What is the issue?

EASA is the European Aviation Safety Agency. It was created to centralise aviation safety in Europe. Specifically it is involved in the certification and airworthiness approvals for aircraft. In a first extension of its competencies, EASA became responsible for rules and oversight for aircraft operations and licensing. In a second extension the responsibility on safety of aerodromes and air traffic management was added.

How is ECA involved?

EASA consults ECA regularly on rulemaking and safety issues and ECA also proactively approaches EASA on topics that affect its members. ECA has two representatives and two alternates in the EASA Stakeholder Advisory Body (SAB), strategic body encompassing and extending the scope of the formerly existing EASA Advisory Board, Safety Standards Consultative Committee and EASAC, and advising on strategic developments. ECA also participates in the Flight Standards Stakeholder Technical Body (FS SteB) and Rotorcraft Sectorial committee.

In addition there are a number of groups & committees in which ECA is represented with one or more pilots. Such are the EASA FCL Partnership Group which aims at achieving common understanding between national aviation authorities on FCL issues, the EASA Human Factors Advisory Group which is responsible on advising EASA on all human factor related issues, the European Flight Recorder Partnership Group (EFRPG) - a voluntary group of experts dedicated to evaluating issues related to the design, operation and serviceability of flight recorders, and the EASA Medical Expert Group. Pilots have also been involved in drafting of the implementing rules for operations and licensing, as well as other relevant rulemaking activities.

Why is the issue important to ECA?

As central EU safety body, EASA makes the aviation safety rules, certifies and oversees safety in the EU Member States. For ECA the bottom line is safety: adequate rules, the correct monitoring of the implementation of standards in the Member States and proper certification, airworthiness, licensing and operational framework are the backbone of the pilot concerns. Robust certification of ATM and aerodrome safety are also very crucial daily issues. ECA aims to be at the core of EASA activities on all these issues, to provide relevant expertise, and to proactively shape Europe's aviation safety environment.  

Who is responsible?
  • Executive Board Director: Tanja Harter
  • Staff member: Paulina Marcickiewicz
  • Working Group: Training, Licensing and Operations (TLO WG), EASA Steering Committee
  • Chairman: Javier Martin-Chico

External Links