EC-ICAO Regionalization Symposium

The European Commission, in cooperation with ICAO, is organizing a Symposium on Regional Organizations April 10-11, 2008 at ICAO Headquarters, Montreal, Canada. The two-day event will analyze the nature and consequences of the trend towards regionalization in air transport. Different facets will be examined in terms of their goals, geographical coverage, scope and degree of integration, with the help of case studies from Africa, Latin America and elsewhere. In addition, the political, economic and regulatory challenges of regionalization in air transport will be discussed, with a focus on regional safety oversight organizations, as well as initiatives to remove barriers to the economic development of air transport at the regional level. The Symposium will also assess ways through which the international community can support the effective development of regional aviation organizations. Immediately prior to the event an information session will be held to provide an overview of ICAO programs that can provide assistance to regional and sub-regional organizations. Participants from regional civil aviation commissions and safety, security or ATM-oversight organizations are invited to attend. Attendance is free of charge. The draft program and registration details can be found at http://www.icao.int/ec-icao/