Common charging scheme for air navigation services

This regulation introduces a common charging scheme for air navigation services provided during all phases of flight. Crucial for implementation of the single European sky, the scheme is designed to help to improve transparency in the way in which the charges to be paid by airspace users are set, imposed and collected.

ACT

Commission Regulation (EC) No 1794/2006 of 6 December 2006 laying down a common charging scheme for air navigation services [See amending act(s)].

SUMMARY

The charging scheme is designed to ensure transparency and consultation on how air navigation services provision costs are calculated and split between the various services. As amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1191/2010, it has also become a tool aiming at improving the cost efficiency of the provision of such services. The common charging scheme is subject to the principles set out in Regulation (EC) No 550/2004 and must comply with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation.

This regulation applies to air navigation services provided by air traffic service providers and providers of meteorological services. European Union (EU) countries may decide not to apply this regulation at airports with fewer than 50 000 commercial air transport movements per year. In such cases the Commission must be informed so that it can periodically publish a list of exempted airports.

EU countries must establish charging zones in their airspace in which the costs are calculated in accordance with a performance reference period (of 3 to 5 years, in accordance with the provisions of Regulation (EU) No 691/2010) and broken down on an annual basis. The base must be laid down so as to be compatible with traffic control operations and services, after consulting users’ representatives. Where a charging zone extends across the airspace of more than one EU country, the EU countries concerned must take the necessary steps to ensure that, to the maximum possible extent, this regulation is applied consistently and uniformly to the airspace in question. Where it is not possible to uniformly apply this regulation to the airspace concerned, EU countries must be transparent in informing users of any differences in application, as well as notifying the Commission and Eurocontrol of such differences.

Service providers must give details of the costs involved in providing their services, indicating the costs of administrative overheads, training, studies, tests and trials and research and development. In certain cases EU countries may calculate these costs where they are incurred by recognised organisations or by the countries’ competent national authorities, or where they stem from international agreements.

To ensure the transparency of the cost base, at least six months before the start of each reference period, EU countries shall offer to consult with the airspace users’ representatives on matters such as determined costs, planned investments, and charging policy. During the reference period, EU countries should keep airspace users’ representatives informed of any changes, on an annual basis. EU countries must also act in a transparent manner by making their national or functional airspace blocks costs and unit rates available to the airspace users’ representatives, the Commission and, where appropriate, Eurocontrol.

This regulation lays down the rules for calculating air navigation charges, for en-route services (for air navigation services in a volume of airspace) as well as for terminal service (for air navigation services at and around airports). There is, however, a phased implementation of this regulation for the terminal air navigation services.

EU countries may set up incentive schemes to support improvements in the quality of air navigation services, on a transparent and non-discriminatory basis.

Background

The system is designed to encourage the safe, efficient and effective provision of air navigation services to the users that finance the system and promote integrated service provision. This regulation pursues the overall objective of improving the cost efficiency of air navigation systems.

Last updated: 11.03.2011