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On 17 June, the European Parliament’s Transport and Tourism (TRAN) Committee adopted its negotiating mandate on the reform of the Single European Sky rules, which proposes ways to modernise the management of European airspace in order to reduce flight delays, optimise flight routes, cut costs and CO2 emissions in the aviation sector. The position’s main aspects refer to streamlining European airspace management, reaching a 10% reduction in climate-impacting emissions, as well as open up the market for air traffic navigation services.

To reduce fragmentation in European airspace management and optimise flight routes, i.e. have more direct flights, the TRAN Committee supports streamlining the European airspace management system by setting up independent national supervisory authorities (NSAs). In line with the Green Deal objectives, the Commission shall adopt the EU performance targets on capacity, cost efficiency, climate change and environmental protection for air navigation services, MEPs say. In light of increasing competition between air-traffic controllers, the TRAN Committee suggests that one or a group of Member States should choose air-traffic service providers through a competitive tender, unless it would result in cost inefficiency, operational, climate or environmental loss, or inferior working conditions.

This vote on the Single European Sky rules constitutes the update of Parliament’s negotiating position adopted in 2014 and reconfirms MEPs’ readiness to start inter-institutional negotiations with the Council shortly. The negotiations on the EU Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) rules are expected to start in parallel, after the result of the committee vote is announced in plenary, possibly during the next June or July session.

Source: European Parliament