privileges  and 
applicable to staff with regard to VAT. 

Immunities 

 N/A 

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Annex VII: Evaluations  
The SESAR Joint Undertaking was subject to two evaluations in 2017. One concerned the closure of the 
SESAR  1  Programme  (Final  Evaluation  of  SESAR  1:  2007-2016),  while  the  second  focused  on  the 
ongoing  research  activities  under  the  SESAR  2020  Programme  (Interim  Evaluation  of  SESAR  2020: 
2014-2020). The reports are based on the work of independent experts and the results of a stakeholder 
consultation. 

Overall, the SESAR JU managed to complete over 300 projects, 350 validation exercises leading to 63 
SESAR Solutions which are currently being deployed in EU in order to maintain high safety levels and 
improve cost and environmental efficiency of air traffic management in Europe. 

The reports clearly show that SESAR, which has already been active for 10 years, is delivering on its 
objectives,  helping  to  overcome  fragmentation  and  create  continuity  of  research  goals.  The 
commitment of the members is evident and there are high expectations for its outputs. At the same 
time, the evaluation reports outline a series of elements on which the future work of SESAR should 
focus upon. 

Overall,  the  results  of  the  interim  evaluations  of  all  public-private  and  public-public  partnerships 
supported by Horizon 2020 concluded that Research partnerships between the EU, the private sector 
and the Member States are on track to deliver their objectives, improving people's lives, and boosting 
Europe's international competitiveness.  

The full report on the final evaluation of SESAR 1 and the interim evaluation of SESAR 2020 Programme 
can  be  found  here:  https://ec.europa.eu/transport/transport-modes/news/2017-10-10-transport-
join-undertakings-are-delivering-expected-results_en  

The full H2020 evaluation can be found here: 
http://ec.europa.eu/research/evaluations/index_en.cfm?pg=h2020evaluation  

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Annex VIII: Risk Management in 2019 
During 2017, following an audit from the IAS, the previous Risk Management Policy has been entirely revisited to be better aligned with the specificities 
of  the  SESAR  2020  Programme.  In  February  2017,  the  SESAR  JU  Executive  Director  adopted  the  new  ‘SESAR  JU  Risk  Management  Policy’  (SESAR 
JU/ED/613). This decision repeals the ‘Internal Control Framework and Risk Management Policy’ (SESAR JU/ED/ 64) and the ‘Risk, Issue and Opportunity 
Management Process’ (SESAR JU/ED/305) both applicable at the time of the audit. The policy addresses 4 threads of risks: Corporate risks, Master Plan 
risks, SESAR JU internal risks and SESAR 2020 Programme Risks. In addition to this new Risk Management Policy, in May 2017, the SESAR JU formalised 
in the context of its Quality Management Process, ‘the Corporate Risk Management Process’ (SESAR JU Business Process no 14.2). 

The revised SESAR JU Corporate Risk Management better integrates the bottom-up approach with the top-down approach. Indeed, the bottom-up 
approach comprises the risk management performed by SESAR 2020 participants who identify and manage risks at project level while Programme 
Managers are in charge of identifying and monitoring the critical risks at the programme level. The top-down approach consists in an analysis of risks 
linked to strategic objectives.  

Care has been taken to streamline the current approach to reduce disproportionate requirements and to increase the focus on the management of 
critical risks defined as a risk that: 

 

  endanger the realisation of objectives outlined in the European ATM Master Plan; 
 

cause serious damage to the SESAR partners (SESAR JU Members, broader stakeholder community involved in the execution of the European 
ATM Master Plan); 
result in critical intervention at political level (European Commission/European Council/European Parliament) regarding SESAR JU’s 
performance; 
result in infringement of laws and regulations; 
result in misuse of public money; 

 
 
  put the safety levels of aviation at stake; 
  or in any way seriously impact the SESAR JU’s image and reputation. 

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Ref. 

