Brussels, 17/03/2016 (Agence Europe) - A common European risk assessment of conflict zones, a rapid alert mechanism at both national and European levels and increased cooperation among member states and with the European Commission to enable the timely identification of rapidly emerging threats: these are the main recommendations contained in the report by the high-level task force on conflict zones submitted to the European Commission on Thursday 17 March.
The group, composed of representatives of the European Commission, the European External Action Service, several European Civil Aviation Authorities, the International Air Transport Association (IATA), KLM, and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), places the emphasis on an overall improvement in cooperation between the various institutions and authorities responsible for assessing risks for civil aviation at both European and national levels. The group believes that the downing of flight MH17 in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, in July 2014 (see EUROPE 11125), when that area was the scene of violent conflict, was due in part to the failings of some states in communicating relevant information. The group is also critical of the differing quality of the information held by air operators. Overall, it highlights a lack of information sharing and of common assessments on conflict zones “at all levels”.
The report recommends that member states put in place national systems for addressing risks to civil aviation from conflict zones in which relevant information is shared with operators. In addition, member states are called on to cooperate in sharing conflict zone information with the view to developing common EU risk assessments, facilitated by the Directorate General for Migration and Home Affairs (DG HOME).
The group is of the view that EASA should regularly publish information and recommendations related to conflict-zone risks, based on common EU risk assessments and in close coordination with member states.
It calls for intelligence agencies, within the boundaries of their state's legal structure, to support national systems for addressing risks arising from conflict zones and should support the State's contribution to the sharing of information at EU level on rapidly emerging new threats.
The report calls on the Commission, and specifically DG HOME, to facilitate the exchange of risk analysis and the development of common EU risk assessments, with the support from member states, the Directorate General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE), EASA and other EU institutions such as the European External Action Service (EEAS).
Operators, the report suggests, should make use of available information and recommendations on conflict zones, and incorporate this information into their risk assessment or decision-making processes. They should furthermore share own risk assessment information with their national authorities, and are encouraged to share this information with the RCZ (Risks in Conflict Zones) Network, and EASA.
Patrick Ky, EASA executive director, said that “EASA will put in place as soon as possible a system allowing to timely disseminate validated information and recommendations related to conflict zones”. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)