EU, Africa Agree to Cooperate on Aviation

April 8, 2009 // Published as a news service by IHS

The framework should contribute to boosting air transport in Africa and creating new opportunities between Europe and Africa. Several initiatives were discussed by the EC and AUC, including aviation safety, economic regulation, air traffic management, navigation aids, environment and security.

The agreement followed the Africa-European Union (EU) aviation conference, which took place on April 2-3 in Windhoek, Namibia. During the two-day conference, representatives from European and African public authorities, airlines, aerospace industries and service providers worked to stimulate air transport in Africa and encourage an exchange of ideas on aviation matters between the two continents.

The EC and AUC agreed to establish arrangements for a permanent strategic dialogue in aviation matters that aims at the following:

• Improving aviation safety and security matters. Training seminars and pilot schemes are viewed as immediate activities to set up, and the EC could provide increased technical assistance.

• Developing further cooperation in air traffic management and the related SESAR program, in particular to identify the changes required to optimize the flow of traffic.

• Extending the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) - a satellite navigation system - so that it provides the same services to civil aviation over Africa as it does over Europe.

• Engaging in a broad dialogue on environmental protection issues and the performance improvement of air operations.

• Supporting the Yamoussoukro Decision's process of liberalizing African air transport to develop a strong sector in both passenger and cargo. (The Yamoussoukro Decision aims at creating a single airspace in Africa, with one of the most innovative provisions being the principle of free market access of eligible air carriers for intra-African connections.)
  
  The EC will support the development and evolution of the executing agency for implementing the decision and assist in the definition of the appropriate regulatory environment and market access.

To this end, both the EC and AUC agreed to set up a common strategic framework and action plan for the EU-Africa dialogue in air transport that will detail the areas of possible cooperation. The agreement will be formalized after the accomplishment of all the required internal procedures.

During the conference, a declaration pertaining to the signature of the horizontal agreement between the Western African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) and the European Community was signed by representatives of both sides. This horizontal agreement will lead to the opening to all European and WAEMU carriers all the routes between the two regions.

EC vice president Antonio Tajani, responsible for transport, and Louis Michel, EC commissioner for development and humanitarian aid, launched the initiative, along with Elham Ibrahim, AUC commissioner for infrastructure and energy.

"Europe and Africa must strengthen their links and cooperate more in aviation. We will both benefit from a new air transport dynamics between our continents," said Tajani. "Improved safety standards and more choice are at the basis of our new dialogue. There are a number of actions which can easily contribute to change the picture of air transport in Africa," he explained.

Michel added, "This framework goes hand-in-hand with the EU-Africa Infrastructure Partnership which aims to link-up the African continent and its regions through increased investment in infrastructure. Aviation is a key part of the infrastructure-linkage."

Source: European Commission (EC).