Risk description 

CORP01 

CORP03 

R&D  activities  do  not  deliver 
solutions allowing to reach expected 
ATM performance 

IOP solution supporting the PCP and 
developed in SESAR 2020 may not be 
delivered on time for deployment  

CORP05 

The SESAR JU may not be able to take 
up new challenges due to limited HR 
capabilities 

Impact on SESAR JU Objectives 2019 

Mitigation actions  

Critic
ality 

High 

Risk 
owner 

SESAR 
JU 

High 

SESAR 
JU 

Delivery  of  Wave  1  project  results  (sol 
candidate SESAR Solution PJ.18-02b) 

High 

SESAR 
JU 

-Support  to  EC  on  the  technological  pillar  of 
SES 

-Strengthened 
activities (ICAO, US FAA/NextGen etc.) 

Global 

Interoperability 

- Launch Wave 2 projects in 2019  

- Continuous close monitoring of the progress by a 
PC  dedicated  Decision  Team  (supported  by  an 
level);  this  set-up 
Analysis  Team  at  technical 
established  at  end  of  SESAR  1  to  secure  recovery 
towards  PCP  objective  will  continue  its  operations 
until final solution delivery defining specific actions 
to be put in place when necessary 

-  Assess  gaps  in  required  skills  linked  to  new  or 
known coming tasks and plan  actions sufficiently in 
advance to let time to acquire new skills 

- Secure resources for SESAR JU core business 

CORP06 

The  BREXIT  may  have  an  impact  on 
SESAR JU objectives 

High 

EC 

All objectives linked to SAoO 2, 3 and 4 and to 
a limited extent SAoO 5 

-  Mitigations  actions  will  be  stemming  from 
decisions and actions from the EC tasks force.  

- Active cooperative arrangements with actors 
in Aviation 

Support to EC on the technological pillar of SES 

Include a topic on U-space in the coming open calls 
(ER4 and VLD) 

MP08 

The  lack  of  R&D  activities  to  cover 
U3/U4  developments  beyond  2019 
may endanger the realisation of MP 
objectives 

High 

EC, 
SESAR 
JU 

Table 53: Main SESAR JU risks and related actions 

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Annex IX: Procurement plan for 2019  
As per Article 110 of the EU Financial Regulation, “a budgetary commitment shall be preceded by a financing decision adopted by the Union institution 
or by the authority to which powers have been delegated by the Union institution”. This financing decision, which at the same time constitutes the 
annual or multiannual work programme, shall in particular set out certain essential elements for an action involving expenditures from the budget for 
procurement and prizes.  

Note: In accordance with Art. 110 (5) of the EU Financial Regulation and the principle of sound financial management, the SESAR JU Authorising Officer 
may decide to make non-substantial changes and amend the indicative budget and/or timing identified above for a given procurement procedure if 
this allows for an improved adherence to SESAR JU objectives. A change of more than 20 % in the volume of appropriations, introduction of a new 
action or other changes affecting the political choices in the SPD are to be considered as substantial. 

Operational expenditure 
The maximum global budgetary envelope reserved for procurements covered by operational appropriations is EUR 2.502.396 in 2019. 

Strategic Area of Operation #1 – Provide Strategic Steering to the SESAR programme 
Reference 

Procurement description 

Procurement area 

Budget 
line 

Target 
signature 
date 

Total est. 
budget 
(EUR) 

Type of contract 
/ procedure 

Comments 

Op.1.1. 

B03400 

ATM expertise 

New Framework Contract (optional) 

Q2-Q3 2019 

n.a. 

Op.1.2. 

B03400 

ATM expertise 

Implementation  of  FWC  for  2019  –  SC1 
(optional) 

Q3 2019 

125.000 

TOTAL for Strategic Area of Operation #1 – Provide Strategic Steering to the SESAR programme 

125.000 

Framework 
Contract / Open 
call for Tender 

New call for tender– EUR 1 000 000 
as  maximum  budget 
Specific 
Contracts. 

Optional in case the SESAR JU finds 
is  no 
it  necessary  and  there 
alternative  means  to  provide  the 
SESAR JU with such expertise. 

Specific contract 
under SJU 
Framework 
Contract 

Optional in case the SESAR JU finds 
is  no 
it  necessary  and  there 
alternative  means  to  provide  the 
SESAR JU with such expertise. 

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Strategic Area of Operation #2 – Deliver Exploratory Research 
Procurement area 
Reference 

Procurement description 

Budget 
line 

Op.2.1. 

