The detailed project under the agreement, which was launched in 2001, is aimed at evolving common regulations and standards on a variety of areas like satellite navigation, mutual certification of products, licensing procedures for pilots, manufacturing and maintenance.

The agreement to extend the Indo-EU project for two more years was signed by top officials of the civil aviation ministry and the aerospace and defence industries of Europe in the presence of civil aviation secretary Ajay Prasad.

Speaking on the occasion, Prasad said the extension of the project, which has been on for three years, should pave the way for institutionalisation of its objectives.

He said besides laying down a framework for mutual recognition of standards, the two sides should also set up an aerospace academy, while India could take lessons from EU's experience of enhancing security.

Francisco Da Camara Gomes, Ambassador of the European Commission in India, said there were over 200 training programmes under the project in which over 5,000 experts from the two sides pooled their expertise in air safety, aerospace management development and related areas.

The project, worth 32 million Euros, including an eight million Euros contribution from India, deals with specific areas such as airport activities and pilot and instructor training.