Calling for closer cooperation between Chinese and European aviation authorities, the Chinese government and European Union have formed a five-year partnership, linking technical cooperation with policy dialogue.
Launched officially today, the EU-CHINA Aviation Partnership Project (APP) was initiated in September of last year and has a budget of 10 million euros, managed by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The project was funded by the Partnership Instrument of the European Union and supported by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).
“We are building with CAAC the foundation for a strong EU-China Aviation Partnership,” says EASA executive director Patrick Ky. “It will increase cooperation and mutual understanding on key areas such as safety and environmental protection; it will also allow for better exchange of best practices and standards between industry players.”
For the first time, CAAC and EASA will work congruently, focusing on areas of aviation safety and security, general aviation, air traffic management, airworthiness, airports, environmental protection, legislation, law enforcement, and economic policy and regulation.
“With the efforts of the EU and China, the EU-China Aviation Partnership Project will start a new era of broader and deeper cooperation in civil aviation and will promote the development of all aspects of the EU-China civil aviation relationship on the basis of mutual benefit,” says Feng Zhenglin, CAAC administrator.