B03800 

Young Scientist Award 

Award to a young scientist for 
exceptional achievements in the field of 
the ATM research 

Target 
signature 
date 

Total est. 
budget 
(EUR) 

Type of contract 
/ procedure 

Q4 2019 

5.000 

Prize 

Comments 

TOTAL for Strategic Area of Operation #2 – Deliver Exploratory Research 

5.000 

Strategic Area of Operation #5 - Deliver SESAR Outreach 
Reference 

Procurement area 

Procurement description 

Budget 
line 

Target 
signature 
date 

Total est. 
budget 
(EUR) 

Type of 
contract / 
procedure 

Comments 

Op.5.1. 

B03800 

Op.5.2. 

B03800 

Op.5.3. 

B03800 

Op.5.4. 

B03800 

Op.5.5. 

B03800 

Professional Staff 
Organisations support 
Lot 1 

Professional Staff 
Organisations support 
Lot 2 

Professional Staff 
Organisations support 
Lot 3 

Professional Staff 
Organisations support 
Lot 4 

Professional Staff 
Organisations support 
Lot 5 

Implementation of FWC for 2019 

Q1 2019 

60.000 

Implementation of FWC for 2019 

Q1 2019 

60.000 

Implementation of FWC for 2019 

Q1 2019 

60.000 

Implementation of FWC for 2019 

Q1 2019 

60.000 

Implementation of FWC for 2019 

Q1 2019 

60.000 

Op.5.6. 

B03800 

Airspace Users Lot 1 

Implementation of FWC for 2019 – SC3 

Q2 2019 

Specific 
contract under 
SJU Framework 
Contract 

Specific 
contract under 
SJU Framework 
Contract 

Specific 
contract under 
SJU Framework 
Contract 

Specific 
contract under 
SJU Framework 
Contract 

Specific 
contract under 
SJU Framework 
Contract 

Specific 
contract under 

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Reference 

Budget 
line 

Procurement area 

Procurement description 

Target 
signature 
date 

Total est. 
budget 
(EUR) 

Type of 
contract / 
procedure 

Comments 

Op.5.7. 

B03800 

Airspace Users Lot 2 

Implementation of FWC for 2019 – SC3 

Q2 2019 

2.072.396,50 

Op.5.8. 

B03800 

Airspace Users Lot 3 

Implementation of FWC for 2019 – SC3 

Q2 2019 

Op.5.9. 

B03800 

Airspace Users Lot 4 

Implementation of FWC for 2019 – SC3 

Q2 2019 

Op.5.10. 

B03800 

Airports expertise 
support 

Implementation of FWC for 2019 – SC4 

Q1 2019 

TOTAL for Strategic Area of Operation #5 - Deliver SESAR Outreach 

2.372.396,50 

Table 54: Main procurement activities to be conducted in 2019 covered by operational appropriations 

SJU Framework 
Contract 

Specific 
contract under 
SJU Framework 
Contract 

Specific 
contract under 
SJU Framework 
Contract 

Specific 
contract under 
SJU Framework 
Contract 

Specific 
contract under 
SJU Framework 
Contract 

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Administrative expenditure 
Although not necessary in the case of administrative appropriations, SESAR JU decided to identify below its main Administrative Support Expenditures 
for transparency purposes. This list is for information purposes only and non-exhaustive. 

Strategic Area of Operation #5 - Deliver SESAR Outreach 
Reference 

Procurement description 

Procurement area 

Target 
signature 
date 

Total est. 
budget 
(EUR) 

Type of contract / procedure 

Comments 

Ad.5.1. 

Ad.5.2. 

Ad.5.3. 

Ad.5.4. 

Ad.5.5. 

Ad.5.6. 

Ad.5.7. 

Realisation and PR 
activities/material 

Lot 2 (Digital 
communication) 

Realisation and PR 
activities/material 

Lot 3 (Event Support) 

Realisation and PR 
activities/material 

Lot3 (Event Support) 

Digital Communication, 
Event Support and 
other PR activities/ 
material 

Digital Communication, 
Event Support and 
other PR activities/ 
material 

Digital Communication, 
Event Support and 
other PR activities/ 
material 

Digital Communication, 
Event Support and 
other PR activities/ 
material 

188 

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Implementation of FWC SC 5 

Q1 2019 

35.000 

Specific contract under SJU 
Framework Contract 

Implementation of FWC SC10 

Q1 2019 

90.000 

Implementation of FWC SC11 

Q1 2019 

30.000 

Specific contract under SJU 
Framework Contract 

Specific contract under SJU 
Framework Contract 

Realisation and PR 
activities/material – New 
Framework Contract 

Q2 2019 

n.a. 

