Editing Single European Sky (section)

=== Origins (1999–2004) ===
After the [[Prodi Commission]] took office in September 1999, Transport Commissioner [[Loyola de Palacio]] launched efforts to structurally reform air traffic management across Europe, as she and many others had concluded that Eurocontrol was incapable of effectively carrying out its duties, particularly its decision-making and its failure to implement agreements. By the end of 1999, the European Commission had obtained the consent of all EU Transport Ministers for the 'creation of a single European sky', encompassing structural ATM integration and reform, and established a high level group of senior civil and military air traffic authorities representing the member states to prepare concrete policy proposals.<ref name="Crespo">{{Cite book |last1=Crespo |first1=Daniel Calleja |last2=de Leon |first2=Pablo Mendes |date=2011 |title=Achieving the Single European Sky: Goals and Challenges |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ktGflCyLQh0C |location=Alphen aan de Rijn |publisher=Kluwer Law International |pages=4–5 |isbn=9789041137302 |access-date=18 October 2020}}</ref>

After the high level group had completed its report in late 2000, the Commission used its recommendations to develop legislative proposals for regulating the SES.<ref name="Crespo"/> In October 2001, the European Commission adopted proposals for a Single European Sky, to create a Union regulator for air traffic management within the countries forming the European Union, [[Norway]] and [[Switzerland]]. The European Union regulator was supposed to merge upper European airspaces, currently divided into national zones. It was proposed to organise this airspace uniformly, with [[air traffic control]] areas based on operational efficiency, instead of national borders. Also, there were plans to integrate civil and military air traffic management.{{Citation needed|date=October 2020|reason=What exactly happened in October 2001?}} The framework regulation that sketched the working methods of the SES, and specific regulations on air navigation, airspace and equipment, were adopted on 11 December 2003, and entered into force as Regulation (EC) No 550/2004 (Service Provision Regulation) on 20 April 2004.<ref name="Crespo"/><ref name="Service Provision Regulation">{{Cite web |url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=CELEX%3A32004R0550 |title=Regulation (EC) No 550/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 March 2004 on the provision of air navigation services in the single European sky (the service provision Regulation) |work=Official Journal of the European Union |publisher=Eur-Lex |date=10 March 2004 |access-date=19 October 2020}}</ref>

There are discussions about enlarging the initiative to cover the [[Balkan]] and [[Mediterranean]] countries.{{Citation needed|date=October 2020}}