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Air Traffic Controllers European Unions Coordination

ATCEUC

Association de Syndicats européens des contrôleurs aériens et des ingénieurs électroniciens des systèmes de la sécurité aérienne.

Lobbying Activity

Meeting with Filip Cornelis (Director Mobility and Transport)

18 Sept 2025 · Exchange of views on the ATC (Air Traffic Control) reform in Greece

Response to Revision of EU rules on air services

8 Jun 2025

ATCEUC firmly opposes the European Commissions proposal to ensure overflight continuity during air traffic controller (ATCO) industrial actions, as outlined in its initiative to revise Regulation (EC) No 1008/2008. ATCEUC considers this a direct threat to the fundamental right to strike, particularly in centres where overflights represent the majority of operations. Such a measure would render industrial action ineffective, violating Article 28 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. ATCEUC also warns of significant safety risks arising from attempts to maintain normal traffic levels with reduced staffing during industrial action. Article 153(5) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), along with the principle of subsidiaritywhich affirms that labour law and social rights fall under national jurisdictionclearly excludes the right to strike from EU competences. ATCEUC denounces the European Commissions lack of sincerity in claiming that the initiative on air services regulation would have no impact on fundamental rights. Furthermore, the exclusion of air traffic controllers (ATCOs) from the consultation process demonstrates a worrying disregard for the very professionals most affected by the proposed measures. ATCEUC therefore calls for the withdrawal of any proposal that interferes with national regulation of the right to strike. Such interference, falling outside EU competences, risks provoking severe and prolonged social conflict, while undermining both social dialogue and operational stability in the aviation sector.
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Meeting with Jan-Christoph Oetjen (Member of the European Parliament)

21 Nov 2024 · general exchange on the current challenges in air traffic management

Response to Union-wide performance targets for the fourth reference period (RP4)

19 Apr 2024

RP4: ATCEUC AND ETF CALL TO REJECT EUROPEAN COMMISSION PROPOSAL OF CUTTING INVESTMENTS IN THE HUMAN AND SYSTEMS OF THE ATM/ANS SECTOR. The third reference period for managing performance of the ATM/ANS service provision (RP3) is now in its last year. This period has been marked by COVID-19 and the steep recovery of the aviation sector. After this challenging and chaotic period, the picture of our European Society is clear: environmental challenges cannot be avoided and connecting people is a key aspiration. EU citizens want to travel. The demand of air transport is stronger than ever, even with high inflation and economic growth below expectations. The European society needs a qualitative, diverse and easy offer of transportation. RP3 for ATM/ANS can be summarized in a few words: a high level of safety and resilience but also a lack of staff notably of air traffic control officers (ATCOs) and air traffic safety electronic personnel (ATSEPs), difficulties to recruit future talents and an ever-stronger need of investments in infrastructure and systems. Facing this clear picture, the proposal of the European Commission for RP4 is at the same time full of surprises and disappointments. Cost reduction is still the only actual priority of policy makers. Regarding the environment, only the efficiency of trajectory is looked at in the RP4 framework similarly to RP3, unfortunately with the same difficulties: how can ANSPs be the sole responsible of inefficiency of trajectories, when airspace users are the unique decision makers in terms of flight planning? Furthermore, proper measurement of the impact of military activities on civil aircraft trajectory remains to be better understood at tactical but also at strategic level especially with conflicts in Ukraine and in the middle East. Insufficient investment on new staff in previous reference periods will again result in notable lack in capacity during RP4 and beyond. Unrealistic targets for capacity have been the same for the last 15 years. Nothing new needs to be said on this matter. Long-term aspirational goals cannot be turned into operational targets associated with heavy financial penalties. An approach based on operations knowledge should be the basis of an appropriate target setting. This political exercise is counterproductive as it only prolongs the staff shortage we are experiencing. ATCEUC and ETF call now for the member States to have a proper level of ambition for RP4 period. Challenges are clear and known: digitalisation is the corner stone, but it is a challenge to come for all the workers/employees of the sector. Investments in ATCOs, ATSEPs, Engineers and Technicians need to be increased to develop and implement the ATN/ANS of the future. For RP4, solutions will remain based on human and ATCOs centred. The capability of the ATM/ANS sector to attract new and retain existing talents will be key. Volker DICK ATCEUC President Gauthier STURTZER Chair of the ETF ATM committee
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Response to Proposal to amend common rules for the allocation of slots at European Union airports