SJU Framework Contract / 
Open call for tender 

New call for tender – EUR 1.454.000 as 
maximum budget to be implemented 
through Specific Contracts 

Realisation and PR 
activities/material – SC under new 
FWC 

Realisation and PR 
activities/material – SC under new 
FWC 

Realisation and PR 
activities/material – SC under new 
FWC 

Q2 2019 

70.000 

Specific contract under SJU 
Framework Contract 

Implementation of new FWC 

Q3 2019 

70.000 

Specific contract under SJU 
Framework Contract 

Implementation of new FWC 

Q4 2019 

70.000 

Specific contract under SJU 
Framework Contract 

Implementation of new FWC 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Reference 

Procurement area 

Procurement description 

Ad.5.8. 

Digital Communication, 
Event Support and 
other PR activities/ 
material 

Realisation and PR 
activities/material – SC under new 
FWC 

Target 
signature 
date 

Total est. 
budget 
(EUR) 

Q4 2019 

70.000 

Type of contract / procedure 

Comments 

Specific contract under SJU 
Framework Contract 

Implementation of new FWC 

TOTAL for Strategic Area of Operation #5 - Deliver SESAR Outreach 

435.000 

Strategic Area of Operation #6 – Deliver effective financial, administrative and corporate management 
Reference 

Procurement description 

Procurement area 

Type of contract / procedure 

Target 
signature 
date 

Total est. 
budget 
(EUR) 

Comments 

Ad.6.1. 

Works and repairs 

Realisation of works and repairs in 
SJU premises (including flooring) 

Q3 2019 

60.000 

Direct Service Contract  - 
Negotiated call for tender 

New call for tender 

Ad.6.2. 

Facility Coordination 

Facility services for maintenance and 
renovation 

Q1-Q4 
2019 

100.000 

Specific order forms under SJU 
Framework Contract 

Ad.6.3. 

Facility Coordination 

Security audit on level of compliance 
of SJU premises with relevant 
security rules and security notices 

Q1 2019 

20.000 

Direct Service Contract  - 
Negotiated call for tender 

LSO obligation to carry out checks on 
compliance with the relevant security rules 
and Security Notices 

Ad.6.4. 

Facility Coordination 

Supply, installation and replacement 
of kitchen equipment 

Q1 2019 

10.000 

Ad.6.5. 

Facility Coordination 

Supply, installation and replacement 
of office equipment 

Q3 2019 

10.000 

Ad.6.6. 

IT System 
maintenance and 
unified 
Communication 

ICT communications - Testa-NG II 

Q4 2019 

20.000 

Specific Contract under EC 
Framework Contract 

Specific Contract under EC 
Framework Contract 

Specific Contract under EC 
Framework Contract 

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Reference 

Procurement area 

Procurement description 

Target 
signature 
date 

Total est. 
budget 
(EUR) 

Type of contract / procedure 

Comments 

Ad.6.7. 

ICT - Software 

ICT software - Microsoft suite 

Q2 2019 

20.400 

Ad.6.8. 

ICT - Software 

ICT software - Adobe Maintenance 
renewal 

Q4 2019 

11.220 

Ad.6.9. 

ICT - Software 

ICT software - VMware Maintenance 
renewal 

Q4 2019 

2.040 

Specific Contract under EC 
Framework Contract 

Specific Contract under EC 
Framework Contract 

Specific Contract under EC 
Framework Contract 

Ad.6.10. 

ICT coordination 

ICT coordinator services – transitional 
period 

Q1 2019 

15.000 

Direct Service Contract - 
Negotiated call for tender 

New call for tender.  

Ad.6.11. 

ICT coordination 

ICT coordinator services 

Q1 2019 

994.500 

Direct Service Contract - Open 
call for tender 

New call for tender. Maximum 4 years 
contract duration. 

Ad.6.12. 

ICT advice 

Ad.6.13. 

Legal Support 

ICT advice, benchmarking and 
consulting services (ABC III) 

Legal support to be required on a 
case-by-case basis 

Q1 2019 

65.000 

Q2 2019 

20.000 

Ad.6.14. 

