European Aviation Summit: the environment at the core of the debate
A-380 Shadow
© Photothèque STAC / Aude Bernadac
- from: 17.11.2008
- to: 19.11.2008
- In: Bordeaux
This summit will bring together the French ministers of state for transport and ecology, the vice-president of the European Commission responsible for transport, the president of the transport committee of the European Parliament and the directors-general of civil aviation and directors-general of air navigation services of the EU Member States. Representatives of the European Commission and European Parliament, the aeronautical sector and environmental associations will also take part.
The summit proposes to take a coherent, comprehensive approach by setting out the issues and addressing all the means to reduce the impact of air transport on the environment and the climate. The round-tables will focus on the following topics: research and development, the modernisation of the air traffic control systems, the role of airports, and possible economic incentives. The summit will make it possible to better publicise the drives already conducted in Europe and to examine the conditions for extending them to international air transport.
The talks will focus on papers on which the Community is currently working. The role of the presidency is to encourage a European consensus, and also to find ways of winning over Europe's international partners. This is particularly true in terms of the European project to integrate air transport into the emission rights market, a market-based mechanism designed to compensate and reduce air traffic's CO2 emissions. If it is to be effective, this mechanism must be worldwide and apply to international flights. The summit will provide an opportunity for examining the terms of application of this major form of regulation.
Major European programmes have already been adopted, ranging from the Clean Sky initiative under the aegis of the ACARE (Advisory Council for Aeronautics Research in Europe), which brings together representatives from the Member States, the Commission, and industry in the aim of improving the competitive situation of the EU in the aeronautical area. The participants will evaluate the fuel and CO2 savings expected from the modernisation of air traffic management, in particular with the European SESAR project, the technological aspect of the Single European Sky project. Another essential aspect of constructing a 'Single European Sky' is the creation of 'functional airspace blocks' (FABs), which will facilitate more integrated management of European air space, independent of existing borders.
This European civil aviation summit will be marked by two important events: the signing of the declaration of intent to found the 'Central Europe' FAB, the largest in Europe, by its six founding states - Germany, Belgium, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Switzerland - and the signing of the contractual agreements of the 'Clean Sky' initiative.
Conclusion of the European aviation summit (Report)
- Updated: 27.12.2008
