Single European Sky 2+ package [EU Legislation in Progress]

Written by Jaan Soone (5th edition, updated on 22.11.2024),

The Single European Sky (SES) initiative is about making EU airspace less fragmented and improving air traffic management in terms of safety, capacity, cost-efficiency and the environment. Its current regulatory framework is based on two legislative packages: SES I (adopted in 2004), which set up the principal legal framework, and SES II (adopted in 2009), designed to tackle substantial air traffic growth, increase safety, and reduce costs and delays and the impact of air traffic on the environment. Nonetheless, European airspace remains fragmented, costly and inefficient.

The European Commission presented a revision of the SES in 2013 (the SES 2+ package). While the Parliament adopted its first-reading position in March 2014, in December 2014 the Council agreed only a partial general approach, owing to disagreement between the UK and Spain over the application of the text to Gibraltar Airport. Once Brexit removed this obstacle, the Commission amended its initial proposal.

Following lengthy negotiations, the Council and Parliament negotiating teams reached a provisional agreement on 6 March 2024. The Council approved the agreed text on 26 September 2024. Parliament approved the agreed text on 22 October 2024. The final act was signed on 23 October 2024 and it was published in the Official Journal of the EU on 11 November 2024.

Complete version

• Single European Sky 2+ package (5th edition)