Quality Management  Maintenance Contract for I-DMS 

Q1 2019 

50.000 

and/or purchase of a third party tool 

Ad.6.15.  Mission coordination 

Ad.6.16.  Mission coordination 

Travel agency service including 
transaction fees 

Set-up and maintenance fee for the 
on-line booking tool (optional) 

Q2 2019 

100.000 

Q3 2019 

200.000 

Specific Contract under EC 
Framework Contract 

Service Contract / Open call 
for tender 

Specific Contract under EC 
Framework Contract and/or 
Direct Contract 

Service contract / EC Open 
Joint procurement procedure  

Direct Service Contract  - 
Negotiated call for tender 

Ad.6.17. 

Data protection 

Data protection support and 
development of an online register 

Q2-Q3 
2019 

8.000 

Service Contract – Middle 
value negotiated procedure 

New call for tender  

4 years contract duration 

New call for tender. 4 years contract 
duration. Only applicable if not provided 
through Travel agency services. 

Renewable every year, maximum until the 
end of 2024. Joint procurement procedure, 
led by Shift to Rail JU, with a total of 7 EU 
Joint Undertakings participating. The total 
value of the procedure is EUR 144.000 for 
the whole duration of the contract. 

TOTAL for Strategic Area of Operation #6 – Deliver effective financial, administrative 
and corporate management 

1.706.160 

Table 55: Main procurement activities to be conducted in 2019 covered by administrative appropriations 

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Annex X: 2019 SESAR JU Organisation Chart 

Figure 17: SESAR JU Organisation chart as at 31/12/2018  

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Annex XI: List of Members of the SESAR Joint Undertaking 
The SESAR JU Members and their respective constituent entities are listed below: 

Name of Member 

Constituent Entities 

Country 

The European Union, represented by 
the European Commission (Founding 
Member) 

the 

EUROCONTROL, 
European 
Organisation  for  the  Safety  of  Air 
Navigation, 
its 
Agency (Founding Member) 

represented  by 

Single Entity 

Airbus SAS 

Single Entity 

AT‐One Consortium 

Deutsches  Zentrum  für  Luft-und  Raumfahrt  e.  V. 
(German Aerospace Center, DLR) 

B4 Consortium 

Stichting  Nationaal  Lucht-  en  Ruimtevaartlaboratorium 
(National Aerospace Centre, NLR) 

POLSKA AGENCJA ŻEGLUGI POWIETRZNEJ, the Polish Air 
Navigation Services Agency: (PANSA) 

RIZENI  LETOVEHO  PROVOZU  CESKE  REPUBLIKY  STATNI 
PODNIK,  the  Air  Navigation  Services  of  the  Czech 
Republic: (ANS CR) 

Letové prevádzkové  služby Slovenskej republiky, štátny 
podnik: (LPS SR s.p.) – State owned ANSP of Slovakia 

Valstybes  imone  ‘Oro  navigacija’,  the  State  Enterprise 
‘Oro Navigacija’ (ON) – State owned ANSP of Lithuania 

COOPANS Consortium 

Naviair 

Irish Aviation Authority: (IAA) 

Croatia  Control,  Croatian  Air  Navigation  Services  ltd: 
(CCL) 

FR 

DE 

NL 

PL 

CZ 

SK 

LT 

DK 

IE 

HR 

Austro  Control  Österreichische  Gesellschaft 
Zivilluftfahrt mbH: (ACG) 

für 

AT 

Luftfartsverket: (LFV) 

Dassault Aviation SA 

DFS  Deutsche  Flugsicherung  GmbH: 
(DFS) 

République  Française,  Ministère  de 
Développement 
L’écologie, 
Durable, 
L’Energie,  
de 
acting  via  Direction  Générale  de 

du 
et 

Single Entity 

Single Entity 

Single Entity 

192 

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SE 

FR 

DE 

FR 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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L’Aviation  civile,  represented  by 
Direction  des 
la 
Navigation Aérienne: (DSNA) 

Services  de 

ENAV S.p.A 

Single Entity 

Entidad Pública Empresarial ENAIRE 

Single Entity 

Finmeccanica S.p.A. 

