From the Irish Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association website:

...Hang gliding and paragliding is once again under serious threat. Eurocontrol, the ‘European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation’ has produced for consultation its draft version of its proposed Standardised European Rules of the Air (SERA).

Whilst the aim of having one single set of Rules of the Air that applies right across Europe may seem attractive, unfortunately whoever has written the draft has clearly not given a single thought to hang gliders and paragliders. Some of the proposed rules will have a massive detrimental impact on our ability to go and fly. (E.g. 4.6 bans flight below 500 feet – so ridge soaring will be effectively outlawed!)

Unfortunately, the consultation period is very short, hence this email direct to each member. The IHPA will submit a response and the EHPU is also submitting a response both directly and through Europe Airsports. But we feel that Eurocontrol should also get a feel for the strength of our feelings on this matter – and therefore ask each of you to make your own response to Eurocontrol.

Depending upon the outcome of this consultation, we always have the alternatives of going down the political (MEP etc.) route. But at this stage we just want members to complete and return consultation response sheets. ...

Read the entire article here: http://www.ihpa.ie/index.php/component/content/article/26-news/246-attention-all-pilots

From the British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association Website:

...European Rules of the Air 
 
Eurocontrol, the "European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation", is currently consulting on its proposed Standardised European Rules of the Air (SERA). Once established, these rules will affect all airsports from 2012.

ICAO currently provides the international standard for Rules of the Air. SERA seeks to unify rules of the air across Europe by cancelling all agreed national variations from current ICAO standards.

This will sweep away years of appropriate and sensible national modifications to the ICAO Rules of the Air, for example the various exemptions currently built into the UK ANO for hang gliding and paragliding. ...

Read the entire article here: http://www.bhpa.co.uk/bhpa/news/notices/sera2010.php