The Council of the European Union has adopted its first reading position on the reform of the Single European Sky (SES), marking a significant step towards enhancing the efficiency and sustainability of European airspace management. The reform aims to address long-standing issues of capacity, cost, and environmental impact within the EU’s air traffic management system.
The Council’s position, which aligns with the provisional agreement between the co-legislators, retains the core objectives of the SES initiative: reinforcing safety, meeting capacity needs, and reducing CO₂ emissions in a cost-effective manner. The reform is expected to bring about much-needed modernisation and improved performance of air navigation services across the EU.
Key Elements of the Council’s Position
Scope and Sovereignty: The new legislative framework respects member states’ sovereignty over their airspace and does not cover military operations and training. This ensures that national security and defence matters remain under the control of individual member states.
Supervisory and Regulatory Framework: Each member state will designate a national supervisory authority to assess the compliance of air navigation service providers with requirements such as financial sustainability and organisational structure. Member states have the flexibility to assign these tasks to either the national supervisory authority or the national competent authority responsible for certification.
Functional Separation and Red Tape Reduction: The Council allows for the possibility of merging economic and safety oversight functions within a single administrative entity, which is expected to reduce bureaucracy and adapt to existing organisational models.
Market Opening: Air traffic service providers may voluntarily open certain air navigation services to market conditions, and member states can authorise the opening of air traffic services for aerodromes and/or approach control to market conditions.
Performance Assessment: National supervisory authorities and the European Commission will jointly assess the performance of air navigation services, adhering to the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality. The Commission will be assisted by an independent Performance Review Board (PRB), funded by the EU budget.
Environmental Measures: To reduce the aviation sector’s CO₂ footprint, the reform introduces the possibility of mandatory modulation of en route charges to encourage airspace users to adopt more fuel-efficient routing and alternative clean propulsion technologies. These measures will be subject to a feasibility study assessing their impact on air traffic, service provision, administrative costs, and stakeholders.
Network Perspective: The role of Eurocontrol, the current network manager, will be strengthened with additional tasks to contribute to the sustainable and efficient use of airspace. Member states will be fully involved in decisions of strategic importance for the network.
Next Steps
The Council’s position will now be transmitted to the European Parliament, which is expected to approve it without amendments, leading to an early second-reading agreement. Following legal and linguistic review, the draft legislative act will be formally adopted, published in the EU’s official journal, and entered into force 20 days after publication.
Background
The SES initiative was launched in 1999 to improve air traffic management and air navigation services through better integration of European airspace. The last major legislative initiative, SES 2, was concluded in 2009. An interim update, SES 2+, was proposed in 2013 but never concluded. The current reform, proposed by the Commission in September 2020, aims to address the shortcomings of previous initiatives and pave the way for a more efficient and sustainable airspace management system.
Analysis
The adoption of the Council’s position marks a crucial milestone in the long-awaited reform of the Single European Sky. The reform is expected to address the fragmentation and inefficiencies that have plagued European airspace management, leading to increased capacity, lower costs, and reduced environmental impact. However, the success of the reform will depend on the effective implementation of the new framework by member states and the cooperation of various stakeholders in the aviation industry.
The introduction of market conditions for certain air navigation services and the strengthening of Eurocontrol’s role are particularly noteworthy developments. These measures aim to foster competition and innovation while ensuring a coordinated approach to airspace management. The environmental measures, including the modulation of en route charges, are also significant steps towards reducing the aviation sector’s carbon footprint, aligning with the EU’s broader climate goals.
As the reform moves towards final adoption, the aviation industry and policymakers will be closely watching its implementation to ensure that the promised benefits are realised. The success of the Single European Sky reform could set a new standard for airspace management globally, positioning the EU as a leader in sustainable and efficient aviation.
