Brussels, 30/05/2012 (Agence Europe) - At the presentation on Wednesday 30 May of a draft report by Jacqueline Foster (ECR, UK) on the Single European Sky to the European Parliament's transport and tourism committee, debate focused on MEPs' concerns about introduction of the Functional Air Blocs (FABs), an issue addressed at length by the rapporteur in her report. The FABs are the first stage in the introduction of a Single European Sky, but many member states have not yet started to introduce them. The first deadline, however, is 4 December 2012. MEPs openly criticise the lack of good will among governments, which want to preserve sovereignty in this matter. MEP Gesine Meissner (ALDE, Germany) urged colleagues to put pressure on national governments.
The SESAR programme (Single European Sky Air Traffic Management Research) was also widely discussed. Many MEPs said it needed proper financing, given the benefits it would confer on aviation performance. In her report, Foster says that a ten year delay in introducing SESAR would be catastrophic and calls for a general report on introduction of the Single European Sky legislation to be submitted to the transport committee by the Commission and the member states, by June 2013. The draft Foster report will be voted upon by the plenary after the summer holidays and comes at a key moment because this year will be momentous for the Single European Sky. (MD/transl.fl)