EASA and EUROCONTROL expand cooperation for the safe and sustainable future of European aviation

European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Executive Director Florian Guillermet and EUROCONTROL Director General Raúl Medina signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) today (April 29) to reinforce their respective organisations’ shared commitment to building the highest possible levels of safety, efficiency, and sustainability in the European civil aviation sector.

EUROCONTROL and EASA have formed a strong and longstanding cooperation on many areas of mutual interest from safety to innovation, and from efficiency to sustainability, with the overall goal of ensuring that the European aviation safety system operates as effectively as possible. T

The EASA-EUROCONTROL Joint Work Programme and the EASA-EUROCONTROL Technical & Coordination Office (TeCO) are two pivotal instruments that have facilitated this collaboration, including activities in aviation sustainability, European Air Traffic Management and Air Navigation Services (ATM/ANS) rules, specifications, and standards at a global level, support to stakeholders, and the production and analysis of ATM/ANS safety intelligence.

The new MoC replaces the existing one signed in 2021 and addresses four new areas of cooperation to enhance the safety and resilience of European Safety, covering training, cybersecurity, research and innovation, as well as Communication, Navigation, and Surveillance (CNS).

Training courses will be developed and delivered by EUROCONTROL, in coordination with EASA, to ensure an effective implementation of EASA rules and support the continuous evolution of the regulatory landscape.

Information will be exchanged regarding cyber-events and incidents that have an impact on aviation safety, and new technologies and their influence on cybersecurity will be explored. Additionally, “tabletop” cybersecurity exercises will be created and deployed. 

Cooperation on CNS matters will allow EASA to bring the relevant certification and oversight aspects, thereby supporting the CNS Programme Manager’s role within the EUROCONTROL Network Manager to modernise Europe’s CNS infrastructure.

In addition, joint research and innovation activities will be designed to advance the safety and sustainability of European aviation.