Commission Regulation (EU) No 1178/20112 lays down the technical and administrative procedures related to civil aviation aircrew.

Some Member States have found that certain requirements of Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011 place an undue and disproportionate administrative or economic burden on themselves or on stakeholders and have requested derogations from certain requirements in accordance with Article 14(6) of Regulation (EC) No 216/2008.

The derogation requests have been analysed by the European Aviation Safety Agency, which in turn have resulted in a recommendation to the Commission to adopt certain derogations.

A number of editorial errors leading to unintended implementation difficulties have also been identified in Commission Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011 by Member States.

Therefore, the existing requirements should be amended in order to introduce the derogations that have a clear rulemaking effect and to correct editorial errors.

Further, Commission Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011 contains in Annex I (Part-FCL) requirements for training and checking towards an instrument rating (IR). These requirements for the IR were based on the former JAR-FCL requirements, and a need for their review has been identified.

Therefore, additional requirements for the qualification to fly in instrument meteorological conditions and specific requirements for sailplane cloud flying operations should be introduced.

In order to ensure that instrument training or experience gained before the application of this Regulation may be taken into account for the purpose of obtaining these ratings, the conditions for crediting this training, or the instrument experience gained should be laid down.

It should be possible for Member States to give credit for the instrument experience of a third-country rating holder if a level of safety equivalent to that specified by Regulation (EC) No 216/2008 can be guaranteed. Conditions for recognising this experience should also be laid down.

In order to ensure a smooth transition and a high uniform level of civil aviation safety in the European Union, implementing measures should reflect the state of the art, including best practices, and scientific and technical progress in the field of pilot training. Accordingly, technical requirements and administrative procedures agreed by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the already developed requirements in Annex I (Part-FCL) to Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011 as well as the existing national legislation, pertaining to a specific national environment, should be considered and reflected by this set of rules taking into account the specific needs of General Aviation pilots in Europe.

The Agency prepared draft Implementing Rules and submitted them as an Opinion to the Commission in accordance with Article 19(1) of Regulation (EC) No 216/2008.

Member States that have established a national system for authorising pilots to fly in Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC) with limited privileges restricted to the national airspace of the Member State, and that can provide evidence that the system is safe and that there is a specific local need, should be allowed to continue to issue such authorisations for a limited period, subject to the fulfilment of certain conditions.

Commission Regulation (EU) 965/20123 allows certain flights such as cost-sharing flights and introductory flights to be performed in accordance with the rules applicable to non-commercial operations of non-complex aircraft. There is, therefore, a need to ensure that the privileges of pilots established in Regulation (EU) 1178/2011 are consistent with this approach.

Therefore, it should be allowed to have flights of those categories identified in Regulation (EU) 965/2012 to be piloted by PPL, SPL, BPL or LAPL holders.

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the Opinion of the European Aviation Safety Agency Committee established by Article 65 of Regulation (EC) No 216/2008

Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011 should therefore be amended accordingly,