Industry advocates are praising a European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) effort to revise its “basic regulation,” saying the move will improve the agency's approach to general aviation and make the regulations more risk-based. “The forthcoming revision of its basic rules will be the broadest since the inception of EASA over 10 years ago, and we are encouraged to see the agency’s focus on proportionate, risk-based regulation being enshrined into law,” said GAMA president and CEO Pete Bunce. “This is a unique opportunity to reflect the agency’s newfound thinking on the better regulation of general aviation in particular.”

EASA  published a series of proposals yesterday, presented as an “EASA Opinion,” that call for increased delegation within the member states and seek significant changes to streamline and “defragment” the existing framework. General aviation was cited as one of the areas of focus for the changes.

“EASA, that means the agency and its sister national authorities, needs to be prepared for the challenges ahead,” said EASA director Patrick Ky. “With these changes, we will be more proportional, flexible and proactive to increase the level of safety in European aviation.”

EASA said the proposals are the results of more than six months of consultation with industry groups. GAMA noted the European Commission has signaled support for the changes.