The European Union (EU) will provide EUR 1.6 million in technical assistance to Ukraine under the framework of the EU Twinning project to help the country bring its legislation in the field of aerodromes certification, airports and airworthiness of aircraft in line with the relevant EU norms and standards, a UNIAN correspondent reported.
The project`s launch ceremony was held on July 29 and it`s execution will continue for 21 months.
”The project provides for training of professionals and significant changes in the regulatory framework with regard to airports and airworthiness, taking into account the introduction of EU requirements instead of Ukrainian standards. For close to two years, we are ready to work actively within the framework of the project – to develop aviation norms that comply with those of the EU,” Oleksandr Bilchuk, head of Ukraine`s State Aviation Administration and the project leader from the Ukrainian side, stated.
Bilchuk noted that the project implementation meetings, aimed at sharing experiences, will be held between Ukrainian specialists and European aviation experts. The Spanish Aviation Safety and Security Agency will provide technical assistance to Ukraine.
”The project will allow us to enhance aviation security, contribute to the sustainable development of civil aviation in Ukraine and enable its integration into the EU transport system,” Ukraine`s Infrastructure Minister Volodymyr Omelyan emphasized.
In addition, the minister expressed hope that a joint aviation space agreement (”Open Skies”) between Ukraine and the EU will be signed this year.
As UNIAN reported earlier, the Infrastructure Ministry expects that negotiations on the ”Open Skies” agreement between Ukraine and the EU will be completed by the end of this summer.
The ministry`s heads had earlier repeatedly declared their intention to sign the agreement by the end of 2015. According to the ministry, the signing of this agreement is now impossible until the United Kingdom and Spain solve the dispute over Gibraltar, and Ukraine has no right to make any unilateral decisions in this regard. Talks related to the determination of the area have been held between the EU and Ukraine since June 2014. The other aspects of the agreement were initiated back in 2013.
The Ukrainian minister stressed that UK`s exit from the EU would complicate negotiations on signing of the joint aviation space agreement.
