Between 3-6 April, 2019, „Henri Coandă” Air Force Academy (AFAHC) hosted the European Air Force Academies Working Group (EUAFA), aimed at preparing the EUAFA Commanders` Conference. The working group meeting was attended by representatives of 13 countries (whose academies are) members of EUAFA: Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden and United Kingdom, plus the representative of Bulgaria, invited to join, as an observer. Representatives of Austria, Belgium, Denmark and Finland have announced that they cannot participate from operation reasons, expressing their intention to attend the upcoming EUAFA meetings. There were no answers to requests addressed to representatives of military institutions in Ireland, Switzerland, Turkey and Hungary.

Arrival of EUAFA WG members at Belvedere Hotel

The Commander (Rector) of „Henri Coandă” Air Force Academy, Brigadier general (AF), Associate professor Gabriel Răducanu, PhD, welcomed all members participating in the ice-breaker. The meeting allowed the mutual acquaintance of EUAFA member states representatives in advance of the meetings of the next days.

Official opening, debates, socializing

At 9.00hrs, the Commandant (Rector) of „Henri Coandă” Air Force Academy welcomed all participants to AFAHC. The official opening took place in AFAHC „Traian Vuia” Senate Hall. After the administrative remarks of the deputy commandant, Commander Nicolae Tănasie, the activity was carried out according to the established schedule. Afterwards, participants attended the laboratories of the Faculty of Aeronautical Management and of the Air Security Systems Faculty, the University Library and the Flight Simulator. The deputy commandant presented the draft program of EUAFA Commanders` Conference(28-30 May) and of the International Conference Scientific Research and Education in the Air Force (AFASES 2019, 31st of May – 2nd of June), both events organized under the patronage of Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union. After lunch, LtCol Prof Adrian Lesenciuc, PhD, Vice-rector for Scientific Research, presented the main debate topics on syndicates:

• AFAHC proposal to buy the domain to host EUAFA website and to build it (probably, www.euafa.org);
• The proposal to expand the EUAFA structure by entering new members and by modifying the EUAFA Framework for Co-operation of the European Air Force Academies, point II.2;
• Debate on the next Host Nation (HN) proposal for 2020;
• Proposal to discuss the possibilities of EUAFA to achieve academic exchange through the ERASMUS + European Program and through other similar programs.

Besides these debates, the representative of the French Air Force Academy, Maj. Magalie DELORME has proposed:

• Debate on EUAFA – EMILYO collaboration possibilities as well as with other structures that include European Air Force Academies

In the afternoon, EUAFA Working Group participants visited, within a guided cultural tour, Bran Castle and Râșnov Citadel. At 20.00hrs the official dinner was organized at Belvedere Restaurant, where gifts were exchanged.

Debates, Resolutions

Representatives of the 14 participant countries: Col. Zhivo Petrov (Bulgaria), Maj. Jan Boril (Czech Republic), Maj. Magalie Delorme (France), LtCol. Marin Jungbauer (Germany), Maj. Ioannis Papathomopoulos (Greece), LtCol. Marco Attanasio (Italy), Capt. Ruben va Adrichem (the Netherlands), LtCol. Bjorn Olav Heieraas (Norway), Capt. Grzegorz Busko (Poland), Maj. Luis Felix (Portugal), Maj. Cosmina Roman (Romania), Maj. Miguel Angel Alcaide Cabrera (Spain), Capt. Ludvig Karlberg (Sweden), Sqn. Ldr. Clare Law and Flt Lt Jonathan Statham (United Kingdom) delivered presentations of their own Air Force academies, insisting on the curriculum, the training program and collaborations

Lect. Liliana Miron, the AFAHC ERASMUS + coordinator, presented the academic exchange offer of the institution. Maj. Jan Boril (Czech Republic) presented the ERASMUS + offer of the University of Defense in Brno.

After the syndicates debates, the conclusions were the following:

• Representatives of the EUAFA Member States agreed to the AFAHC representatives’ proposal. The decision was the following: AFAHC should purchase the domain and build the EUAFA website, and present it on 29th of May during the EUAFA Commanders` Conference , and if EUAFA commanders agree with it, to be released immediately after;
• EUAFA State representatives agreed with AFAHC proposal. Col. Zhivo Petrov (Bulgaria), invited as observer, presented the development trends of Bulgaria's current Air Force Education structure. EUAFA representatives have encouraged the Host Nation to invite other non-EUAFA members to join, with EUAFA commanders to decide on new members on May 28-30 meeting and the EUAFA Framework to be amended accordingly;
• No representative of an air force academy (EUAFA member) present in the Working Group had the mandate from the academy commander to present the offer to host the EUAFA meetings in 2020 as Host Nation (HN);
• Debates on EUAFA – ERASMUS + reports have expanded. The representative of the German Officers School, LtCol Martin Jungbauer highlighted that ERASMUS + is only one of the possibilities of achieving common programs according to EUAFA Framework, point III.1. Based on this specification, the working group representatives decided to place on the CC agenda the proposal that each EUAFA member state host at least one activity within the seven possible types of activities established by the Framework: Academic Programs, Cultural Programs, Military Training Programs, Aviation Programs, Sport Programs, Annual Paper/ Essay Contest, Seminars. In analyzing the organization of common international activities, the representatives of the European Air Force Academies have found that each academy has or will have at least one set of international activities in the current academic year. This point - the most sensitive on the agenda, given that the EUAFA mission involves disseminating information on the possibility of implementing Common Modules, Courses, Training and Seminars in order to facilitate cadets and instructors exchange, led to unanimous conclusion: EUAFA needs to strengthen its identity and promote the exchange of cadets and teaching staff by organizing joint activities under the aegis of EUAFA.
• As long as the issues regarding the EUAFA identity have been discussed at the previous point, EUAFA's relations with other bodies including the European Air Force Academies remain the academies responsibility. EUAFA preserves its identity and its own status established through the framework and does not overlap with any other body.

Under these circumstances, after debates, the following proposals were made to be included in the list of EUAFA-CC debates and approvals:

• Approval and launch of the EUAFA website (www.euafa.org);
• Approval of the EUAFA extension by joining of new members and modifying the EUAFA Framework;
• Establishing the next EUAFA Host Nation for 2020;
• Approval of the organization, under the aegis of EUAFA, of at least one common international activity of each of the EUAFA Member States;li>
• Discussing and approving to continue the dialogue between European Air Force Academies and other international bodies that include them at the level of national institutional engagement, without EUAFA involvement.

Lt.Col. Adrian Lesenciuc announced that the POC for EUAFA CC will be Maj. Cosmina Roman (roman.cosmina@afahc.ro).

Representatives of EUAFA present at the working group meeting were handed the invitation letter to EUAFA CC Commanders Conference, the EUAFA CC program and the Registration Form, the AFASES 2019 International Conference program. This Draft Minutes will be sent by e-mail early next week

Participants` departure

AFAHC provided EUAFA Working Group participants transportation to București-Otopeni (OTP) International Airport.