Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/363Show full title

Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/363

of 1 March 2017

amending Regulation (EU) No 965/2012 as regards the specific approval of single-engined turbine aeroplane operations at night or in instrument meteorological conditions and the approval requirements for the dangerous goods training relating to commercial specialised operations, non-commercial operations of complex motor-powered aircraft and non-commercial specialised operations of complex motor-powered aircraft

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 216/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 February 2008 on common rules in the field of civil aviation and establishing a European Aviation Safety Agency, and repealing Council Directive 91/670/EEC, Regulation (EC) No 1592/2002 and Directive 2004/36/EC(1), and in particular Article 8(5) thereof,

Whereas:

(1) Pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 216/2008, the Commission should adopt the necessary implementing rules for establishing the conditions for the safe operation of aircraft. Commission Regulation (EU) No 965/2012(2) establishes those conditions.

(2) The application of Regulation (EU) No 965/2012 to ferry-flights would lead to a disproportionate administrative burden on the industry and on competent authorities. In order to introduce a more proportionate and risk-based approach to the application of that Regulation, one-off flights carrying no passengers or cargo where the aircraft is ferried for refurbishment, repair, maintenance checks, inspections, delivery, export or similar purposes should be exempted from the application of Regulation (EU) No 965/2012.

(3) The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards and recommended practices, set out in Part I of Annex 6 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, signed in Chicago on 7 December 1944, include provisions for the operation of single-engined turbine aeroplanes at night or in instrument meteorological conditions. Those provisions contain, inter alia, a requirement that, in approving such operations, the State of the operator needs to ensure that certain conditions are complied with, including those relating to installed equipment, engine reliability, engine monitoring, operator procedures and flight crew training. Union law should be aligned with those provisions, by ensuring that commercial air transport operations of single-engined aeroplanes at night or in instrument meteorological conditions are subject to the approval of the competent authority.

(4) That alignment makes the possibility of operating, by means of a derogation, single-engined aeroplanes under the conditions set out in the existing exemptions granted by Member States in accordance with Article 8(2) of Council Regulation (EEC) No 3922/91(3), provided for in Article 6(5) of Regulation (EU) No 965/2012, obsolete. That provision should therefore be deleted. Those exemptions for the operation of single-engined aeroplanes, including the conditions set out therein, should be considered to constitute approvals by the competent authority as required under the aligned legal framework for a suitable period after the entry into force of this Regulation, so as to ensure a smooth transition. After that transitional period, it should no longer be possible to rely upon such exemptions, such approvals being required instead. Any relevant changes to the operation of those aeroplanes during that transitional period should continue to be notified.

(5) Operators of commercial specialised operations, as well as operators conducting non-commercial operations with complex motor-powered aircraft or non-commercial specialised operations with complex motor-powered aircraft that do not transport dangerous goods should continue to establish and maintain dangerous goods training programmes, in accordance with Annex III (Part-ORO) to Regulation (EU) No 965/2012. However, in order to introduce a more proportionate and risk-based approach to the application of those rules, the competent authority should no longer be required to approve such training programmes.

(6) Regulation (EU) No 965/2012 should therefore be amended accordingly. In particular, Annex III (Part-ORO) to that Regulation should be amended to adopt a more proportionate and risk-based approach to the approval requirements for dangerous goods training programmes and a new subpart on single-engined turbine aeroplane operations should be added to its Annex V (Part-SPA).

(7) The measures provided for in this Regulation regarding single-engined turbine aeroplanes are based on the opinion(4) issued by the European Aviation Safety Agency in accordance with point (b) of Article 17(2) and Article 19(1) of Regulation (EC) No 216/2008.

(8) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee established by Article 65 of Regulation (EC) No 216/2008,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

(1)

OJ L 79, 19.3.2008, p. 1.

(2)

Commission Regulation (EU) No 965/2012 of 5 October 2012 laying down technical requirements and administrative procedures related to air operations pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 216/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 296, 25.10.2012, p. 1).

(3)

Council Regulation (EEC) No 3922/91 of 16 December 1991 on the harmonization of technical requirements and administrative procedures in the field of civil aviation (OJ L 373, 31.12.1991, p. 4).

(4)

European Aviation Safety Agency Opinion No 06/2015 of 11 November 2015 for a Commission Regulation establishing technical special approval requirements for the operation of single engine turbine aircraft at night or in instrument meteorological conditions.