The European Parliament has proposed that the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) should take on oversight duties beyond its current airworthiness remit to include operations, flightcrew licensing and the safety of foreign airlines. At the same time delegates at last week’s Conference on Aviation Regulation in Europe were accusing the agency of not having the capacity to carry out its present duties, and saying that its charging system and financial management are bureaucratic and poorly administered.
The proposal to extend EASA’s areas of responsibility has been expected, but speaking at the European regulation conference in Edinburgh, Roberto Salvarani, head of the European Commission’s environment and air safety unit, said it will be at least 18 months before the proposal becomes law.
EASA executive director Patrick Goudou said the agency will be ready to take on the additional responsibilities, and promised greater consultation with industry.
Although the conference debated economics as well as the safety regulation of natural monopolies like air navigation service providers (ANSP) and airports, the safety agency’s performance in airworthiness administration dominated much of the heated discussion. Aeroengine manufacturer Rolls-Royce represented major manufacturers in declaring that, although it welcomes the fact that EASA provides a single-point certification agency in Europe, the bureaucracy of its processes “diverts effort from other tasks, and obstructs certification processes...which results in operational disruption” for both the manufacturer and its customers.
The conference, attended by 130 delegates including representatives of 23 national aviation authorities (NAA), the European Commission, Eurocontrol, manufacturers and pilot and air traffic controller associations, was arranged by the UK Civil Aviation Authority. Its purpose was to provide the parties involved in developing and implementing future European aviation regulation with a forum to review progress, clarify objectives, and decide whether the pace at which reform is moving is realistic.
CAA chairman Sir Roy McNulty made clear his reservations about a “one size fits all” approach to the economic regulation of natural monopolies like airports and ANSPs. He said he would favour a system that allows for “differentiated approaches” even if it means greater complexity.
McNulty said regulation should be independent of industry and governments and influenced by best practice. There is no single vision on what should be regulated centrally and at member state level, said McNulty, which creates confusion and is poor for employee morale at the NAAs.
DAVID LEARMOUNT/EDINBURGH
Source: Flight International
