The value of ECA for our Member Associations across Europe can never have been as high as it will be in the coming year! Never has the investment in ECA by the pilots' National Association been as crucial as it is now. These are bold assertions, but elsewhere in this edition of Cockpit News you can read of ECA's efforts to:

• ensure all professional pilots (and therefore ensuring the safety of passengers and cabin crew alike) are properly protected from fatigue,
• ensure that professional pilots working for companies which take advantage of the new EU - Canada, EU-USA, ECAA and other economically liberalised air transport agreements are able to be properly and fully represented by their professional association,
• ensure that the voice of those who play a key role in delivering safe and efficient air transport are heard in the drafting of comprehensive regulation of the operational, licensing and organisational aspects of our European industry.

These are crucial and difficult areas of regulation, now fully delivered at European level. It is clear that the difficulties created for pilot representation by the economic liberalisations of the last 20 years were not the reason for the legislators and negotiators to conclude the current arrangements - but it is now the job of ECA and its member associations to ensure that these difficulties are addressed. The benefits of a less economically restricted market are clear for all to see - but so is the damage created by a lack of thoughtful market regulation to ensure unintended consequences are avoided. The banking system is currently weakest in those countries where the market was least regulated - or regulated with the 'light touch' approach.

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has recently conducted an independent expert scientific review of the European rules on the prevention of crew fatigue. It is clear that the findings should now be swiftly reflected in revised rules - but we may need to be strong in supporting this position against those who see only the report's costs and not its benefits.

The agreement concluded with Canada, which deliberately ignores both Canada's and the EU Member States' legal obligations under the International Labour Organisation's Conventions, again throws into sharp focus the problems of a multinational market with national employment rules. Once more, we may need to be strong in addressing these concerns with the legislator.

Pilots have always been at the forefront of aviation safety, with many of our colleagues over the last hundred years giving their time and expertise to ensure a constant improvement in the industry's safety record. Flying has become the safest way to travel. But this is all put at risk if the vehicle by which that effort has been supported - the professional cockpit crew associations - are undermined by these attacks on our ability to deliver full representation of members' interests. Just as we have had to fight to be heard in the past, I fear that unless European decision makers heed the power of our argument, we may be asking our Member Associations to support these efforts with new, innovative means to ensure we are better heard and understood.