22 Sept 2020

ATCEUC represents the ATC/ATM Operational staff of the European ANSPs. While we fully understand the reasoning behind regulating the slot-waiver for the winter 2020-2021 season, it seems to us that the proposed Regulation is exclusively focused on the Airspace Users’ needs and we believe one important aspect has not been given sufficient consideration in the Roadmap: the impact of this Regulation on the provision of ATS, mainly but not only ATM/ATC, and costs of this provision. The provision of ATM/ATC requires highly specialised, skilled and continuously trained operators. This high specialisation, expressed by the requirements of Reg. 2015/340 on ATCOs License in term of “Ratings”, “Ratings Endorsement” and “Unit Endorsement” is the key to the high safety-score the European ATM System produces year after year. At the same time, it impacts on the flexibility of ATCOs’ work. The opening of ATC sectors with the right number of operators and infrastructure (e.g. radar screens and frequencies) has to be planned with regards to the AUs’ seasonal plans and given adequate time. After the deployment of seasonal plans, the planned sectorisations can only really be fine tuned For this reason, while ATCEUC welcomes the “Airlines and Airports agreement on the conditions for European winter slots waiver”, we must underline that ANSPs have not been included in those talks. The Aviation Ecosystem is composed of different actors, but the three main ones being, Airspace Users, Airports and ANPSs. ANSPs are currently suffering a heavy liquidity crisis and they must not be blamed, in the future, for costs of services planned to be provided but not used by airlines if those are allowed to cancel flights without consequences. ATCEUC urges the EC to consider the aviation sector holistically with each action it considers and to find a fair, supportive model that covers all of the aviation stakeholders and not only the Airspace Users.
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Response to European Partnership for Integrated Air Traffic Management

20 Aug 2019

ATCEUC welcomes this initiative of a new proposed European partnership. Interoperable and harmonised EU ATM system that provides interoperable technological and operational solutions is a necessary step to create sustainable air transport and connectivity within the EU. ATCEUC does believe that the juridical construction of this new partnership should guarantee some stability and resilience with regards to the challenges ahead. Finally, ATCEUC welcomes the approach proposed by this consultation and particularly the emphasis on the central role of human in ATM. Common innovative approaches to tackle EU challenges is the key to develop jobs opportunities within a performing EU ATM industry.
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Response to Evaluation of Regulation on reporting, analysis and follow-up of occurrences in Civil Aviation

22 May 2019

European ATCOs’ Unions represented by ATCEUC have really appreciated the introduction of Just Culture principles in the European Legislation through Regulation (EU) 376/2014 and the following related Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/1018. Safety is often defined “Paramount”, but Aviation Operators knows that it is not forever, and it is mandatory to continue to work to enhance the overall safety performance of the system. For this reason, ATCEUC and the other ATM Partners have been working to develop a toolbox containing a set of guiding principles to achieve a true Just Culture environment inside an ATM Organization (e.g. an ANSP). ATCEUC and the other ATM Partners have realized how often problems are in the so-called External Domain meaning “everything outside the ANSP”. Those problems are most commonly coming from the judiciary or a State’s legal system and from those bodies that undertake inspections or audits of the organisation. In ATCEUC opinion it is important to assess the inconsistencies among the Regulation(s) and the different National legal systems. What the European ATCOs are experiencing now is that they are requested to report on the basis that both the reporter and the reported will be protected while when an event is taken up by the judicial system this protection falls. Another field of assessment should be the negative impact on Just Culture of the expected introduction of Ambient recordings in Ops Rooms. ATCEUC opinion is that those recordings don’t add nothing in terms of safety while, after the introduction, ATCOs could be reluctant to fill voluntary (ans in some case, mandatory) occurrence reports because the investigations could result in ambient recordings being reviewed.
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Response to Evaluation of the 2011 White Paper on Transport