Single Entity 

Frequentis 
(Consortium) 

SESAR 

Partners 

Frequentis AG 

Hungarocontrol Zrt (HC) 

Atos Belgium SA/NV 

Honeywell Aerospace SAS 

Single Entity 

INDRA Sistemas, S.A. 

NATS (En Route) Plc 

Single Entity 

Single Entity 

North European ATM Industry Group 
NATMIG Consortium 

Stiftelsen SINTEF 

Saab AB 

Airtel ATN Ltd. 

Heathrow Airport Limited 

Aéroports de Paris S.A. 

Flughafen München GmbH 

Flughafen Zürich AG 

Schiphol Nederland B.V. 

Swedavia AB 

Avinor AS 

Single Entity 

SESAR European Airports Consortium 
(SEAC 2020) 

Skyguide, Swiss civil and military Air 
Navigation Services Ltd 

Thales Air Systems SAS 

Single Entity 

Thales Avionics SAS 

Single Entity 

Table 56: List of SESAR JU Members 

IT 

ES 

IT 

AT 

HU 

BE 

FR 

ES 

GB 

NO 

SE 

IE 

GB 

FR 

DE 

CH 

NL 

SE 

NO 

CH 

FR 

FR 

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Annex  XII:  Results  of  closed  projects  under  the  SESAR  2020 
Programme 

Projects under the ER1 call for proposals 
The 28 ER1 projects have delivered the following results until mid-2018 and are now closed: 

ATM Excellent Science & Outreach52 

Topic 

Project 
reference 

Automation, Robotics and Autonomy 

Project results 

AUTOPACE 

TACO 

AGENT 

STRESS 

AUTOPACE (Automation pace) proposes research on a Psychological 
Model to quantitatively predict how automation would impact human 
performance  based  on  cognitive 
tasks 
characteristics (automation) and psychological factors modelling.  

resources  modelling, 

TACO (Take control) aims to define an automated system sufficiently 
powerful  to  both  accomplish  complex  tasks 
in  the 
management of surface movements in a major airport and self-assess 
its  own  ability  to  deal  with  non-nominal  conditions.  When  needed, 
such system should be sensitive enough to transfer responsibilities for 
traffic  management  back  to  the  controller,  in  a  timely  and  graceful 
manner and in way that makes him/her comfortable with the inherited 
tasks.  

involved 

AGENT  (Adaptive  self-Governed  aerial  ecosystem  by  negotiated 
traffic)  seeks  to 
implement  a  new  framework  extending  the 
functionalities  of  TCAS  to  act  at  pre‐operational  and  at  operational 
level  as  a  robust  collision  avoidance  system  for  different  context 
automatism 
scenarios 
interdependencies  will  be  considered  with 
realistic  aircraft 
performances. 

in  which 

behaviour 

human 

and 

STRESS  (Human  performance  neurometrics  Toolbox  for  highly 
automated systems design) project will explore human performance 
in highly automated systems, in order to provide new knowledge and 
guidelines needed for the design and implementation of higher levels 
of  automation,  with  the  related  procedures  and  humans’  roles.  For 
doing that, the project will collect technologies and methods already 
validated in non ATM sectors and apply them in realistic future ATM 
scenarios. 

Max. total co-
financing value (in 
EUR) 

EUR 599.868 

EUR 599.993 

EUR 598.750 

EUR 596.875 

MINIMA 

MINIMA  (Mitigating  negative  impacts  of  monitoring  high  levels  of 
automation) will research new human-automation interaction design 
concepts. 

EUR 582.780 

52 The ER research topics ‘ATM role in intermodal transport’ and ‘CNS for ATM’ were not covered in the ER1 call 

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Topic 

Project 
reference 

Project results 

Complexity, Data Science and Information Management 

BigData4ATM 

DART 

BigData4ATM (Passenger-centric big data sources for socio-economic 
and  behavioural  research  in  ATM)  will  investigate  how  ATM  and 
aviation  data  can  be  analysed  and  combined  with  more  traditional 
demographic,  economic  and  air  transport  databases  to  extract 
relevant  information  about  passengers’  behaviour  and  use  this 
information to inform ATM decision-making processes. 

