European Aviation Safety Agency - SpSt Thesis …

1 7 The European Aviation Safety Agency is the centre pieceof the European Union s strategy for Aviation Safety . Ourmission is to foster and provide efficiently the highestcommon standards of civil Aviation Safety and environmentalprotection in Europe and 2002, the Basic Regulation 1592/2002 establishedCommunity competence for the regulation of theairworthiness and environmental compatibility of its creation, the Agency has therefore beendeveloping and implementing common Safety andenvironmental rules at the European level for an ever saferand cleaner civil Aviation in Europe. To achieve this objective,the Agency has to:- Draft Aviation Safety legislation and provide technicaladvice to the European Commission and the MemberStates;- Monitor the uniform implementation of European aviationsafety legislation in all Member States throughinspections, training and standardisation programmes;- Certify specific types of aircraft, engines or parts;- Approve aircraft design organisations world-wide; andproduction & maintenance organisations outside the EU;- Coordinate the European Community programme SAFA( Safety Assessment of Foreign Aircraft) regarding thesafety of foreign aircraft using Community airports.

2 - Perform data collection and analysis, as well as researchto improve Aviation in Cologne since 2004, EASA already employs morethan 350 professionals coming from all Member Statesand will continue in the coming years to recruit highlyqualified specialists and administrators, in order toconsolidate its position as Europe s centre of excellencein Aviation Safety , which provides the European aviationindustry with common specifications, cost-efficient servicesand a single point of contact. To achieve this goal, EASA works hand in hand with the National Aviation Authorities,which continue to carry out many operational tasks, suchas certification of individual aircraft or licensing of Agency is also developing close working relationshipswith counterpart organisations across the world, which aimat harmonising standards and promoting best practices inaviation Safety scope of EASA s competence presented above hasjust been extended to air operations, flight crew licensingand oversight of third country operators with the adoptionof the new Basic Regulation 216/2008, which waspublished in February 2008.

3 EASA is now activelydeveloping the corresponding Implementing rules. Thepublication of NPAs is planed in Spring 2008, for anexpected adoption in 2009. Once these rules will beadopted, the Agency will fully exercise its a further step, a second extension of EASA scompetence is in preparation, which will include theresponsibility of the Safety regulation of airport operationsand air traffic control services. The Opinion on aerodromeswas published in December 2007, and the Opinion on ATM/ANS is about to be issued. The Commission could thenissue a legislative proposal by June Aviation Safety AgencyBy Patrick Goudou, Director General, European Aviation Safety AgencyUnmanned Aircraft SystemsTurning to Unmanned Aircraft, the Agency has been draftinga policy for their certification, as described in more detailsin a dedicated article of this Yearbook.

4 Considering thatthe Agency has already received three applications forcertification of UAS, this policy needs to be finalised in avery short is not working in isolation on this subject and hasalready established useful contacts with ICAO, FAA,EUROCONTROL, TCCA, EUROCAE, NATO and theEuropean Defence Agency . This cooperation was recentlyillustrated at the occasion of the workshop organised bythe Agency on 1 February 2008 (see for furtherinformation).More precisely, EASA will participate in the ICAO studygroup recently created, and has agreed with FAA and TCCAto communicate about any activity initiated by one of themin the field of UAS. As regards EUROCONTROL, EASA maintains regular contacts, be it in the context of generalcoordination or specific meetings, or through itsparticipation in workshops.

5 NATO is also consideringinviting the Agency to its FINAS working group. Next, theAgency reports regularly to the EUROCAE working groupWG-73. At this occasion, the WG-73 was asked to workon certain tasks identified in the Comment ResponseDocument established by EASA after the A-NPAconsultation. Finally, it is EASA s intention to build on thefirst contacts established with the European Aviation Authorities are not excluded from thiscooperation. The Agency collaborates with NAAs on issuesrelative to unmanned aircraft with a maximum take-off massbelow 150kg, for which Member States are competent, inorder to exchange information and ensure , this cooperation is not limited to Institutionalpartners. For example, the Agency participates regularlyin events organised by UVS International and is mostgrateful for such a conclusion, I would like to re-iterate the Agency sinterest in UAS and to ensure that we are willing tocooperate and contributeto the development of acomprehensive UASregulatory framework,which is a key issue toallow a safe andsuccessful developmentof this , the recentextension of EASA sscope will allow us toaddress operations andlicensing issues for UASin addition to theairworthiness andmaintenance items weare already in charge of.