On 21 April, a public hearing took place at the European Economic and Social Committee to assess the EU Aviation Strategy. The purpose of the event was to collect a wide range of expert and stakeholder views on the Strategy in order to enrich the EESC's forthcoming opinion on this issue.
The aim of the Aviation Strategy presented by the European Commission in December 2015 is to shape the sector's future in Europe and put its competitiveness back on track. Investing in innovation and research through the SESAR project is seen as key contributor to the strategy.
The hearing heard from representatives in the field of aviation, including Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc, Henrik Hololei (Director-General of DG Mobility and Transport, European Commission), and Florian Guillermet (Executive Director of the SESAR Joint Undertaking), Frank Brenner (Director General of Eurocontrol), Massimo Garbini, Managing Director, SESAR Deployment Manager and industry representatives. The panellists addressed some of the political, regulatory, technological and financial measures needed to achieve the objectives of the strategy.
Participants recognised SESAR as one of the most innovative projects that the EU has ever seen, noting in particular the successful public-private partnership of the SESAR Joint Undertaking. SESAR covers everything that is important in ATM, they said, including cybersecurity, and the integration of drones into civil air space. The project also serves as an important tool for European industry to export their innovation to the global market.