Description

EUROCAE is a non profit organisation formed at Lucerne, Switzerland, in 1963, to act as a European forum focusing on electronic equipment for air transport. It deals exclusively with aviation standardisation, for both airborne and ground systems and equipment. When it was set up, there was no regular forum in Europe to fulfill this role.

EUROCAE Specifications

EUROCAE started the preparation of minimum performance specifications for airborne electronic equipment. This work was noted and supported from 1967 by the ECAC (ECAC). ECAC later proposed to European National Airworthiness Authorities to take EUROCAE specifications as the basis of their national regulations.

Today, EUROCAE documents are considered by European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) as means of compliance to Joint Technical Standard Orders and other regulatory documents.

EUROCAE in CNS/ATM

EUROCAE has extended its activity from airborne equipment to complex Communication, Navigation and Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) systems including their ground segment. The related documentation is also considered by EUROCONTROL and by the European Commission, including in the context of the Single European Sky (SES). Specifically, EUROCAE’s role is recognised in Regulation (EC) No 552/2004 of 10 March 2004 on the interoperability of the European Air Traffic Management network (the Interoperability Regulation). Recital 12 of the Regulation states that "…Community specifications should be established by the European standardisation bodies in conjunction with the European Organisation for Civil Aviation Equipment (EUROCAE)…".

EUROCAE Working Groups

The main European administrations, aircraft manufacturers, equipment manufacturers and service providers are members of EUROCAE, and they actively participate in the Working Groups which prepare the specification documents. To enhance global harmonisation, a number of its Working Groups are operated jointly with the Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RTCA) which undertakes a similar role in respect of aviation in the United States.

Further Reading

For further information refer to the EUROCAE website http://www.eurocae.net/