Single European Sky

[citation needed] This has created 'an outdated patchwork of airspace blocs and inefficient flight paths [which] impose significant financial and environmental costs on the sector.

After the Prodi Commission took office in September 1999, Transport Commissioner Loyola de Palacio launched efforts to structurally reform air traffic management across Europe, as she and many others had concluded that Eurocontrol was incapable of effectively carrying out its duties, particularly its decision-making and its failure to implement agreements.

By the end of 1999, the European Commission had obtained the consent of all EU Transport Ministers for the 'creation of a single European sky', encompassing structural ATM integration and reform, and established a high level group of senior civil and military air traffic authorities representing the member states to prepare concrete policy proposals.

It was proposed to organise this airspace uniformly, with air traffic control areas based on operational efficiency, instead of national borders.

[7] In response to strong demands from the industry, EU member states and other stakeholders, the Barroso Commission appointed a new high level group to develop a more detailed regulatory framework in November 2006.

The so-called SES 2+ is a package of measure which aim at challenging the current situation with state owned monopolies responsible for providing air navigation services.

[17] The Commission appointed 15 experts in the field to form a Wise Person's Group to assess the current situation and future needs.

[citation needed] Instead of relying on top-down regulation, which appeared not to have worked previously, the Commission stimulated voluntary alliances between so-called air traffic service providers.

[2] Meanwhile, the FABEC and FAB CE zones, jointly accounting for 8.6 million flights (over 75% of all European air traffic) in 2019, agreed to formalise and intensify their cooperation in June 2020.