EUROCONTROL Experimental Centre

The European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation, EUROCONTROL, has 32 member states and is staffed by 2,000 people working in five European countries: Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. The Agency's mission includes: managing European Air Traffic Management (ATM) harmonisation and integration activities; providing central flow management; providing regional air traffic services; collecting air navigation charges; conducting ATM research and development; providing training and advice for air navigation services.

The EUROCONTROL Experimental Centre (EEC) in Br�tigny sur Orge, near Paris, is uniquely positioned as an objective Europe-wide Air Traffic Management research authority whose mission is to conduct and co-ordinate research and validation in all fields relevant to the safe, efficient, and environmentally-friendly management and operation of the air transport system. The EEC acts as a catalyst through interactive research involving technology suppliers from conception to field evaluation. Focused on ATM, whilst recognising both present and future needs of society, the EEC actively promotes global solutions to European problems. Its strategy evolves from a complex set of factors which include the continuing refinement and orientations defined in the Agency's ATM2000+ Strategy, the ACARE Strategic Research Agenda and the evolving institutional, operational, and technical ATM context.

The EEC's Society, Environment and Economy Research Area (SEE) was established in 1998 (as the Environmental Studies Business Area) to respond to EUROCONTROL's Revised Convention that requires the Agency, for the first time, to address environmental issues. A team and facilities have been created building upon the Centre's existing strengths in simulation, data processing and aircraft performance modelling. At an international level, SEE is involved with several ICAO-CAEP (Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection) and ECAC-ANCAT (Abatement of Nuisance Caused by Air Transport) working groups - specifically in the areas of noise modelling around airports and estimation of global fuel burn and gaseous emissions - as well as having close ties with the US FAA Office of Environment and Energy.