Brussels, 15/03/2011 (Agence Europe) - More than two years after signing, the European Union and the US finally concluded on Tuesday 15 March, its agreement on cooperation in the field of civil aviation safety regulation. The agreement enters into force on 1 May 2011 and will introduce a legal framework that will now allow mutual recognition of aviation safety compliance certificates awarded by the appropriate US and European authorities. It will also establish regulatory harmonisation between the US and the EU in areas of airworthiness approvals and monitoring of civil aeronautical products, environmental testing and approvals of such products, and approvals and monitoring of maintenance facilities. On 7 March last, the Council of Ministers of the EU formally adopted this agreement, following pressure from US counterparts. Washington made the adoption of this agreement conditional on the conclusion of the EU US agreement on research and development in civil aviation. The two parties signed this agreement in Budapest on 4 March last (EUROPE 10331). The biggest stumbling blocks causing delays to ratification of the agreement were located in mutual recognition of safety inspections in aircraft maintenance centres: the original agreement text confirmed compliance with inspection standards carried out by US and European agents. In 2009, the US Congress, nevertheless, proposed that the Federal American Administration (FAA) attend safety inspections in European centres, a condition that the EU found unacceptable. The general elections in the US last November changed this and subsequently allowed for the agreement to be concluded. (A.By./transl.fl)