7 Mar 2019

ATCEUC is an Organization representing more than 14.000 Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOs) and Air Traffic Safety Engineering Personnel (ATSEPs) throughout Europe, all working in the European ATM System, who help to deliver a safe, orderly, and expeditious flow of air traffic day after day, which is essential for the growth of the European Economy and the development of European society. The 2011 White Paper is concentrating on a lot of things. In the aviation sector it is aimed to improve European aviation safety, passengers rights. It is looking at the implementation of new technology (SESAR). Yet, the current regulations have a detrimental effect on the aviation sector. It is concentrating on costs instead of safety or capacity. As a result, almost everywhere in the EU, there is a lack of human resources, investments have been delayed and the service delivered is far from optimal. To “improve the collection, quality, exchange and analysis of data by reviewing legislation on occurrence reporting in civil aviation” we need to implement just culture in the legal framework everywhere in the EU and Switzerland. The White Paper is aiming to “promote quality jobs and working conditions” and a “socially responsible aviation sector” yet the current regulations are cutting the revenues for the Air Navigation Service Providers’, thus bringing a negative impact on the working conditions of their workers, a negative impact on the environment through longer routes and a negative impact for passengers through flight delays and cancellations. Because of the lack of human resources, we see overworked air traffic controllers, we see controllers working 11 days in a row. Such conditions are not improving the safety and the security of passengers. To assist the goal of “doubling air transport activities by 2050”, you would need to do the following: Firstly, there should be a strong support of the Air Navigation Service Provider’s investments in staff in all European countries. ANSPs should be allowed to have the resources and the ability to develop a 10/15-year plan to recruit ATCOs and ATSEPs. This point should be urgently addressed to cope with the forecasted traffic growth. Today, in several centres throughout the European Union, the average ATCO’s age has risen up to 50 years and more, while an average age of 40 years is to be considered normal. Investment in staff is essential. Even more than before, ATCOs and ATSEPs need to be highly specialised and highly skilled. New technologies are going to emerge within the next few years and the future ATM staff should be able to adapt and to take the best advantages of these technological opportunities. To obtain this, operational staff has to be involved in projects, since the definition of concepts and the development of news tools are crucial for the near future. This new technology should be aimed at supporting the ATCO, not at replacing him. Secondly, in some countries in Europe, where Air-traffic-delays are often generated, staff is still working with equipment older than 15 years. Technology and people are the two core-pillars of the ATM system. Preserving the proper financial ability of Air Navigation Service Providers to do investments in this field, with a strong European funding is essential. Finally, the European top down and one size fits all decision-making processes used till today revealed to be counterproductive. Local specificities are important in the ATM industry and local competences and ability to develop national policies should be absolutely preserved. The interest of all aviation stakeholders is to rebuild an ATM system that can deliver and secure the required capacity and sustainability. ATCEUC has warned for the enormous risk of drifting into the current situation since the moment the Performance Schemes were introduced. ATCEUC urges to re-calibrate EU policies to overcome the current situation and prepare 2050 by considering our suggestions for improvement.
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Meeting with Joshua Salsby (Cabinet of Commissioner Violeta Bulc)

6 Sept 2018 · Aviation issues

Meeting with Violeta Bulc (Commissioner) and

7 Nov 2017 · Meeting with ATCEUC and CESI to discuss EC's communication on "Aviation: open and connected Europe"

Meeting with Joshua Salsby (Cabinet of Commissioner Violeta Bulc) and European Transport Workers' Federation and CANSO - Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation

7 Jun 2017 · aviation package