European Union

‘Europe for Aviation’ is the theme around which civil and military European aviation organisations working to implement the Single European Sky (SES) gather for two days at this year’s World ATM Congress which opened today in Madrid. Speaking at the joint ‘Europe For Aviation Partners’ conference, EDA Chief Executive Jorge Domecq stressed the need to accommodate civil and military requirements in the effort to develop a modern and innovative SES, as civil and military aviation share the same airspace and conduct mutually supportive activities. 

‘Working together will allow us to remain innovative. We need to act jointly in making the European airspace a digital European sky designed to accommodate the needs of both civil and military stakeholders, all types of platforms, manned and unmanned, and all types of missions, roles and applications, in a balanced and proportioned way, in peace time and in crisis situations", Mr Domecq stated

Over recent years, EDA has achieved tangible results when it comes to military integration into SES. The Military Aviation Strategy in the context of SES is in place and €93 million of EU co-funding have been awarded to military projects relating to SESAR deployment. With the support of EDA, the defence sector is involved in SES activities from the outset, providing inputs into the regulatory, technical and operational efforts aimed to enhance the security and defence dimension in SES. A common civil-military roadmap for Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) Air Traffic Insertion has been developed to enable seamless integration of certified RPAS alongside manned aviation from 2025. One of the eleven European Capability Development Priorities approved in the 2018 Capability Development Plan (CDP) is directly linked to SES: the integration of military air capabilities in the changing aviation sector. It will contribute to foster civil-military synergies notably through digital solutions benefiting from connectivity, automation, virtualisation and artificial intelligence in support of European industries.

The ‘Europe for Aviation’ stand and theatre (#849 and #1151) at the 2019 World ATM Congress is hosting a wide range of debates, presentations and guided walking tours, illustrating the collaboration in action between European aviation organisations working to implement SES, namely the European Commission, EUROCONTROL, SESAR Joint Undertaking (SESAR JU), SESAR Deployment Manager (SESAR DM), European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA), European Organisation for Civil Aviation (EUROCAE) and the European Defence Agency (EDA).
 

Background

The World ATM Congress is the world’s largest international air traffic management (ATM) exhibition and conference, bringing together the world’s leading product developers, experts, stakeholders, and air navigation service providers (ANSPs).

More information on the Europe For Aviation stand is available here. 

 

It is now clear that the Brexit deal has not been changed and the demands of the hardline anti-European MPs for the Withdrawal Agreement to be re-opened have been rejected by the EU27, writes Denis MacShane.

The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), Theresa May's allies in the UK parliament, dealt a probable death blow to her hopes of passing her revised Brexit deal on Tuesday night, saying they rejected the agreement brokered by the British prime minister and EU Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker on Monday. The hardline unionist 10-MP bloc said it would vote against the deal, blaming the EU for being "intransigent".

Ahead of Theresa May’s latest push to win last-minute changes to her Brexit deal on Monday (11 March), a UK official told EURACTIV the only thing that could get it over the line was if the UK Attorney General could conclude that the threat of having an indefinite Irish border backstop has now been removed.

EU lawmakers and member states have struck a political deal on the first-ever EU-wide directive on whistleblower protection - following years of big tax-evasion revelations and the laundering of dirty money in European banks.

Plenary session, Strasbourg

Source : © European Union, 2019 - EP

Consumer organisations have applauded an EU proposal to restore the familiar A-G energy labelling scale for goods like fridges, TV screens, and washing machines, saying the current ‘A+’ system is confusing for shoppers.

Getting to better know your body, having healthier habits, gaining confidence… sports can be a tool for education for children, but also to enhance gender equality. Through its Erasmus + programme, the EU has been funding initiatives that aim at supporting inclusiveness, and integration in athletics events, including gender equality.

In a period when Europe appears to be increasingly divided, sports can help bring people together and promote social integration, the president of the International School Sport Federation (ISF) and education expert Laurent Petrynka told EURACTIV in an interview.

The UK's attorney general ruled on Tuesday that the new overnight Brexit declaration agreed between UK prime minister Theresa May and EU Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker left the legal risk of the UK remaining in the customs union "unchanged." That verdict, on the highly-technical backstop document, will be a blow for May's chances of winning UK parliament approval for her Brexit deal at a vote on Tuesday night.

Shortly before the new vote in the House of Commons the EU has made concessions to British Prime Minister Theresa May on her Brexit deal. Legally binding changes were reportedly added to the agreement that will prevent Northern Ireland from permanently remaining in the EU single market by means of the Backstop - a scenario feared by Brexit hardliners in particular. Will they give the deal their vote later today?

The Turkey correspondents of Germany's public broadcaster ZDF and Tagesspiegel newspaper, Jörg Brase and Thomas Seibert, left the country on Sunday after Ankara refused to extend their press accreditation, which is tied to residency permits. Commentators condemn Turkey's treatment of the journalists and predict the move will backfire for the country.

After weeks of mass protests Algeria's President Bouteflika has announced that he won't run for re-election, postponed the elections and said that the constitution will be revised. Does this mean the changes the demonstrators want are now imminent?