The European Parliament adopted by 529 votes to 19, with 31 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of an amendment to the Agreement between the United States of America and the European Community on cooperation in the regulation of civil aviation safety.

Parliament gave its consent to the conclusion of the agreement.

The Agreement which entered into force on 1 May 2011 aims, inter alia, to ensure the continuation of high-level cooperation and harmonisation between the United States of America and the European Union in the fields within the scope of the Agreement, namely: (i) airworthiness approvals and monitoring of civil aeronautical products; (ii) environmental testing and approvals of civil aeronautical products; and (iii) approvals and monitoring of maintenance facilities.

The amendment extends the areas of cooperation between the Parties, where reciprocal acceptance of approvals and findings of compliance can apply, to allow for an optimised resource utilisation and commensurate cost savings while maintaining a high degree of safety in air transport.

The Committee on Transport and Tourism adopted the report by Theresa GRIFFIN (S&D, UK) on the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of an amendment to the Agreement between the United States of America and the European Community on cooperation in the regulation of civil aviation safety.

The committee recommended that the European Parliament give its consent to the conclusion of the agreement.

The Agreement which entered into force on 1 May 2011 aims, inter alia , to ensure the continuation of high-level cooperation and harmonisation between the United States of America and the European Union in the fields within the scope of the Agreement, namely: (i) airworthiness approvals and monitoring of civil aeronautical products; (ii) environmental testing and approvals of civil aeronautical products; and (iii) approvals and monitoring of maintenance facilities.

The amendment extends the areas of cooperation between the Parties, where reciprocal acceptance of approvals and findings of compliance can apply, to allow for an optimised resource utilisation and commensurate cost savings while maintaining a high degree of safety in air transport.

The new areas of cooperation shall cover: (i) personnel licensing and training; (ii) operation of aircrafts; (iii) aerodromes; and (iv) air traffic services and air traffic management.

As indicated in the explanatory memorandum accompanying the recommendation, the amendment aims to strengthen EU-US regulatory cooperation, in civil aviation safety, to promote global safety standards, and to enhance the production of civil aeronautical products by taking into account the interests of all concerned actors: pilots, aircraft manufacturers, airport platforms, and airlines.

In addition, the aviation industry has repeatedly advocated closer cooperation, recognition and harmonisation between the two largest markets, the US and the EU.

PURPOSE: to conclude, on behalf of the European Union, an amendment to the Agreement between the United States of America and the European Community on cooperation in the regulation of civil aviation safety.

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: Council may adopt the act only if Parliament has given its consent to the act.

BACKGROUND: in accordance with Council Decision (EU) 2018/611, Amendment 1 to the Agreement on cooperation in the regulation of civil aviation safety between the United States of America and the European Community was signed on 13 December 2017, subject to its conclusion at a later date.

Amendment 1 extends the areas of cooperation between the Parties to the Agreement between the United States of America and the European Community on cooperation in the regulation of civil aviation safety where reciprocal acceptance of approvals and findings of compliance can apply, so as to allow for an optimised resource utilisation and commensurate cost savings while maintaining a high degree of safety in air transport.

Amendment 1 should now be approved.

CONTENT: the Council is called on to approve, on behalf of the Union, Amendment 1 to the Agreement on cooperation in the regulation of civil aviation safety between the United States of America and the European Community.

PURPOSE : to conclude, on behalf of the European Union, an agreement amending the Agreement between the United States of America and the European Community on cooperation in the regulation of civil aviation safety.

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.

ROLEOF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: Council may adopt the act only with Parliament’s approval.

BACKGROUND: the Agreement between the United States of America and the European Community on cooperation in the regulation of civil aviation safety entered into force on 1 May 2011.

The purpose of the Agreement is to ensure the continuation of the high level of cooperation and harmonisation between the United States and the European Union in the fields within the scope of the Agreement.

The initial scope of the Agreement, covers: (i) airworthiness approvals and monitoring of civil aeronautical products; (ii) environmental testing and approvals of civil aeronautical products; and (iii) approvals and monitoring of maintenance facilities.

In the course of the implementation of the Agreement, notably through discussions in the Bilateral Oversight Board established under the Agreement, the United States' Federal Aviation Administration ('the FAA') and the Commission have found that there is a mutual desire to enhance the possibilities for further aviation safety cooperation beyond the current provisions of the Agreement, as a priority in the pilot licensing and training field.

On 25 September 2014, the Council authorised the Commission to negotiate an amendment to the Agreement, so as to provide for additional areas of cooperation. The agreement amending the Agreement was signed on behalf of the Union and should now be approved.

CONTENT: the Commission requests that the Council approve, on behalf of the EU, the Amendment 1 to the Agreement between the United States of America and the European Community on cooperation in the regulation of civil aviation safety. The Amendment 1 to the Agreement extends the areas of cooperation between the Parties, where reciprocal acceptance of approvals and findings of compliance can apply, so as to allow for an optimised resource utilisation and commensurate cost savings while maintaining a high degree of safety in air transport.

Following Amendment No 1 of the Agreement, the cooperation envisaged between the Parties now covers the following areas :

airworthiness approvals and monitoring of civil aeronautical products; environmental testing and approvals of civil aeronautical products; approvals and monitoring of maintenance facilities; personnel licensing and training; operation of aircraft; aerodromes; and air traffic services and air traffic management.

With regards to the scope of application of the Agreement, the Parties will:

elaborate and adopt additional annexes to the Agreement that are necessary in order for reciprocal acceptance of approvals and findings of compliance to effectively apply in a given area, on mutual recognition that the standards, practices, rules and procedures are sufficiently compatible in a given area; deal with technical differences in their civil aviation systems in the annexes.

Until entry into force of Amendment No 1, the Parties agree to apply the Agreement provisionally from the date of its signature.