Brussels, 28/11/2011 (Agence Europe) - A trained pilot who possesses a licence granted in a Union country will soon be able to exercise his profession free from restrictions in all member states. On Friday 25 November, the European Commission published a regulation harmonising qualifications and medical requirements for pilots in Europe. This will enter into force next April and is expected to significantly facilitate pilots' work. With this licence granted by an EU member state, pilots will no longer have to provide other technical or medical qualifications and will be able to fly throughout the Union.
The new rules have been developed on the basis of air travel safety validated internationally. A technical opinion was developed by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the Chicago Convention, which included consultation of the different stakeholders. Pilots are not the only ones affected by this regulation because it also focuses on harmonised requirements for examiners that test the pilots' skills. All air transport will be regulated by this regulation, including gliders, hot air balloons, airships and powered-lift aircraft, which is why the Commission has stated that this regulation is different from any previous regulations in this area.
Siim Kallas, the European commissioner for transport, has stated that “these new rules will simplify the life of thousands of pilots in the EU, whilst guaranteeing high levels of safety”. (MD/transl.fl)