The Council of the EU signed off on the new EASA Basic Regulation, following European Parliament approval earlier this month. The new regulation must still receive adoption by the General Affairs Council ministers and be published in the EU’s Official Journal before taking effect. But the recent endorsements clear the path for the new regulation to take effect.

This regulatory change has won strong support from GAMA, which said the move will modernize Europe’s safety framework. “This new Basic Regulation promises to equip EASA with the set of tools it needs to keep pace with the rapid advances in general aviation, business aviation, and maintenance operations, particularly with the emphasis on enshrining risk-based regulation into law,” said GAMA president and CEO Pete Bunce. GAMA has offices in Washington, D.C., and Brussels, representing aircraft manufacturers internationally.

Bunce urged the European Commission and member states to provide EASA with the necessary resources to implement the changes that will come with the new Basic Regulation. He noted that the new regulation will require a “wholesale revision” of EASA’s detailed safety rules. GAMA is encouraging EASA to implement the changes over the next three years, rather than the waiting the full-five-year transition term laid out for the Basic Regulation. “This will allow the industry to yield certification and oversight safety benefits and efficiencies as soon as possible,” Bunce said.