Brussels, 25/04/2012 (Agence Europe) - 4 December is the deadline for member states to have their Functional Aerospace Blocks (FABs) in place and operational, after which date infringement procedures may be opened against them. At this point, the UK, Ireland, Denmark and Sweden are setting the pace and should serve as examples. Romania and Bulgaria, too, are likely to start joint operations in the Danube FAB. However, four of the nine FABs have very little chance of meeting December's operational deadline and there is only a slight chance that the two central airspace blocks will be in place by the set date.
The Single European Sky is still, then, a far-off prospect, with member states still showing unwilling to set up their FABs. Commission FAB coordinator Georg Jarzembowski appeared once again before the European Parliament (EP) transport and tourism committee (TRAN) on Tuesday 24 April to deliver a less than hopeful report. MEPs were, yet again, most unhappy, though, in all truth, not particularly surprised by what he had to say.
Jarzembowski said that the Commission should send a first letter to the more reluctant member states “to encourage them to hurry up and finish work by 4 December”. If the deadline is missed and member states have not been prepared to set up FABs on a voluntary basis, infringement procedures will be begun. Jarzembowski favours “encouragements” and “public pressure” to bring member states to put in place the European Single Sky. (MD/transl.rt)