DART  (Data-driven  aircraft  trajectory  prediction  research)  explores 
the applicability of data science and complexity science techniques to 
the ATM domain. It will investigate on the suitability of applying big 
data techniques for predicting multiple correlated aircraft trajectories 
based  on  data  driven  models  and  accounting  for  ATM  network 
complexity effects. 

Max. total co-
financing value (in 
EUR) 

EUR 599.733 

EUR 598.524 

MALORCA 

MALORCA  (Machine  learning  of  speech  recognition  models  for 
controller assistance) proposes a general, cheap and effective solution 
to  automate  re-learning,  adaptation  and  customisation  process  to 
new environments, taking advantage of the large amount of speech 
data available in the ATM world. 

EUR 538.104 

BEST 

BEST (Achieving the benefits of SWIM by making smart use of semantic 
technologies) will determine how semantic technologies can be used 
effectively  to  maximise  the  benefits  of  adopting  system-wide 
information management. 

EUR 593.129 

Environment & Meteorology 

TBO-MET 

ATM4E 

TBO-MET  (Meteorological  uncertainty  management  for  trajectory-
based  operations)  will  address  the  problem  of  analysing  and 
quantifying  the  effects  of  meteorological  uncertainty  in  Trajectory-
based operations (TBO). 

ATM4E  (Air  traffic  management  for  environment)  will  explore  the 
scope for the potential reduction of air traffic environmental impacts 
in  European  airspace  on  climate,  air  quality  and  noise  through 
optimisation of air traffic operations. 

EUR 488.750 

EUR 599.625 

PNOWWA 

PNOWWA  (Probabilistic  nowcasting  of  winter  weather  for  airports) 
will produce  methods  for the probabilistic short-term forecasting of 
winter weather and enable the assessment of the uncertainty in the 
ground part of 4D trajectories. 

EUR 597.500 

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Topic 

Project 
reference 

Project results 

Performance, Economics, Legal & Regulation 

COCTA 

Vista 

COMPAIR 

COCTA  (Coordinated  capacity  ordering  and  trajectory  pricing  for 
better-performing  ATM)  proposes  coordinated  economic  measures 
aiming  to  pre-emptively  reconcile  air  traffic  demand  and  airspace 
capacity.  The  project  primarily  aims  to  reduce  the  cost  arising  from 
lack of coordination in the ATM system, stemming both from divorced 
planning horizons of ANSPs and aircraft operators (AOs), and from an 
inadequate pricing of navigation services. 

forces 

(Market 

Vista 
impacting  European  ATM 
performance) will examine the effects of conflicting market forces on 
European  performance  in  ATM,  through  the  evaluation  of  impact 
metrics on four key stakeholders and the environment. 

trade-offs 

COMPAIR  (Competition  for  air  traffic  management)  will  investigate 
how to introduce competitive incentives in the ATM sector so as to 
best contribute to the achievement of the European high-level policy 
objectives for aviation. 

Max. total co-
financing value (in 
EUR) 

EUR 534.158 

EUR 599.188 

EUR 599.804 

ATM application-oriented research 

Key Feature  

Project reference 

Project results 

Max. total co-financing 
value (in EUR) 

MOTO 

RETINA 

MOTO (the embodied remote tower) will perform research 
on ATM human performance of using two senses: sight and 
hearing in the context of remote tower operations. The goal 
is  to  enhance  human  performance,  by  exploiting  other 
channels than the already overloaded visual channel 

RETINA  (Resilient  Synthetic  Vision  for  Advanced  Control 
Tower  Air  Navigation  Service  Provision)  project  will 
investigate the potential and applicability of synthetic vision 
tools and virtual/augmented  reality display techniques  for 
the air traffic control service provision by the airport control 
tower 

EUR 999.000 

EUR 949.160 

Separation Management & Separation Standards 

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Key Feature  

Project reference 

SALSA 

Project results 

SALSA (Satellite-based ADS-B for lower separation minima 
application)  is  an  exploratory  research  project  relating  to 
multi-source  ADS-B  system.  A  multi-source  ADS-B  system 
that  combines  the  benefit  of  all  possible  type  of  relays 
(space, maritime, air or ground based) of ADS-B messages 
could provide a global surveillance system to overcome the 
prevailing  continuous  surveillance  constraints  in  the  non-
radar airspace (NRA) 

Max. total co-financing 
value (in EUR) 

