A model for a collaborative regulation of the European Air Navigation Services

Air transport is a key factor to achieving important policy goals in Europe. It supports business type mobility and networking within Europe and with the rest of the world. It contributes to significant societal benefits. Therefore, air transport is a drive of economic growth, creator of jobs and of technological innovation, helping Europe to advance towards the Lisbon goals. It generates around 4 million jobs in Europe (direct, indirect and induced), and this number is estimated to rise by 1.5 million more by 2020. The challenge to foster the development of the air transport in balance with the related safety and environmental constraints, addresses also the proper regulation of one of its major components, the Air Navigation Services (ANS). The paper provides briefly the necessary background and business particularities of ANS and their regulation and then describes the development of a collaborative complementary way to apply sufficient, efficient and effective regulation to this natural monopoly business.