EUROPEAN CIVIL AVIATION CONFERENCE - CONFÉRENCE EUROPÉENNE DE L'AVIATION CIVILE

History

Posted in About ECAC

Milestones in 69 years of ECAC history

2024

  • Signature of a Cooperation Arrangement between ECAC and the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia
  • Joint ECAC-ICAO EUR/NAT workshop on National Facilitation Programmes and Committees, held in Athens
  • Launch of the ECAC Quality Assessment Programme on the assistance to persons with disabilities and persons with reduced mobility
  • Creation of the State Aviation Assistance to Air Accident Victims (SAAV) Task Group
  • Creation of the Threat Response Group (TRG)
  • Creation of the Common Testing Methodologies (CTM) Sub-Group

2023

  • Adoption of ECAC Charter on Diversity and Inclusion by Directors General at DGCA/160 (23 May)
  • Directors General approve a new Focal Point portfolio on diversity and inclusion
  • Publication of the first ECAC Guidance on Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF)
  • Joint ECAC-ICAO EUR/NAT regional workshop on assistance to aircraft accident victims and their families, held in Milan
  • ECAC hosted the first-ever formal meeting of the leaders of all four regional civil aviation organisations (ACAO, AFCAC, LACAC and ECAC) in Paris
  • Decision of Directors General to organise a Diplomatic Conference in 2025

2022

  • Creation of the ECAC Network of Diversity and Inclusion in civil aviation (NETD&I)
  • Launch of the European Coordination Group on Cyber Security (ECG-CS)

2021

  • Launch of the ECAC capacity-building programme on environment
  • Creation of the ECAC Network of Communication Specialists (NETCOM)
ECAC President - Alessio Quaranta (DGCA Italy)  

2020

  • Signature of an agreement between ECAC and EUROCONTROL concerning the provision of administrative services by EUROCONTROL to ECAC
  • Development of COVID-19 guidance material on economic measures, facilitation, training, security and communication
  • Signature of a Cooperation Arrangement between ECAC and the Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Development of Kazakhstan
  • Launch of EU-funded and ECAC-implemented CASE II Project (Civil Aviation Security in Africa, Middle East and Asia), following successful completion of the CASE I Project

2019

  • First meeting of the newly established European Safety and Air Navigation Coordination Group (ESANCG)
  • Signature of a Cooperation Agreement with ACI EUROPE
  • A new ECAC capacity-building programme on facilitation was developed, with a strong focus on quality of services to persons with disabilities
  • Creation of consolidated guidance material on cyber security

Signature of Cooperation Agreement between ECAC and ACI EUROPE - December 2019

2018

  • Signature of a Cooperation Arrangement in the field of aviation security with the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand

2017

  • Development of an updated version of Doc 30 Part II (Security) and new comprehensive guidance material on cyber security
  • Adoption of the new ECAC Training Policy Statement
  • Disbanding of the ECAC Network of Training Organisations (TRANET)

2016

  • Creation of two new working groups: the Economic Working Group (ECO) and the Network of Chief Economists (NCE)
  • ECAC Coordinating Committee approved a new Focal Point portfolio on Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS)
  • ECAC Directors General issue the Bratislava Declaration at DGCA (SP)/65, a common statement on joining a global market-based measure scheme from its start
  • Official launch of the EU-funded and EASA/ECAC-implemented Project “Supporting the implementation of aviation agreements in the Eastern Partnership countries and upgrading civil aviation safety and security standards in Central Asia (EaP/CA Project)”

2015

  • Signature of a Cooperation Arrangement with Malaysia
  • Directors General adopted the updated ECAC Strategy for the Future and ECAC External Policy Statement
  • Official launch of the EU-funded and ECAC-implemented CASE I Project (Civil Aviation Security in Africa and the Arabian Peninsula)

ECAC/34 - July 2015

ECAC/34 - July 2015 ECAC/34 - July 2015
ECAC/34 - July 2015  

2014

  • Aviation Security Seminar jointly organised by ECAC and ICAO regional offices of Paris, Dakar and Cairo
  • Signature of a Cooperation Arrangement with the Civil Aviation Administration of Indonesia
  • Signature of a Cooperation Arrangement with CANSO
  • Signature of an MOU with the Civil Aviation Administration (CAAC) of China
  • First meeting between the Coordinating Committee and CAAC held in Paris

2013

  • Workshop jointly organised by ECAC and the United States’ Federal Aviation Administration on best practices in three key areas of aviation safety (Istanbul)
  • ECAC started activities on behaviour detection in aviation security
  • Signature of an MOU between ECAC and TRACECA (International Transport Corridor Europe- Caucasus-Asia)

