Brussels, 18/06/2010 (Agence Europe) - The delegations from the European Commission, led by Daniel Calleja (Director of Air Transport, DG Mobility and Transport) and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), headed up by Hank Krakowski, officially concluded negotiations on research and development cooperation in civil aviation in Madrid on Friday 18 June. Talks ended with the initialling of a memorandum of understanding and a first technical annex promoting interoperability between their respective air traffic management (ATM) modernisation programmes, SESAR and NextGen. Two further annexes, one on air safety and the other on alternative fuels, are planned. The memorandum initialled on Friday provides for a legally binding cooperation framework, based on commonly agreed reciprocity principles for applications in the areas of safety, security, environment, performance, alternative fuels, aircraft design, Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), sub-orbital airplanes, satellite-based communications and related air traffic management (ATM) applications. The memorandum will allow the two parties jointly to pursue and develop research in the above-mentioned areas. At the same time, the agreement on SESAR-NextGen cooperation will not only ensure the interoperability of the two systems, and thus the compatibility of navigation, communication and positioning equipment on board American and European aircraft, it also provides for the two parties coordinating their technical efforts in support of global standardisation of ATM systems through the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). Once approved by the European Parliament and the Council, the memorandum, initialled in the presence of Spanish Transport Minister José Blanco, will come into force early in 2011. (A.By./transl.rt)