Clean Sky Program At Risk, Industry Warns
Robert Wall/Brussels wall@aviationweek.com 
Europe's flagship aerospace research program--Clean Sky--is at risk of collapsing owing to onerus European Union rules, fear industry officials.
The 1.6-billion-euro program to help develop more environmentally friendly aviation technology is stuck in the starting blocks because the European Commission has been slow to release its share of funding. "I see the clear and present danger that the program will fail to produce the needed results on time and that industry will very soon be obliged to redirect its funds towards other national or company technology initiatives," warns Airbus CEO Tom Enders.
Speaking at a gathering of the Aerospace and Defense Industries Association Of Europe, Enders notes that the European Commission needs to streamline its processes to make sure the program can deliver.
European industry leaders recently sent a letter to Jose Manuel Barroso, the head of the EC, to push through needed reforms. One of the main stumbling blocks has been that the commission's administrative branch has been throwing up roadblocks to the release of funding. The EC is responsible for 50% of Clean Sky costs, and the industry the rest.
Industry has been pushing ahead on its own, but that, too, is now a problem. Commission funding for 2008 projects was recently released, which now wants industry to issue a request for proposals on those efforts. But the industry has already moved past that stage, says ASD Director Francois Gayet.
"We have to find better and more efficient ways to get money out," urges Allan Cook, Cobham CEO and ASD president.
One of the problems for Clean Sky is that it is the first of Europe's Joint Technology Initiatives, so rules to govern these arrangements don't exist. Since JTIs are such a centerpiece for Europe's efforts to modernize, a senior European industry official warns that this is a real test for Barroso, who is up for reappointment this year.
"Severe constraints are imposed by internal commission regulations which are ill-adapted to this type of partnership and have continually delayed the effective start of the program, bemoans Enders.
Artist's concept: Bombardier
