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The February Conference of the European Cockpit Association (ECA), representing over 36,500 professional pilots across Europe, declared support for the easyJet Company Council in their efforts to fully represent all their pilot members' interests, irrespective of where in Europe they are based. A technical change in the contracts offered to easyJet pilots based outside the United Kingdom is threatening to weaken the legal basis of the trade union representation of pilots, which is currently undertaken centrally in the UK on behalf of all easyJet pilots. This move risks dividing the easyJet pilot group across national borders and jurisdictions, thereby undermining their ability to negotiate centrally with the easyJet management. "In fully European Airline Companies, such as easyJet, pilot representatives will not stand by and allow the potential for "Divide and Rule" scenarios to develop" said Captain Martin Chalk, President of ECA. "Both ECA and all our members are determined that by working together, every professional pilot on every European registered aircraft will have comprehensive, seamless professional association support available to them; regardless of the type of airline company, their base or registration country of their aircraft." At the Conference, the Pilot Associations directly involved with easyJet bases (BALPA from the UK, SNPL France-ALPA from France, Vereinigung Cockpit from Germany, SEPLA from Spain and ANPAC from Italy), supported by delegates from all over Europe, committed to the continuation of a single negotiating structure for all easyJet Pilots. Download ECA Press Release (PDF)