Given the downturn in the world and European economies, the huge increase in the price of fuel and the disproportionate targeting of civil aviation by environmental groups, we are clearly in for a tough time over the next few years.

Airlines will be tempted again to try the 'easy', yet ultimately futile, route of attacking the 'controllable' employee costs rather than holistically addressing the structure of, and overcapacity in the market. Consequently, Pilot Associations might be squeezed by the dual constraints of extra work defending their members' terms and conditions whilst their income from membership fees comes under pressure.

At ECA - together with our Member Associations (MAs) - we must address the demands as a result of the enhanced responsibilities of a growing European Aviation Safety Agency role and major new European legislative institutions. This, at the same time as resources are being squeezed within the MAs. How do we 'square the circle' of increased demand at the same time as restricted resources?

I believe we must be more professional than ever - ensuring that each and every resource is used to maximum effect. We must eradicate duplication of effort - whether it is between IFALPA and ECA, ECA and its MAs or between individual MAs. ECA must be more proficient at coordinating all necessary efforts, so that our MAs are not undertaking the same work, often at the same time, but in isolation from each other. We need to ensure that full and open communication prevents the same debates coming to the same conclusions (or worse still; different conclusions) in different forums. The professional pilots who fund the whole structure need to be confident that debates are only held at the level where action can be taken to further their aims.

As I have written in previous months, I believe all these efforts will be utterly futile if we don't ensure the most effective pilot representative structure for Europe. Despite the squeeze on resources, I believe we need to take a radical look at our future structure - ECA and its MAs together.

ECA will be working over the summer to give real substance to these aspirations - presenting the 2009 budget to our MAs in the autumn accompanied by coherent plans to ensure maximum efficiency of our organisation.

The autumn also presents an opportunity to elect new ECA Executive Board members - elections which I believe are more crucial than ever. The MAs must propose and elect a dynamic and effective team - ready to face the challenges set out above, and then deliver!