EUR 995.064 

R-WAKE 

R-WAKE  (Navigation  of  airborne  vehicle  with  integrated 
space  and  atomic  signals)  will  propose  a  novel  concept  of 
APNT for small aircraft that will integrate novel technologies 
and will merge multiple navigation avionics into one with no 
major impact on avionics 

EUR 997.130 

Trajectory-based operations 

OptiFrame 

COPTRA 

PARTAKE 

OptiFrame (An optimisation framework for trajectory-based 
operations)  will  research  the  application  of  principles  of 
mathematical  modelling  and  optimisation  to  optimally 
configure  and  assess  the  performance  of  the  Trajectory 
Based  Operations  (TBO)  concept.  OptiFrame  will  allow  to 
verify the viability of the TBO concept, to identify the major 
issues  that  need  to  be  addressed,  and  to  understand 
whether,  under  which  conditions,  and  to  what  extent  the 
objectives of flexibility of airspace users and predictability of 
the ATM system can be achieved 

COPTRA (Combining probable trajectories) aims to develop 
new methods to build the probabilistic traffic prediction by 
combining the probabilistic trajectories (based on TBO). The 
main  concepts  defined,  modelled  and  studied  by  COPTRA 
are  the  notions  of  probabilistic  trajectories  and  traffic 
situations 

PARTAKE  (Cooperative  departures  for  a  competitive  ATM 
networK  service.)  will  propose  a  causal  model  to  enhance 
the potential synergies that could be achieved by exploiting 
to the maximum extend the gap provided by the strategic 
decision  variables  and  the  operational  decision  making  at 
flight execution  

EUR 727.501 

EUR 999.391 

EUR 985.750 

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Key Feature  

Project reference 

NAVISAS 

SAPIENT 

Max. total co-financing 
value (in EUR) 

EUR 584.979 

EUR 859.500 

Project results 

NAVISAS  (Navigation  of  airborne  vehicle  with 
integrated space and atomic signals) will propose a 
novel  concept  of  APNT  for  small  aircraft  that  will 
integrate novel technologies and will merge multiple 
navigation avionics into one with no major impact on 
avionics 

(Satcom  and  terrestrial  architectures 
SAPIENT 
improving performance, security and safety in ATM) 
project  addresses  a  new  innovative  application  in 
the field of CNS/ATM system focusing exploitation of 
the  synergies  of  communications  and  navigation 
technologies  and  the  4D  trajectory  management 
concept 

Note: the SAPIENT project was closed at the end of 
2017 

ATM Operations, Architecture, Performance & Validation (see Chapter 2.1) 

Architectural 

(Participatory 

Change 
PACAS 
Management  in  ATM  Systems)  will  model  and 
analyse  changes  at  different  layers  of  the  ATM 
system  to  support  change  management,  while 
capturing  how  architectural  and  design  choices 
influence the overall system 

INTUIT (Interactive toolset for understanding trade-
offs in ATM performance) will explore the potential 
of  visual  analytics,  machine  learning  and  systems 
modelling techniques to improve our understanding 
of  the  trade-offs  between  ATM  key  performance 
areas 

AURORA  (Advanced  user-centric  efficiency  metrics 
for  air  traffic  performance  analytics)  will  propose 
advanced  metrics 
the  operational 
to  assess 
efficiency of the ATM system. These new metrics will 
be  developed  with  the  aim  of  encapsulating  the 
airspace  users’  operational  objectives,  considering 
fuel  consumption,  schedule  adherence  and  Cost-
efficiency of the flights 

EUR 998.355 

EUR 998.125 

EUR 829.313 

PACAS 

INTUIT 

AURORA 

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Key Feature  

Project reference 

APACHE 

Project results 

APACHE  (Assessment  of  performance  in  current 
ATM operations and of new Concepts of operations 
for 
its  holistic  enhancement)  proposes  a  new 
framework  to  assess  European  ATM  performance 
based on simulation, optimisation and performance 
assessment  tools  that  will  be  able  to  capture 
complex 
interdependencies  between  KPAs  at 
different modelling scales 

Max. total co-financing 
value (in EUR) 

EUR 783.838 

Table 57: ER1 projects outline (under the call for proposals with reference H2020-SESAR-2015-1) 

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