The European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation (EUROCONTROL) is an international organisation, founded in 1963, whose primary objective is the development of a seamless, pan-European Air Traffic Management (ATM) system. This civil organisation currently has 38 member states; its headquarters are in Brussels.

The goal for EUROCONTROL is to develop, coordinate and plan for implementation of pan-European air traffic management strategies and their associated action plans in an effort involving national authorities, air navigation service providers, civil and military airspace users, airports, industry, professional organisations, and relevant European institutions. Its core activities involve all gate-to-gate air navigation service operations: strategic and tactical flow management, controller training, regional control of airspace, safety-proofed technologies and procedures, and collection of air navigation charges.

Contents 1 Functions and Centres 2 Maastricht Upper Area Control Centre 3 Regulatory Responsibilities 4 Membership 5 References 6 See also 7 External links

[edit] Functions and Centres

EUROCONTROL provides a set of different services:

• CFMU (Central Flow Management Unit) - coordinates flight plans & actual traffic
• EAD (European AIS Database) - centralized acces to AIS information
• CRCO (Central Route Charges Office) - collects en-route (& aerodrome approach) charges on behalf of the ANSPs
• EEC (EUROCONTROL Experimental Centre) - ATM research, simulations, etc.
• CEATS Research, Development and Simulation Centre - ATM research, simulations, etc.
• IANS (Institute of Air Navigation Services) - training & e-learning
• Projects
• ESARRs (Eurocontrol Safety Regulatory Requirement) - basis requirements for certification & designation according to "EC regulation 2096/2005"
• MUAC (Maastricht Upper Area Control Centre) - see below

[edit] Maastricht Upper Area Control Centre

EUROCONTROL's Maastricht Upper Area Control Centre (MUAC) provides since 1972 the Air Traffic Control Services for the Upper Area of Belgium, Luxembourg, The Netherlands and North-West Germany. A DFS unit, controlling military air traffic over the North-West of Germany, is co-located with the civil facilities.^[1]

It is the second busiest air traffic control centre in Europe, after London.

MUAC provides both civil and military ATC services in the Upper Airspace - above 24,500 feet.

MUAC has put in operation innovative technology and productivity enhancements: a new generation Flight Data Processing System^[2], the Short-Term Conflict Alert (STCA), Medium-Term Conflict Detection (MTCD), Controller Pilot Data Link Communications (CPDLC) and stripless controller working positions.

Typically, Air Traffic Control Sectors at MUAC can handle 50 or more flights per hour. The average flight duration is approximately 18 minutes and typically 60% of the traffic is climbing from or descending to the major European airports of London, Paris, Frankfurt, Amsterdam and Berlin.

[edit] Regulatory Responsibilities

Eurocontrol has been delegated parts of the Single European Sky regulations by the European Commission.

[edit] Membership

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EUROCONTROL, EU and ECAC members:

• Austria (1993)
• Belgium (1960)
• Bulgaria (1997)
• Cyprus (1991)
• Czech Republic (1996)
• Denmark (1994)
• Finland (2001)
• France (1960)
• Germany (1960)
• Greece (1988)
• Hungary (1992)
• Ireland (1965)
• Italy (1996)
• Lithuania (2006)
• Luxembourg (1960)
• Malta (1989)
• Netherlands (1960)
• Poland (2004)
• Portugal (1986)
• Romania (1996)
• Slovakia (1997)
• Slovenia (1995)
• Spain (1997)
• Sweden (1995)
• United Kingdom (1960)

EUROCONTROL and ECAC members outside the EU:

• Albania (2002)
• Armenia (2006)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina (2004)
• Croatia (1997)
• Macedonia (1998)
• Moldova (2000)
• Monaco (1997)
• Montenegro (2007)
• Norway (1994)
• Serbia (2005, as SiM)
• Switzerland (1992)
• Turkey (1989)
• Ukraine (2004)

Notable non-members:
EU and ECAC members:

• Estonia
• Latvia

ECAC members:

• Azerbaijan
• Georgia
• Iceland

[edit] References

1. ^ MUAC "About us" site
2. ^ MUAC'S New generation FDPS

[edit] See also

• Controlled and Harmonised Aeronautical Information Network (CHAIN)
• European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)
• European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC)
• European Common Aviation Area (ECAA)
• List of the busiest airports in Europe by passenger traffic
• SKYbrary

[edit] External links

• Official site
• History of EUROCONTROLPDF (375 KiB)
• SKYbrary: The single point of reference in the network of aviation safety knowledge
• "Being in control at Eurocontrol", article in Crossroads by Rinnie Oey
• Executive Overview: Jane's Air Traffic Control