Air transport: Joint Undertaking to develop the new generation European air traffic management system SESAR

2005/0235(CNS)

In accordance with Regulation (EC) 219/2007, the Commission presents a report evaluating the implementation of the Regulation, the results obtained by the SESAR Joint Undertaking (SJU) and its working methods, as well as the general financial situation of the Joint Undertaking. The evaluation was launched in March 2010 and is the first evaluation of the SJU. The evaluation covers the period from 27 February 2007 until the end of 2009. To recall, SESAR (The Single European Sky Air Traffic Management Research) Programme is the technological pillar of the Single European Sky initiative. It will deploy a new generation of air traffic management (ATM) technologies.

SESAR is composed of three phases: the definition phase (2005-2008); the development phase (2008-2013); and the deployment phase (2013-2020). The SESAR Programme is now in its development phase managed by the SJU, the first ATM public-private partnership set up as an EU body. The SJU's mission is to ensure the modernisation of the European ATM system by coordinating and concentrating all the relevant research in the EU, and execute the ATM Master Plan. The SJU develops the new generation of ATM technologies and procedures that will constitute SES technologies & procedures.

Results of the evaluations: the overall conclusion of the first intermediate evaluations is that the SJU performed well during the reference period in terms of setting up and developing its organisation as well as conducting its designated tasks. In general, SJU stakeholders are satisfied with its performance.

Implementation of the Regulation: the provisions of the SJU Regulation were appropriately implemented during the reference period, although with some delay in some cases. It is important to note that the amendment of the SJU Regulation, transforming the SJU into an EU body, slowed down the setup process, because of the need to adopt new financial rules, new staff contracts and accounting principles required for EU bodies.

Results obtained by the SJU and its working methods: in general, the SJU has implemented the planned activities and achieved the expected results.

The general level of satisfaction of stakeholders with the SJU's work is high. Some of the key achievements during the reference period are:

·        gathering and committing stakeholders on a common R&D programme;

·        developing the work programme that supports rationalisation and  consistency, avoiding gaps and overlapping;

·        developing the required methods and tools for programme implementation;

·        initiating several projects within a short timeframe without compromising on quality requirements and coordination between work packages and projects.

The challenges facing the SJU relate to maintaining its capacity to coordinate all work-packages and projects and validate the deliverables. There is a common awareness amongst SJU members of the importance of an efficient risk management framework that fully involves them in its establishment. An "Enterprise Risk Management Framework" will be introduced in 2010. The communication processes and instruments should be further developed to meet the differentiated communication needs of the founding members, SJU members and other stakeholders, members and non-members of the Administrative Board.

General financial situation: the SJU has implemented an appropriate framework complying with the SJU's financial rules and the principle of sound financial management. The Court of Auditors recently commented on the SJU financial rules highlighting some areas to be strengthened. A number of actions are being taken by SJU to implement these improvements. All SJU members have formalised their  financial commitments through appropriate agreements with the SJU:

·        the Commission contributes 700 million EUR, entirely in cash;

·        Eurocontrol provides 700 million EUR in contribution, of which 535 million EUR in kind and 165 million EUR in cash;

·        the other members have committed a global amount of 537 million EUR of which 5% is provided in cash.

The Master Plan: this the commonly agreed roadmap executed by the SJU, for shifting to a new ATM operational concept to support SES objectives. The Master plan is a living document that covers both the development and the deployment phases of SESAR. It steers the work programme for the development phase and, similarly, the Master plan will be a key governance tool of the deployment phase. The main deliverable of the SESAR definition phase is the SESAR Master Plan that integrates areas of performance improvements, elements of the new ATM concept, cost benefit analysis and lays out the roadmap for the implementation of the operational improvements into a coherent work programme. In line with SJU Regulation, the SESAR Master Plan has been transferred from Eurocontrol to the SJU on 7.11.2008. On 30.03.2009, the Council endorsed the SESAR Master Plan as the initial version of the Master plan providing the roadmap for the development and deployment phases of the SESAR programme. The Council also confirmed that ATM modernisation and the proposed timelines for its achievement remain a high political priority for the EU. The SJU Administrative Board adopted the Master plan on 12.06.2009.

Development phase: the SJU's research and development activities were launched on 3.06.2009. One year later, 85% of the 300 projects have been launched with about 160 projects having started actual R&D work. For the most advanced projects the first deliverables have already been submitted to the SJU. Currently, through the SJU, 1500 experts from 16 members in 17 different States are working to develop and validate the future European ATM system.

Today's priority is achieving quick benefits from early results on information management, route assignment and guidance as well as on the airborne side of trajectory management. The SJU is expected to deliver the first validated technologies by early 2012. 

Deployment phase: the Master plan currently defines 3 implementation packages which build upon each other. Implementation Package I (IP1) contains the basic validated functionalities and technologies of the SESAR operational concept that do not require further research and are available to be deployed. At this stage of the programme only IP1 deployment is being performed by different ATM actors. All enablers for IP1 operational improvements have been validated and are either ready for deployment or already deployed. IP1 is a key deployment issue as any delay in the implementation of short term initiatives is a major risk for the SESAR programme. The Commission has set up an IP1 Steering Group which will make recommendations to reduce any gaps between the deployment plan, as laid down in the Master plan, and the reality.