2012

  • Signature of an MOU and Safety and Security Implementation Plan with IATA
  • Signature of an MOU with Transport Canada concerning civil aviation security
  • Signature of an MOU with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
  • ECAC Secretariat joined ACI EUROPE Airport Carbon Accreditation Advisory Board
  • Publication of ECAC Guidance on the Underwater Location and Recovery of Aircraft Wreckage and Flight Recorders
  • Vice-president of the European Commission, Siim Kallas, participated in ECAC DGCA/139 meeting, and signed a joint declaration confirming shared ECAC/EU commitment to cooperate
  • Signature of a Cooperation Arrangement in the field of civil aviation security with the European Commission

ECAC/33 - July 2012

ECAC/33 - July 2012 ECAC/33 - July 2012
ECAC/33 - July 2012 ECAC/33 - July 2012

2011

  • Signature of an MOU on aviation security with United States’ Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
  • Establishment of ECAC Focal Point for Pan-European matters
  • Directors General, in a Special Plenary Session, adopted amendments to ECAC Recommendation 27/4 in respect of NOx emission charging schemes (September)
  • Signature of an MOU on aviation security with Australian Department of Infrastructure and Transport
  • Decision to establish ECAC standing group on coordination in European search and rescue
  • ECAC established first ever pan-European network of civil aviation training organisations (TRANET)
  • Establishment of ECAC Directors General Familiarisation Course
  • ECAC invited to address hearing of European Parliament’s Transport and Tourism Committee on aviation security

2010

  • Signature of a Memorandum of Cooperation with ICAO
  • Directors General received the national safety oversight comparative analysis benchmarking study, conducted amongst ECAC Member States

2009

  • Closure of the Joint Aviation Authorities
  • Establishment of JAA Training Organisation (JAATO) as an associated body of ECAC
  • Signature of an MOU with Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs
  • Former ECAC Executive Secretary Raymond Benjamin became Secretary General of ICAO

2008

  • San Marino and Montenegro joined ECAC
  • ECAC/EU Conference on meeting the environmental challenge (Geneva)
  • Launch of the ECAC Common Evaluation Process (CEP) of security equipment
  • Establishment of the first annual ECAC Forum

2007

  • Following the implementation of the FUJA Report, the Joint Aviation Authorities became "JAA T" (Transition)
  • Signature of an MOU with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore
  • Signature of an MOU with the General Civil Aviation Authority of the United Arab Emirates

2006

  • Recommendation on ECAC-wide application of the Community list of carriers subject to an operating ban
  • Recommendation on the prevention of the spread of communicable diseases by means of air travel
  • Code of Conduct on cooperation in the field of civil aviation accident incident investigation
  • Signature of an MOU with the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU)

2005

2004

  • Signature of an MOU with ICAO regarding aviation security audits and related matters

2003

  • Adoption of a modernised ECAC Environmental Policy Statement
  • Launch of the ECAC Aviation Security Capacity-Building Programme

2002

  • Protocol of Intention signed with Russian Federation (1 February)
  • Airline and Airport Voluntary Commitments on Air Passenger Services became operational (14 February)
  • Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia joined ECAC

2001

  • The ECAC Aviation Security Audit Programme became operational

2000

  • MATSE/6, laying the foundations for a Single European Sky
  • Signature of MOU with ACAC (now ACAO)

MATSE/6 - January 2000

ECAC-ECTL joint event "European ATM in the New Millennium" ECAC-ECTL joint event "European ATM in the New Millennium"
ECAC-ECTL joint event "European ATM in the New Millennium"  ECAC-ECTL joint event "European ATM in the New Millennium"
ECAC-ECTL joint event "European ATM in the New Millennium" ECAC-ECTL joint event "European ATM in the New Millennium"

1999

  • Directors General adopted the EMTO (ECAC's Medium-Term Objectives) Task Force report, defining ECAC's role at the beginning of the new millennium and introducing the concept of Focal Points
  • Ukraine joined ECAC
  • Signature of MOU between ECAC and ICAO for Cooperation on Safety Oversight Audits and Related Matters (26 May)

1998

  • Signature of MOUs with AFCAC and LACAC
  • Albania joined ECAC

1997

  • Finalisation of the ECAC Institutional Strategy for Air Traffic Management in Europe
  • The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (officially renamed as North Macedonia in February 2019) joined ECAC
  • Inauguration of the ICAO/ECAC European Aviation Security Training Institute – EASTI, in Haren (19 November)

Inauguration of EASTI - November 1997

Inauguration of EASTI - November 1997  

ECAC/21 - July 1997

ECAC/21 - July 1997 ECAC/21 - July 1997
ECAC/21 - July 1997 ECAC/21 - July 1997
ECAC/21 - July 1997 ECAC/21 - July 1997
ECAC/21 - July 1997  

