Why should professional pilots be members of their professional association? The myriad of individual reasons are generally drawn together in 3 groups:

• individual representation in the event of an incident at work,
• collective representation to negotiate pay and conditions, and
• collective representation to influence professional and regulatory bodies.

The first is generally provided by the National Association (often in conjunction with the local IFALPA Member Association if the incident occurs outside the member's own country) and the second is normally provided by a part of the National Association such as a Company Council or Master Executive Council. Particularly in Europe, but increasingly right across the World, all three reasons now call for the National Association to rely both on cooperation with Professional Pilot Associations in other countries and the coordination and protection afforded by international bodies such as ECA and IFALPA. So what is the relationship between ECA and IFALPA? Firstly, in recognition of the progressively growing influence of a number of regional powers such as the EU, IFALPA restructured some time ago to incorporate regional bodies such as ECA in Europe or ALPA-International in North America. Secondly, to avoid duplication or overlap both IFALPA and ECA rely crucially on their representatives to clearly understand the different roles played by these two international associations. I sometimes think that calling ECA and IFALPA "international bodies" gives the wrong impression, as ECA more resembles a Member Association of IFALPA than IFALPA itself. IFALPA has roles in

• coordinating and facilitating MA efforts in such areas as individual representation across borders (providing local legal assistance, mutual support coordination, etc.)
• setting policy at the global level to both influence ICAO Standards And Recommended PracticeS (SARPS) and to aid Member Associations who then seek to influence the National Aviation (safety) Authorities on the same issues
• representing pilot safety positions vis-a-vis ICAO.

Consequently, ECA is more like a Member Association of IFALPA because a large part of our work is in seeking to influence the European regulators towards IFALPA policies. ECA does not set policy of its own, which would be counterproductive, but pursues and promotes IFALPA policy wherever it exists and there is not a uniquely European perspective. This is in exactly the same way as an IFALPA member association would nationally. As IFALPA, ECA and the national Member Associations in Europe are again caused to review our structures, we must remember the needs of the individual Professional Pilots we represent at all times. We must seek to evolve company, national, regional and global structures that efficiently deliver the best possible individual, collective and professional representation. Unless we do; why would they join or remain a member?