EUROMED - EASA joint seminar for the MEDA Countries on Safety and Environment

With the annual number of global air passengers predicted to rise from an expected 5 billion in 2010 to more than 9 billion in 20252, aviation safety and security around the world is more than ever a global priority. In this respect the Euromed Aviation project is particularly important for the Mediterranean region, addressing aviation, security, safety, environment and air traffic management issues. During the seminar, almost fifty participants coming from eight MEDA countries - Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Syria and Tunisia, from International Organisations (ACAC, EC/DG TREN, ICAO, JAA ) and from EU Member States (France and Germany) were briefed on the main EU regulations on aviation certification, airworthiness, organisations approval, certifying staff, environment and on the SAFA programme (Safety Assessment of Foreign Aircraft). Workshops and presentations of the Moroccan and Jordanian experiences in converging their regulatory framework towards the EU standards have enabled a better understanding of the MEDA countries' perception of the EU Civil Aviation system. Participants expressed a strong interest in regulatory convergence and some envisage implementation of EU standards in their own countries with the support of the European Community and the Euromed Aviation Project. Such a process would be an important step towards the creation of a Euro-Mediterranean Common Aviation Area. *The MEDA countries are: Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, the Palestinian Authority, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey.