- EASA -
EU-Latin America Cooperation in Civil Aviation

Background

The aeronautical market supports several million jobs in the European Union that actively contribute to the European gross domestic product. Aviation is one of the main drivers for the generation of direct and indirect employment, mostly skilled. The international industry is undergoing significant development and in the case of Latin America this growth is particularly evident in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Mexico.

The European Union in its effort to develop safe and sustainable aviation wants to maintain high safety standards and reduce pollutant emissions from the aviation industry.

At the moment, in terms of institutional relations between the EU and Latin America in aviation are limited, with the exception of Brazil. However, the mutual interest in cooperation is evident.

According to data contrasted by EASA and ICAO, the lack of training and qualification of technical personnel, the lack of implementation of robust management systems and modern tools associated with them, the lack of standardization of policies and standardized regulations show the need to establish a dialogue between the main actors on both sides of the Atlantic. These are elements that must be addressed in order to adapt to the needs of a demanding and growing aeronautical industry. Otherwise, these facts mixed with the increase in regional and international traffic, the use of new materials and new technologies, new forms of aircraft control, new fleet management models, etc. will generate a greater exposure to risk that will consequently limit the evolution and development of aviation as the industry demands.

EASA believes that greater and more efficient collaboration will help mitigate risk exposure factors for both parties, improve and promote new and modern policies to meet the new challenges related to aviation development and global environmental protection.

The Project

The European Union, through its Delegation in Brasilia, and more specifically FPI (Foreign Policy Instrument), signed in December 2017 a contract with EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) for €7 million for the implementation of a four-year project to foster “Cooperation between The European Union and Latin America in Civil Aviation”.

The overall objective of the project is to improve relations between Latin America and Europe in terms of operational, political, economic and environmental safety in the field of civil aviation.

 

The specific objectives are:

  • Promote European standards
  • Facilitating access to markets
  • Strengthening cooperation in the regulatory area
  • Cooperate in the field of the environment

 

The expected results of the project are:

  • Result 1: To promote dialogue on Civil Aviation and the strengthening of institutional relations between European and Latin American organizations.
  • Result 2: Increased technical exchanges between stakeholders in both regions.
  • Result 3: The reduction of market barriers between the parties,
  • Outcome 4: Support for environmental protection policies.

The following diagram serves as a summary of the results and possible activities:

The implementation is carried out with the collaboration of the Project’s “Partners” (Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Chile and Mexico). The benefits of the project will be extended to the entire region through the existing RSOOs (SRVSOP, CASSOS and ACSA) through activities agreed upon in the project’s Management Committees.

Latin American and European industries play an important role during project implementation (manufacturers, aircraft operators, MROs, airports, ANSPs, etc.). The activities to be carried out may consist of workshops, trainings, seminars, road-shows, meetings, etc. of interest to all parties. Possible outcomes of these activities could be bilateral agreements, technical training, creation of forums, etc.

The Project has a duration of 4 years, with a start date of January 1, 2018, and the activities will take place mainly in Latin America.

The project is divided into three phases (Start-up, Implementation and Closure), as described below:

Areas of assistance and consulting

We offer a wide variety of services, such as:

  • Advisory services, audits, evaluations, development of regulations, assistance, among others, in all areas of the Agency’s specialties, such as aerodromes, airworthiness, unmanned aircraft, legal advice, facilitation, accident investigation, personnel licensing, environment, dangerous goods, flight operations, aviation safety, air navigation services, among others.
  • We develop computer applications for the development of operational safety management, such as the SIAR (Integrated System for the administration of regulations).

The EASA team with the collaboration of the project partners and other stakeholders identify potential areas of cooperation between the parties in line with the expected results.

The main tasks during this phase are:

  • Situation analysis and data collection,
  • Meetings with partners and stakeholders,
  • Reception of ideas and proposals,
  • Establishment of a project office,
  • Design of a work plan, specific for the first year and general for the rest of the years of the project. The work plan will be a living document that can be modified during the life of the project,
  • Presentation of an inception report containing the work plan (concrete for the first year of the project), and more specific project data,
  • Holding of a Management Board to review and agree on the Work Plan.
  • Execution of activities according to the work plan,
  • Follow-up of activities in terms of quality,
  • Meetings with partners and other project stakeholders,
  • Update of the work plan,
  • Annual Management Committee meeting,
  • Submission of progress reports to the Contracting Authority (FPI),
  • Implementation of project control tools such as internal and external audits, mid-term review, final review, etc.
  • Other project management activities related to staff recruitment and follow-up.
  • Actions to support the sustainability of the activities implemented,
  • Administrative reporting tasks,
  • Final Report,
  • Final review of the project.
HOME

The EASA team with the collaboration of the project partners and other stakeholders identify potential areas of cooperation between the parties in line with the expected results.

The main tasks during this phase are:

  • Situation analysis and data collection,
  • Meetings with partners and stakeholders,
  • Reception of ideas and proposals,
  • Establishment of a project office,
  • Design of a work plan, specific for the first year and general for the rest of the years of the project. The work plan will be a living document that can be modified during the life of the project,
  • Presentation of an inception report containing the work plan (concrete for the first year of the project), and more specific project data,
  • Holding of a Management Board to review and agree on the Work Plan.
IMPLEMENTATION
  • Execution of activities according to the work plan,
  • Follow-up of activities in terms of quality,
  • Meetings with partners and other project stakeholders,
  • Update of the work plan,
  • Annual Management Committee meeting,
  • Submission of progress reports to the Contracting Authority (FPI),
  • Implementation of project control tools such as internal and external audits, mid-term review, final review, etc.
  • Other project management activities related to staff recruitment and follow-up.
CLOSING
  • Actions to support the sustainability of the activities implemented,
  • Administrative reporting tasks,
  • Final Report,
  • Final review of the project.

This team will be supported by experts in different technical areas who, depending on the activity, will be progressively incorporated into the project.

Communication and Visibility

The Agency has a project office in the region, at ACSA’s facilities in Costa Rica, which will be able to manage part of the activities first hand.

The point of reference for project status, information on activities, news, contacts, is the project website:

https://eu-europa-easa.wixsite.com/eu-lac-app

In addition, there are other links of interest that should be visited frequently, such as the EASA website at https://www.easa.europa.eu/ and https://www.easa.europa.eu/easa-and-you/international-cooperation.

REGRESAR