SES Performance and Charging Scheme

The basis for the performance and charging scheme is Regulation (EC) No 549/2004 laying down the framework for the creation of the single European sky, which includes:

• the requirements for the establishment and functioning of the Performance Review Board supporting the Commission (Articles 13 to 17);
• the requirements for the performance scheme (Articles 21 to 28);
• the requirements for the charging scheme (Articles 29 to 33);
• the review of compliance with the performance and charging schemes (Article 34); and
• the application of the performance and charging schemes to the military (Article 35).

The performance and charging schemes were initially established in 2009 by Article 11 of Regulation (EC) No 549/2004 laying down the framework for the creation of the single European sky and Articles 14-16 of Regulation (EC) No 550/2004 on the provision of air navigation services in the single European sky. Both legal provisions were repealed in 2024 and kept transitionally applicable for the fourth reference period.

Fourth reference period (RP4) 2025-2029

As laid down in Regulation (EU) 2024/2803 on the implementation of the Single European Sky, a Performance Review Board (PRB) is established to advise and assist the Commission in the implementation of the performance and charging schemes. The PRB replaces and succeeds to the Performance Review Body established under Article 11(2) of Regulation (EC) No 549/2004.

In September 2023, the Performance Review Body published its advice on the Union-wide target ranges, after which, in November 2023, the Commission published Decision (EU) 2023/2481 laying down indicative ranges for the Union-wide performance targets.

After the publication of the target ranges report by the Performance Review Body and the subsequent target ranges decision by the Commission, a stakeholder consultation was held between October and December 2023.

Following the stakeholder consultation, the Performance Review Body published its advice on the Union-wide targets in March 2024. Finally, the Commission published  its Decision (EU) 2024/1688 setting Union-wide performance targets in June 2024.

Union-wide targets for RP4

SAFETY

The Union-wide performance targets in the key performance area of safety to be achieved by the end of 2029 by air navigation service providers certified to provide services are set at the following levels of effectiveness of safety management:
 

• at least Level C in the safety management objectives ‘safety culture’, ‘safety policy and objectives’, ‘safety assurance’, and ‘safety promotion’; and
• at least Level D in the safety management objective ‘safety risk management’.

ENVIRONMENT

Union-wide performance targets for the key performance area of environment are expressed as an average horizontal en route flight efficiency of the actual trajectory and measured as average additional distance flown compared to the great circle distance and cannot exceed the following percentages:

CAPACITY

The Union-wide performance targets for the key performance area of capacity are an average en route ATFM delay attributable to air navigation services of a maximum of

COST-EFFICIENCY

The Union-wide performance targets for the key performance area of cost-efficiency are a year-on-year change of the average Union-wide determined unit cost for en route air navigation services of:

Local target setting – Consistency with Union-wide targets

National supervisory authorities (NSAs) draw up performance plans at national level containing local targets consistent with Union-wide targets.

Member States adopt draft performance plans and submit them to the Commission for the Commission's assessment and review. In this respect, the Commission first verifies whether the performance plans are complete. If the plans are complete, the Commission assesses whether the proposed performance targets are consistent with the Union-wide performance targets. If the required consistency cannot be established, the Commission requests Member States to revise their performance plans and targets, or to take corrective measures.

Monitoring of performance

NSAs submit monitoring reports to the Commission by 1 June each year. The PRB then analyses the performance results and issues its recommendations in annual monitoring reports.