Brussels, 28/02/2011 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 28 February, the Council authorised, without any debate, the signing of the framework agreement on EU/US research and development cooperation in the area of civil aviation. The main objective of this agreement is to ensure compatibility between the new air traffic control management systems in Europe (SESAR) and the US (NEXTGEN), and to set the framework for future cooperation for research and development in the sector. The agreement is expected to be signed on Thursday 3 March, on the sidelines of the high-level conference on the European Single Sky agreement (a programme that seeks to modernise air traffic control in Europe), organised by the Hungarian Presidency of the EU Council of Ministers and the European Commission.
The agreement was negotiated last June and seeks to promote research and development activities in civil aviation (see EUROPE 10163). It puts in place a legally binding general framework, which includes rules on questions such as governance, intellectual property rights, reciprocity and liability. This framework will be completed by addenda on specific issues. The areas of cooperation will be outlined in the addenda to the agreement. The first of these annexes will be signed on Thursday. It relates to cooperation between public bodies and the European and US industrial sector, with a view to developing new air traffic management technologies (SESAR and NEXTGEN). This cooperation seeks to ensure compatibility and inter-operability between the two systems. Inter-operability is necessary for ensuring that planes have a communications system developed in Europe that is able to communicate without hindrance with planes (or controllers) using the US systems. (A.By./transl.fl)