Videoconference, 9, 23 and 31 January 2025 — This month, the European coordination groups held three meetings focusing on facilitation, safety and aviation security, as part of their ongoing review of, and preparation for, key ICAO events.
On 9 January, the European Coordination Group on Facilitation convened virtually to discuss the direction provided by Directors General at their meeting on 18 December 2024 on preparations for the 42nd ICAO Assembly, scheduled in Montreal from 23 September to 3 October 2025, and to begin drafting papers in the chosen focus areas of irregular migration and accessibility.
The meeting also considered ECAC Member States’ role in supporting other significant ICAO events in 2025, notably, the ICAO Facilitation Conference, scheduled for 14-17 April in Doha, as well as the upcoming Facilitation Panel, with the date still to be confirmed.
On 23 January, the European Safety and Air Navigation Coordination Group (ESANCG) met virtually. The group discussed the timeline for preparations towards the ICAO Assembly, as well as proposals for, and early drafting of, papers on a range of topics within the safety domain, including hazardous meteorological events and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) resilience.
Meanwhile, the European Coordination Group on Aviation Security met on 31 January. Participants were briefed on discussions at the ICAO Annex 17 Working Group and the Air Cargo Security Working Group. They also received updates from ICAO’s AVSEC Security Week 2024, held in Oman at the end of 2024.
A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to preparing for the next ICAO AVSEC Panel, set to be held in April 2025.
Looking ahead to the autumn and the ICAO Assembly, the participants took note of Directors General’s steer from their meeting on 18 December 2024. They considered the European priorities and the next steps towards drafting papers for presentation to the Assembly.