Interoperability of the European air traffic management network

SUMMARY OF:

Regulation (EC) No 552/2004 on the interoperability of the European air traffic management network

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE REGULATION?

As part of a legislation package on air traffic management aimed at the creation of a single European sky, this regulation defines common requirements to guarantee interoperability between the various air traffic management systems used.

It establishes a harmonised system of certification for components and systems, and its aim is twofold:

to achieve interoperability between the different systems, constituents and associated procedures in the European air traffic management network;
to ensure the introduction of new agreed and validated concepts of operations and technology in air traffic management.

It should be noted that the regulation has been repealed by Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 (see summary) with effect from September 2018, although some of its rules remain applicable until 12 September 2023.

KEY POINTS

Essential requirements

The European air traffic management network, its systems and their constituents must meet essential requirements. These are of two kinds.

General requirements. Seamless operation, support for new concepts of operation, safety, civil/military coordination, environmental constraints, principles governing the logical architecture of systems and principles governing the construction of systems.
Specific requirements. Systems and procedures for airspace management, systems and procedures for air traffic flow management, systems and procedures for air traffic services, communications systems and procedures for ground-to-ground, air-to-ground and air-to-air communications, navigation procedures, surveillance systems and procedures, systems and procedures for aeronautical information services and for the use of meteorological information.

Implementing rules for interoperability

The implementing rules for interoperability must:

determine any specific requirements, in particular in terms of safety;
describe, where appropriate, any specific requirements, in particular regarding the coordinated introduction of new concepts of operation;
describe the specific conformity assessment procedures involving notified bodies to be used to assess the conformity or suitability for use of constituents, and for the verification of systems;
specify the conditions of implementation including, where appropriate, the date by which all relevant stakeholders are required to comply with them.

Community specifications

These specifications may be:

European standards for systems or constituents, together with the relevant procedures, drawn up by the European standardisation bodies; or
specifications drawn up by the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation (Eurocontrol) on matters of operational coordination between air navigation service providers.

European Community declaration of conformity or suitability for use of components

Constituents must be accompanied by a European Community (EC) declaration of conformity or suitability for use.
Before a system is put into service, the relevant air navigation service provider must establish an EC declaration of verification, confirming compliance, and must submit it to the national supervisory authority together with a technical file.

Safeguards

Where the national supervisory authority ascertains that a constituent or a system accompanied by an EC declaration of conformity or verification does not comply with the essential requirements for interoperability, it must restrict the application of the constituent or prohibit its use. The EU Member State concerned must immediately inform the European Commission of any such measures, indicating the reasons for it.
Where the Commission establishes that the measures taken by the supervisory authority are not justified, it will request that the Member State concerned ensure they be withdrawn without delay.

Transitional arrangements

Starting from 20 October 2005, the essential requirements have applied to the putting into service of systems and constituents of the European air traffic management network.
Compliance with the essential requirements has been required for all systems and constituents of the European air traffic management network in operation since 20 April 2011.

FROM WHEN DOES THE REGULATION APPLY?

It has applied since 20 April 2004.

BACKGROUND

For further information, see:

Single European sky (European Commission).

MAIN DOCUMENT

Regulation (EC) No 552/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 March 2004 on the interoperability of the European Air Traffic Management network (the interoperability Regulation) (OJ L 96, 31.3.2004, pp. 26–42).

Successive amendments to Regulation (EC) No 552/2004 have been incorporated in the original text. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.

RELATED DOCUMENTS

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/469 of 14 February 2020 amending Regulation (EU) No 923/2012, Regulation (EU) No 139/2014 and Regulation (EU) 2017/373 as regards requirements for air traffic management/air navigation services, design of airspace structures and data quality, runway safety and repealing Regulation (EC) No 73/2010 (OJ L 104, 3.4.2020, pp. 1–243).

See consolidated version.

Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 July 2018 on common rules in the field of civil aviation and establishing a European Union Aviation Safety Agency, and amending Regulations (EC) No 2111/2005, (EC) No 1008/2008, (EU) No 996/2010, (EU) No 376/2014 and Directives 2014/30/EU and 2014/53/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council, and repealing Regulations (EC) No 552/2004 and (EC) No 216/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Regulation (EEC) No 3922/91 (OJ L 212, 22.8.2018, pp. 1–122).

See consolidated version.

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1079/2012 of 16 November 2012 laying down requirements for voice channels spacing for the single European sky (OJ L 320, 17.11.2012, pp. 14–24).

See consolidated version.

Commission Regulation (EC) No 262/2009 of 30 March 2009 laying down requirements for the coordinated allocation and use of Mode S interrogator codes for the single European sky (OJ L 84, 31.3.2009, pp. 20–32).

See consolidated version.

Commission Regulation (EC) No 29/2009 of 16 January 2009 laying down requirements on data link services for the single European sky (OJ L 13, 17.1.2009, pp. 3–19).

See consolidated version.

Commission Regulation (EC) No 633/2007 of 7 June 2007 laying down requirements for the application of a flight message transfer protocol used for the purpose of notification, coordination and transfer of flights between air traffic control units (OJ L 146, 8.6.2007, pp. 7–13).

See consolidated version.

Commission Regulation (EC) No 1033/2006 of 4 July 2006 laying down the requirements on procedures for flight plans in the pre-flight phase for the single European sky (OJ L 186, 7.7.2006, pp. 46–50).

See consolidated version.

Commission Regulation (EC) No 1032/2006 of 6 July 2006 laying down requirements for automatic systems for the exchange of flight data for the purpose of notification, coordination and transfer of flights between air traffic control units (OJ L 186, 7.7.2006, pp. 27–45).

See consolidated version.

Regulation (EC) No 549/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 March 2004 laying down the framework for the creation of the single European sky (the framework Regulation) (Text with EEA relevance) - Statement by the Member States on military issues related to the single European sky (OJ L 96, 31.3.2004, pp. 1–9).

See consolidated version.

Regulation (EC) No 550/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 March 2004 on the provision of air navigation services in the single European sky (the service provision Regulation) (OJ L 96, 31.3.2004, pp. 10–19).

See consolidated version.

Regulation (EC) No 551/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 March 2004 on the organisation and use of the airspace in the single European sky (the airspace Regulation) (Text with EEA relevance) - Commission statement (OJ L 96, 31.3.2004, pp. 20–25).

See consolidated version.

last update 24.06.2022