Single European Sky: organisation and use of the airspace

The European Commission put forward an amended proposal taking into accounts the following amendments made by Parliament: - those amendments which clarified or improved the text by reinforcing the reference to operational conditions and safety; - fixing a term of five years for the extension of the Single Flight Information Region to the lower airspace. The Commission will link this period to the results of application of this concept to the upper airspace; - the principle of consulting industry. The Commission rejects setting up an industry advisory group; - an amendment specifying the role of Eurocontrol in the creation of functional blocks of airspace. This role cannot go as far as dictating solutions; - an amendment making the division level between upper and lower airspace dependent upon operational requirements. The Commission believes that a common division level is required to harmonise and coordinate procedures. It can, however, accept that operational requirements could suggest marginal deviations from such a common level. Rejected amendments include the following: - a deadline for the creation of the European Upper Flight Information Region; - the introduction of a dispute mechanism where Member States disagree on the definition of cross-border functional airspace blocks; - amendments concerning civil-military co-operation which may impact upon the competence of Member States; - the amendment rendering the concept of the flexible use of airspace subjects to air traffic flow management rules. �