(3) The adoption by the European Parliament and the Council of the first package of the single European sky legislation, namely, Regulation (EC) No 549/2004 of 10 March 2004 laying down the framework for the creation of the single European sky (the framework Regulation), Regulation (EC) No 550/2004 of 10 March 2004 on the provision of air navigation services in the single European sky (the service provision Regulation), Regulation (EC) No 551/2004 of 10 March 2004 on the organisation and use of the airspace in the single European sky (the airspace Regulation), and Regulation (EC) No 552/2004 of 10 March 2004 on the interoperability of the Eur ...[+++]opean air traffic management network (the interoperability Regulation), laid down a firm legal basis for a seamless, interoperable and safe air traffic management (ATM) system.

The development of an adequate infrastructure for air transport has become a major challenge for Europe: The fast growth of air transport already during the last decades was not accompanied by a substantial modernisation of the air traffic control system.

– Mr President, the European Union had to develop this system of air traffic control, bringing together the 40 different networks currently in place in the EU, as a result of the projected increase in the volume of air traffic.

Air traffic management systems and their constituents shall be designed, built, maintained and operated using the appropriate and validated procedures, in such a way as to ensure the seamless operation of the EATMN at all times and for all phases of flight. Seamless operation can be expressed, in particular, in terms of information-sharing, including the relevant operational status information, common understanding of information, comparable processing performances and the associated procedure ...[+++]s enabling common operational performances agreed for the whole or parts of the EATMN.

At the invitation of the June 1999 Transport Council, the Commission approved a Communication on the current situation of air traffic delays and on new initiatives to be taken to provide the Community with the air traffic management system it needs to remedy the chaotic situation of the European airspace.

The air traffic control network comprises the aviation plan (air space reserved for general aviation, aviation routes and aviation aids), the traffic management system and the air traffic control system.