Ahead of the European Industry Summit in Antwerp on Wednesday 11 February and the informal retreat of EU leaders in Genk on Thursday 12 February, the Aerospace, Security and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD) has warned that it expects the European Commission to come up with a strategy to maintain the competitiveness of the aviation and aeronautics sectors and their leading position on the international market.
In December, Apóstolos Tzitzikóstas, European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, stated that he was examining the idea of a European strategy for aeronautics and aviation (see EUROPE 13764/11). The ASD, which Agence Europe met with on Monday 9 February, confirmed that the Commission was currently working on this project, on which the association had been consulted. This project is likely to be presented in September - at least that is what the ASD wants. “If we end up with something that is very disconnected from the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), I think we might lose a little bit of an opportunity to turn statements into actual decisions and funding”, said Camille Grand, Secretary General of the ASD. Through the ‘Horizon Europe’ Research and innovation Framework Programme and the ‘Connecting Europe Facility’, ASD is requesting €3 billion for the deployment of technologies linked to the ‘SESAR’ air traffic management project.
ASD stressed the importance of funding the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which plays a crucial role in aircraft certification procedures. The association is also advocating the simplification and rationalisation of these procedures in order to harmonise the rules as far as possible with those of its British, Canadian and Brazilian partners, to facilitate the adoption of European products on these markets.
To maintain its competitiveness, the sector also wants to decarbonise. ASD welcomes the ‘Sustainable Transport Investment Plan’ (STIP) presented by the Commission in November, but believes it will not be enough (see EUROPE 13746/5). “The ‘STIP’ is certainly important, but it is entirely focused on sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). [...] We also need incentives to encourage local production of SAF in Europe”, argued Vincent De Vroey, Director of Civil Aviation. He also mentioned the global problem of energy and its cost. He called for the development of a “solid roadmap for carbon-neutral electricity”, involving long-term planning. (Original version in French by Anne Damiani)