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Mobility and Transport

Technical Cooperation with Third Countries

Aviation connects countries and communities, supports tourism and trade and is a key driver for economic development and growth. The European Union is a significant donor of development and partnership aid, including within the aviation field. Technical assistance to and cooperation with third countries contributes to aviation safety worldwide, gives greater visibility to European aviation expertise, and supports Europe’s aviation industry.

The EU is funding Aviation Partnership Projects (APP) with Latin American & Caribbean, South Asian, South-East Asian and North Asian countries. The partnerships pursue EU aviation interests through enhanced dialogue with national authorities, regulatory convergence, the promotion of EU standards and best practices, and by facilitating market access for the EU aviation industry.

In addition, the EU is running technical cooperation projects in Africa and the European neighbourhood. The aim is to improve safety surveillance capacity, promote EU safety standards and support regional cooperation in aviation safety matters.

The Commission also offers technical assistance to countries with airlines that are subject to restrictions under the Air Safety List; short-term expert missions can help improve safety performance.

Technical cooperation projects and expert missions are implemented by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

Wide-reaching technical cooperation and assistance is in line with the ICAO objective of leaving no country behind, an initiative that has the full support of the European Union.