EU reports on EX-YU air transport progress

The European Commission has published its annual progress reports for those aspiring to join the European Union, giving an assessment of what each candidate and potential candidate has achieved over the last year, as well as a set of guidelines on reform priorities, including air transport. Excerpts from the reports that concern aviation are outlined below:

Bosnia and Herzegovina

The preparation on civil aviation is backsliding. The 2009 law on civil aviation still has to be aligned with the requirements of the European Common Aviation Area Agreement (ECAA). The Air Navigation Services Agency is operational. However, according to the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), there is a chronical lack of adequately trained and qualified staff and backsliding in the institutional set-up within the Bosnia and Herzegovina Directorate of Civil Aviation (BHDCA). This increases the risks of safety oversight. The new management appointed in early 2021 has not addressed the issue, and there is no progress in harmonising legislation with the EU regulation on passenger rights. Bosnia and Herzegovina needs to enhance the independence of the civil aviation regulator to reverse the negative trend.

Montenegro

On aviation, several implementing acts on air safety and air traffic operations were adopted. Following the establishment of a new national airline company “To Montenegro” in January 2021, the government gradually increased its founding capital. In December 2021, the parliament adopted the law on termination of the law on investments in consolidation and development of the former national airline, “Montenegro Airlines”. The certification of airports in Podgorica and Tivat is still not completed. In November 2021, the government adopted a new programme for air transport facilitation.

North Macedonia

In the area of aviation, the country has maintained a good level of alignment with the EU acquis and has partially aligned with the aviation safety legislation. Further efforts are still needed to facilitate European Aviation Safety Agency standardisation inspections.

Serbia

Serbia has a good level of alignment with the EU acquis on aviation. During the reporting period, Serbia adopted several regulations on performance-based navigation, aerodrome certificates, air traffic management network functions, air traffic flow management, voice channels spacing and air worthiness. With regards to aviation regulations, Serbia is close to fulfilling all obligations stipulated in the first transitional period of the European Common Aviation Area Agreement. However, Serbia still needs to further align its secondary legislation on state aid with the acquis and provide a solid track record in the implementation of laws on protection of competition and state aid control. In the domain of aviation safety, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) continues monitoring the implementation of EU safety standards. Corrective actions on EASA’s findings issued in 2021 were successfully implemented. In November 2021, a standardisation inspection was carried out in the domain of air traffic management and air navigation services. In March 2022, EASA conducted standardisation inspections in the areas of airworthiness and air operations. In the area of air operations, EASA’s findings on staff shortages are being addressed by the implementation a recruitment plan to strengthen the oversight capability of the Civil Aviation Directorate. On the Single European Sky, Serbia completed its harmonisation process. No progress was made regarding lifting the suspension of articles on the licensing of air carriers and the normalisation of the lower airspace regime over Kosovo, which remain important priorities. Serbia needs to apply Regulation 1008/2008 on common rules for the operation of air services in the Community, as incorporated in the European Common Aviation Area Agreement.

Kosovo

On air transport, Kosovo is part of the European Common Aviation Area (ECAA) and covered by the single European sky arrangements. The sector continues to face a number of challenges arising from Kosovo’s non-membership in several international civil aviation organisations. The institutional shortcoming of the air navigation service agency and the civil aviation authority, as well as the lack of revenue from upper airspace management are also issues. The upcoming civil aviation authority reorganisation and administrative reforms should reflect the public administration reform principles as well as the specific circumstances and requirements of the aviation sector. Kosovo continued to align with the EU acquis of the ECAA agreement. It is encouraged to continue work to harmonise with the remaining ECAA first phase items. The extension of the runway at Pristina Airport and the installation of new landing systems, navigation, metrology, and radio communications is expected to raise the level of safety of air operations.