Directors General end-of-year meeting in Paris
Paris, 18 December 2024 — Directors General of Civil Aviation and their colleagues assembled in Paris the day after the ECAC Forum for their last meeting of the year (DGCA/163), where they were joined by observers from the European Commission, EASA, EUROCONTROL, the ICAO EUR/NAT Regional Office and JAA TO.
The meeting was the occasion to review ECAC’s activities in 2024. ECAC Focal Points presented detailed reports on accomplishments and ongoing activities in the fields of facilitation, security audit and capacity building, accident investigations, economic matters, legal matters, unmanned aircraft systems, communication activities and diversity and inclusion. Discussions also centred on setting priorities for the upcoming year, including key objectives for 2025.
Amongst key topics discussed was the draft Convention for the Secretariat of the Conference, in preparation for the Diplomatic Conference to be held in Paris on 20-22 May 2025.
With the 42nd ICAO Assembly scheduled to take place in Montreal in autumn 2025, significant discussion was also dedicated to Europe’s strategic goals and priorities for the Assembly. Participants reviewed Europe’s preparations, emphasising Europe’s stance on critical issues in the global aviation landscape. Discussion centred around a number of proposed contributions to the Assembly in the safety and air navigation, economics, facilitation, environment, and security and cyber security domains.
The meeting featured updates on recent developments from Hungary, which held the EU presidency during the latter half of 2024, as well as from Poland, set to take over the presidency in the first half of 2025, together with inputs from the European Commission on future regulatory priorities. The meeting also heard a briefing from European members on the ICAO Council on the outcomes of the last Council session, and priorities for the upcoming winter 2025 session. Updates from the ICAO EUR/NAT office also highlighted plans for a joint facilitation activity in 2025.
Oleksandr Bilchuk, Director General of Civil Aviation in Ukraine, briefed participants on the civil aviation situation in his country, detailing the ongoing challenges faced by the country’s aviation sector amid the current conflict, and the continued efforts to maintain safety and operations. Safety and air traffic management developments were also discussed, with updates from EUROCONTROL and EASA on recent advancements in these critical areas.