1996

  • The ECAC SAFA Action Programme became operational
  • First ECAC Environmental Policy Statement
  • Armenia and Republic of Moldova became members of ECAC
  • Publication of the first issue of ECAC News (March)

1995

  • First ECAC/EU Dialogue with the European air transport industry, in Noordwijk (6-7 July)
  • Estonia joined ECAC

1994

  • ECAC/ECMT Seminar on Access to Air Travel for People with Reduced Mobility

ECAC/16 - June 1994

ECAC/16 - June 1994 ECAC/16 - June 1994
ECAC/16 - June 1994 ECAC/16 - June 1994
ECAC/16 - June 1994 ECAC/16 - June 1994
ECAC/16 - June 1994 ECAC/16 - June 1994
ECAC/16 - June 1994  

1993

1992

1991

ECAC/14 - June 1991

ECAC/14 - June 1991 ECAC/14 - June 1991
ECAC/14 - June 1991 ECAC/14 - June 1991
ECAC/14 - June 1991 ECAC/14 - June 1991

1990

  • First ECAC Symposium on Civil Aviation Security, in Paris (6-8 November)
  • Hungary and Poland became ECAC Member States

1989

  • ECAC Symposium on the Future of European Leisure Air Transport (23-25 October)
  • Monaco joined ECAC

1988

  • First ECAC meeting at ministerial level followed by the publication, in 1990 and 1992, of the ECAC Strategy for the 1990s
  • Development of a Code of Conduct for Computer Reservation Systems
  • JAA became an associated body of ECAC

ECAC/13 - June 1988

ECAC/13 - June 1988 ECAC/13 - June 1988
ECAC/13 - June 1988 ECAC/13 - June 1988
ECAC/13 - June 1988 ECAC/13 - June 1988
ECAC/13 - June 1988 ECAC/13 - June 1988

1987

  • The International Agreement on the Procedure for the Establishment of Tariffs for Intra-European Scheduled Air Services was opened for signature (16 June)
  • The International Agreement on the Sharing of Capacity on Intra-European Scheduled Air Services was opened for signature (16 June)

ECAC INT. S/16 - June 1987

ECAC INT. S16 - June 1987 ECAC INT. S16 - June 1987

1986

  • Report on Standard Method of Computing Noise Contours around Civil Airports (Doc 29)

1985

  • Publication of Doc 30, Parts I (Facilitation) and II (Security)

ECAC/12 - June 1985

ECAC/12 - June 1985 ECAC/12 - June 1985

1982

  • First ECAC-US Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on North Atlantic Pricing
  • Publication of the COMPAS report on Competition in Intra-European Air Services (Doc 25)

ECAC/11 - June 1982

ECAC/11 - June 1982 ECAC/11 - June 1982
ECAC/11 - June 1982 ECAC/11 - June 1982

1979

  • Malta became a member of ECAC
  • The EURPOL Working Group was established
  • An operating ban was agreed for Europe, as of 1 January 1988, of aircraft not complying with noise standards of ICAO Annex 16
  • Establishment of Common European Procedures for the Authorisation of Category II and III Operations (Doc 17)
  • Publication of Joint Requirements for Emergency and Safety Airborne Equipment, Training and Procedures (Doc 18)

1977

  • Yugoslavia(1) joined ECAC

1976

  • Amendment of the ECAC Constitution, giving Directors General meetings an institutional character

1974

  • The ANCAT group of experts and an ad hoc group dealing with security measures were established

1969

  • Cyprus became ECAC's 20th Member State

1967

  • Major restructuring of ECAC working arrangements: Establishment of a Coordinating Committee and four Standing Committees (ECO I, ECO II, Facilitation, Technical)
  • The International Agreement on the Procedure for the Establishment of Tariffs for Scheduled Air Services was opened for signature (10 July)

1960

  • The Multilateral Agreement Relating to Certificates of Airworthiness for Imported Aircraft was opened for signature (22 April)

1959

  • The Committee on Coordination and Liberalisation (COCOLI) was established

1956

  • The Multilateral Agreement on Commercial Rights of Non-Scheduled Air Services in Europe opens for signature (30 April)

1955

(1) What is nowadays meant by the term 'former Yugoslavia' is the territory that was up to 25 June 1991 known as The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY). Specifically, six republics made up the federation: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia (officially renamed as North Macedonia in February 2019), Montenegro, Serbia (including the regions of Socialist Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Socialist Autonomous Province of Vojvodina) and Slovenia.