Air Transport Portal of the European Commission

European Civil Aviation Handbook

European Agency for Aviation Safety

The Community and the other entities involved in the sector have sought for a long time to give Europe a real aviation safety authority, like the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States, which would be able: 

• to draw-up common standards to ensure the highest level of safety; 
• to oversee their uniform application across Europe and; 
• to promote them at world level. 

As for the environmental compatibility of aircraft, the Community has already defined, within the framework of international standards, levels of protection in the area of noise and shall do the same for gaseous emissions so as to strictly limit the environmental impact of aviation. It is appropriate, however, to translate these requirements into precise technical criteria and to ensure that aircraft satisfy them before being allowed to fly. In this area, there are many divergent interpretations of international standards and this could affect again, the free circulation of air transport products. The existence of a single authority in this area will allow the harmonisation of technical rules and ensure uniform application.

Such a single authority will be soon a reality with the adoption of a European Parliament and Council Regulation  (EC) No 1592/2002 of 15/07/2002 , which puts in place a Community system of air safety and environmental regulation and creates an aviation safety agency.

The objectives of that regulation are to

• establish and maintain a high uniform level of civil aviation safety and environmental protection in Europe;
• facilitate the free movement of goods, persons and services;
• promote cost efficiency in the regulatory and certification processes;
• assist Member States in fulfilling their ICAO obligations on a common basis;
• promote world wide Community views regarding civil aviation safety standards.

The agency will develop its know-how in all the fields of aviation safety in order to assist Community legislators in the development of common rules for

• the certification of aeronautical products, parts and appliances;
• the approval of organisations and personnel engaged in the maintenance of these products;
• the approval of air operations;
• the licensing of air crew;
• the safety oversight of airports and air traffic services operators.

As a first step however, the Regulation establishes only the basis of Community action in the first two domains listed above. The Commission assisted by the Agency will progressively propose the necessary amendments of the Regulation to extend its scope to the other domains.

The Agency is also given powers to manage itself certain executive tasks where collective action would be more effective than individual action by Member States; it shall in particular issue type certificates for aeronautical products. It will assist the Commission in the monitoring of the application of common rules as well as in the implementation of the necessary safeguard measures. It will also provide its technical assistance in contacts and negotiations with the aeronautical authorities of third countries and international organisations competent for civil aviation safety and environmental protection. Finally, it will be able to assist the Community and its Member States with their co-operation and assistance activities with third countries.

In order to be sure that decisions on safety issues are free from all political interference, decisions must be in the hands of a neutral and independent decision maker invested with the necessary powers. This is why the safety decisions of the agency will be taken by its executive director, as is already the case in most developed countries, notably the United States. Since these decisions directly affect people, the Regulation creates an independent Board of Appeal whose role is to check that the Executive Director has correctly applied the regulation and rules taken by the Commission for its implementation.

The Executive Director is appointed by the agency’s Management Board. This Board, which brings together representatives of the Member States and the Commission, is responsible, under the Commission’s control, for the definition of priorities, the establishment of the budget and for monitoring the agency’s operation. 

Safety does not end at the Community’s borders. Beyond them, it is the Community’s duty to associate as many European partners as possible with our system. The Regulation permits the association of all the countries linked to the Community by agreements under which they adopt and apply Community legislation in the air transport area: at present this includes Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, and soon the countries that are candidates for accession to the Community.

This common system will lighten the burden of the aeronautical industry in Europe. In fact, it will only be necessary to obtain a single certificate before selling products throughout the entire European market. Moreover, the conclusion of agreements with other countries permitting the harmonisation of rules and the mutual recognition of certification, will facilitate access to markets outside the EU. The same process will also facilitate the free circulation of people and services both within the internal market and with third countries with which the Community concludes mutual recognition agreements, thereby allowing the harmonious development of co-operation and alliances between Europe and its partners.

Together with the Safety Agency it is setting up, the European Community has introduced  instruments for the prevention of accidents. The Member States have introduced harmonised accident investigation procedures which guarantee the independence of the bodies responsible and exchange information (Directive 94/56/EC) and work is in progress to enable information to be gathered about any air incident and to arrange for the control of aircraft from third countries.

Missions for the European Agency for Aviation Safety 

• Press release (15/11/2005, IP/2005/1422)
  
   
• Memo
  European aviation: even safer by 2010 - Wider missions for the European Aviation Safety Agency - EASA
  
   
• COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS (COM(2005)578)
  Extending the tasks of the European Aviation Safety Agency - An agenda for 2010
  
   
• Proposal for a REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL amending Regulation (EC) No 1592/2002 of 15 July 2002 on common rules in the field of civil aviation and establishing a European Aviation Safety Agency (presented by the Commission) (COM(2005)579)