New year, new horizons

Happy new year and welcome to the first edition of Regional International for 2024.

Belgian Presidency

At the beginning of 2024, Belgium took over the Presidency of the European Union (EU), the second in the current trio that will conclude with Hungary taking over from 1 July.

ERA met with key representatives of the Belgian government to understand their priorities for aviation. They confirmed that working on ‘reaching a compromise’ on the SES2+ file is a target during their Presidency. With the current state of the drafting process falling well short of our expectations, and having previously cautioned against compromise for compromise’s sake, ERA is eager to understand what this means in practice.

We will continue to call for ambitious airspace management improvements that effectively reduce CO₂ emissions while enhancing connectivity for Europe’s regions, communities and citizens. If this cannot be achieved, then we urge the institutions to reconsider their approach and step back and agree a way forward so the benefits of an ambitious SES2+ package can be unlocked. To read the full programme of the Belgian Presidency you can visit their website here [1].

EP election year

At the beginning of June, the EU countries will elect their representatives as Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), a process that takes place every five years. Together with representatives of the governments of EU countries, MEPs shape and decide on new laws that influence all aspects of life across the EU, from supporting the economy and the fight against poverty to climate change and security. MEPs place important political, economic and social topics in the spotlight and uphold the values of the EU including respect for human rights, freedom, democracy, equality and the rule of law.

The European Parliament (EP) is the world’s only directly elected transnational assembly. It approves the EU budget and scrutinises how the money is spent, elects the President of the European Commission (EC), appoints its Commissioners and holds them to account.The EC is renewed every five years in line with the cycle of elections to the EP and will also take place this summer.

European Year of Skills 2023–24

Rolling into 2024, the European Year of Skills continues, helping people get the right skills for quality jobs and supporting companies in addressing skills shortages in Europe. At the latest Social Dialogue Liaison Forum held in December, an update on the EuropeanYear of Skills was provided by the EC, alongside an overview and objectives of the skills and talent mobility package, details of which can be found here [2].

The EC provided an overview of achievements and future plans in the context of the European Year of Skills, including several initiatives from the Green Deal Industrial Plan, which supports the transition to a climate-neutral industry, to the Cybersecurity Skills Academy, which trains professionals and students in cybersecurity skills. The EC also plans to launch the European Digital Skills Certificate, which will certify the digital competences of individuals and organisations. They also invited stakeholders and interested parties to join future skills events and projects including the ‘Experts Corner,’ a series of online sessions where experts share their insights and best practices on skills and talent mobility topics. Further information can be found online here [3].

Group participation

Each year ERA holds approximately 10 to 12 group meetings, webinars and specialist meetings for its members to attend, focussing on a variety of subjects, in the main, related to regulatory industry affairs, air safety, operations, infrastructure and environmental and social issues. All members are invited, and positively welcomed, to attend these meetings and webinars that form a key part of association life, providing learning and knowledge growth opportunities to help shape future industry policy.The input and opinions of our members is a valuable and essential element of the success of our work and I encourage all members to actively participate.

A list of all ERA events can be found on our website here [4] with the next Industry Affairs and Environmental and Social Group taking place in Brussels (and online) on 24 January. Registration is available on our website here [5].

ERA Regional Airline Conference 2024

ERA’s first major event of the year, the ERA Regional Airline Conference, will take place in Berlin on 13–14 March and will bring together ERA’s diverse members spanning the entire aviation ecosystem, including our 56 European airline members. Registration is now open for this popular association event that provides relevant content with the best overview of current industry priorities as well as collaborative opportunities with fellow members and global players. Click here [6] to register online. I look forward to seeing as many of you there as possible.