Supporting European Aviation

Mission

EUROCONTROL is a pan-European, civil-military organisation dedicated to supporting European aviation. EUROCONTROL is committed to implement, together with its partners, the European Union’s vision for a Single European Sky that will deliver the Air Traffic Management (ATM) performance required for the twenty-first century and beyond.

Governance

EUROCONTROL is an intergovernmental organisation of 41 Member States and 2 states with observer status. It also counts the European Community as a member.

EUROCONTROL is governed by an international convention. The current version, which is in the process of ratification, is known as the "Revised Convention". The Organisation is divided into three bodies: two governing bodies, the EUROCONTROL Commission and the Provisional Council, and one executive body, the Agency. The governance structure also comprises specialised entities which report to or advise these three bodies.

Activities

EUROCONTROL supports its Member States and its stakeholders (including air navigation service providers, civil and military airspace users, airports and aircraft/equipment manufacturers) in a joint effort to make aviation in Europe safer, more efficient, more cost-effective and environmentally sustainable. The organisation's expertise spans research, development, operations and performance monitoring.

EUROCONTROL activities touch on operations, service provision, concept development, research, Europe-wide project implementation, performance improvements, coordination with key aviation players at various levels as well as providing support to the future evolution and strategic orientations of aviation.

EUROCONTROL acting as Network Manager has extended the role of the former Central Flow Management Unit and now proactively manages the entire European ATM Network (with nearly ten million flights every year), in close liaison with the air navigation service providers, airspace users, the military and airports.

The Maastricht Upper Area Control Centre provides an air traffic control service in the upper airspace of the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and northern Germany. The safety management activities support European ANSPs in their efforts to keep ATM-induced incidents to a minimum, while ensuring that safety enhancements are in line with European regulations.

EUROCONTROL supports the European Commission, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and National Supervisory Authorities in their regulatory activities.

The Organisation is actively involved in research, development and validation and makes a substantial contribution to the SESAR Joint Undertaking. The aim is to deliver tangible results which will improve the ATM system's performance in the medium- and long-term.

EUROCONTROL provides a unique platform for civil-military aviation coordination in Europe.

The Organisation delivers quality training in air traffic management (ATM) to a variety of actors in the aviation community. A wide range of training services and products are being provides - from general introductory courses on ATM concepts to advanced operational training - building on more than 40 years of expertise. By delivering tailored training activities, EUROCONTROL supports pan-European network management and deployment activities, the implementation of the Single European Sky and the SESAR programme.

The Central Route Charges Office handles the billing, collection and redistribution of aviation charges.

Further Reading

• EUROCONTROL public website
• Network Operations Portal