EU TRANSPORT COUNCIL”S meeting in Brussels has reached political agreement on four regulations designed to create a ”Single European Sky”. The regulations aim to ensure more effective use of airspace and provision of air traffic services within the European Union and are to be implemented by the end of 2004. They pave the way for Europe's 16 different air traffic control systems to come under one new regulatory framework. Benefits are expected to include fewer delays in Europe, better air traffic communications between member states, the freeing up of airspace capacity and cuts in the costs of air traffic services. The cost of air traffic delays is substantial with Eurocontrol estimating a total cost in 2001 of E2.5 - E3.6bn in 2001. Single Sky could reduce this figure in the medium to long-term by at least 25% whilst more effective routing of aircraft could reduce aircraft emissions by 5-10%.
http://europa.eu.int/comm/transport/themes/air/english/single_eur_sky_en.html