EUERC

Cross-border industrial cooperation

One of the underpinning principles of the European Union has been the relaxing of border controls so that businesses from different nations can better work together.

Previously, each nation operated its own border regulations, which could be complicated and time-consuming and which were widely seen as a barrier to cooperation between nations.

With the controls relaxed, many companies have found it easier to move goods and raw materials through the airports, ports and road networks of the EU.

The prime example of this has been the Airbus project, established to develop a new generation of aircraft that would rival the market leader, US giant Boeing.

Airbus' history can be traced back to an announcement by Boeing in 1966 of plans for its 747 airliner, a wide-bodied jet much bigger than anything in the air at the time.

But leaders of the European aviation industry felt the 747 was too large for many airlines. A smaller aircraft which used the same wide-bodied layout could be a commercial success. The idea for Airbus was born.

French firm Sud Aviation was in the vanguard of the development work for what became the Airbus A-300, backed initially by the governments of France, Britain and Germany.

By the 1970s, thanks to political support and the involvement of some of the world's leading aviation companies, Airbus was beginning to emerge as a genuine contender to Boeing and the first Airbus flew in 1972.

Although the main Airbus factory is in Toulouse, France, where final assembly of the planes takes place, companies in several European countries are working on the venture, Germany, Britain and Spain among them. Relaxed border controls have helped make cooperation easier.

With several European companies providing components, the last thing the consortium members wanted was to become embroiled in endless red tape. With the new border control regime, they have been able to avoid that problem.

In addition to agreeing to relaxed border controls, EU member states France, Spain, Germany and Britain have also provided financial support for the development work, which is crucial if the project is to succeed.

That work has meant that several Airbus versions have taken to the air over the years, many including ground-breaking innovations in fly-by-wire, engine and wing technology.

The latest venture is the Airbus A-380, formally initiated in 2000, which will carry up to 656 passengers on two decks and is already attracting interest from buyers around the globe.