Report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on the implementation and progress of the Single European Sky during the 2012-2014 period

Aviation is a key driver of economic growth, employment and trade and has a significant impact on the EU’s economy and the life and mobility of its citizens. As such, it plays an important role in delivering on the Commission’s priorities, particularly ‘Jobs, Growth and Investment’, ‘the EU as a Global Actor’ and ‘Energy Union’. As a fundamental component of the aviation system, air traffic management (ATM) and – specifically, the development and implementation of the Single European Sky (SES) – makes an important contribution in this context. It addresses challenges related to connectivity, competitiveness, safety and the environment. ATM is an industrial activity that ensures the safe separation of aircraft and the smooth and orderly flow of air traffic. It involves many stakeholders, including air navigation service and system providers, aircraft operators, airports and the aeronautical manufacturing industry.

The essential role of ATM in the aviation value chain relates not only to its primary safety objective. The entire ATM system is financed by the charges paid by airspace users. Furthermore, as a lack of capacity in air traffic control can cause delays, ATM has an impact on the quality of the service airlines provide to passengers and freight customers (40% of all departure delays are directly or indirectly caused by ATM and weather factors). Last but not least, ATM has an impact on the environment, as longer air routes lead to higher emissions and fuel costs for airspace users (ATM accounts for 6% of aviation-related CO2 emissions).

Since the launch of the SES initiative in 2000, two packages of legislation have been adopted and almost fully implemented. They aim to reduce the fragmentation of European airspace and increase capacity by introducing additional rules on safety, airspace management, cost transparency and interoperability. The legislation adopted in 2009 by the Council and European Parliament (SESII), which is intended to accelerate the implementation of a truly Single Sky from 2012 onwards, is now being implemented and its results can therefore be measured.

This report provides an update on the general state of play of the SES initiative and the accompanying legislation over the 2012-2014 period. In particular, it provides information on the measures that have been taken since the Commission’s previous report to the European Parliament and the Council.