Regional Workshop on Just Culture organized by the CAA in Ohrid
The workshop experience to contribute to the improvement of the safety performances as priority number one in aviation.
The Civil Aviation Agency of the Republic of Macedonia in joint efforts with EUROCONTROL has organized Just Culture Workshop that was held on 09-10 September 2014 in Ohrid, Republic of Macedonia, with over 40 representatives of aviation Authorities and national Prosecutors of Republic of Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania and Kosovo.
In his address, Mr. Dejan Mojsoski Ph.D, Director General of the Civil Aviation Agency of the Republic of Macedonia in his capacity as chairman pointed out the importance of the discussion in increasing the cooperation and coordination between Aviation Authority and Judiciary Administration, representatives of the aviation industry in particular ANSP and airports. Mr. Mojsoski also said that the experience from this Workshop should be used as a driving force for the improvement of the reporting systems and analyses with the main aim improve of the safety performance, as a number one priority in aviation. The regional dimension of the Workshop, he added, should create better cooperation, exchange of views and experience between the Member States in the region.
In his address to the gathering, Mr. Radu Cioponea, Senior Safety Expert –EUROCONTROL announced that the aviation safety unit of EUROCONTROL is directly involved in the project for safety improvements and that Just Culture is a part of it. Mr. Cioponea explained that through Just Culture, the aviation professionals will not be punished for errors and mistakes that they may have made as part of their normal work. He also expressed his gratitude to the CAA Director General, Ph.D. Dejan Mojsoski for the successfully organized workshop together with EUROCONTROL.
Mr. Roderick van Dam, Chairman of EUROCONTROL Just Culture Task Force had a detailed presentation about the legal and institutional aspects of the interaction between safety and judicial investigations. In explaining the foundation of criminal investigation and criminal prosecution of accidents and incidents, Mr. van Dam indicated that the Just Culture mmodel policy for the National Aviation Prosecution Policy applies to the criminal investigation and prosecution of criminal offences resulting from civil aviation accidents or from incidents reported under mandatory and voluntary occurrence reporting schemes.
In his figurative presentation Mr. Fred Bijlsma – Head Prosecution Service Schiphol/National coordinating prosecutor for aviation, explained the Just Culture Experiences in the Netherlands. Mr. Carmelo Starrantino, Legal Expert – EUROCONTROL, made a comparative presentation on the Italian Procedural Criminal Law system.
The representatives from Macedonian Procedural Criminal Law system and Representative of the Academy of Judges and Prosecutors of the Republic of Macedonia presented their views trough detailed discussion.
The meeting lead to a debate on the Model for a National Aviation Prosecution Policy, detailed aspects, national views and international developments and it was also discussed how States can implement that Policy.
Mutual conclusion of all participants was the particular importance of the bilateral regional and multilateral cooperation welcoming the idea for implementing a National Aviation Prosecution Policy.
Just Culture, a cornerstone in managing aviation safety
In the last several years EUROCONTROL supports events of crucial safety area, through a dedicated Task Force for Just Culture. Just Culture has become a cornerstone of safety management by the Maastricht Upper Area Control Center and of the Network Manager.
EUROCONTROL introduced a new Just Culture Policy, agreed by both management and staff, and signed by Director Genera,l Mr. Frank Brenne,r at the special Safety Day, held at the Maastricht Upper Area Control Centre on 23 September 2014.