Air safety: third-country aircrafts using Community airports, SAFA programme

ACT: Commission Regulation 768/2006/EC implementing Directive 2004/36/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the collection and exchange of information on the safety of aircraft using Community airports and the management of the information system.

CONTENT: this Commission implementing Regulation has been enacted in accordance with provisions spelt out in Directive 2004/36/EC. To recap, Directive 2004/36/EC introduces a harmonised approach for the effective enforcement of international safety standards within the Community. It does so by harmonising the rules and procedures for ramp inspection of third-country aircraft landing at airports located in the Member States. Member States are required to undertake ramp inspections of third-country aircraft suspected of non-compliance with international safety standards and to exchange information relating to these inspections.

Until now, Member States have discharged their obligations through the “Safety Assessment of Foreign Aircraft” or SAFA, which is managed by the Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA). The management of SAFA entails overseeing the database as well as offering training to inspectors and personnel.

The purpose of this implementing Regulation is to transfer responsibility for managing SAFA from the JAA to the European Aviation Safety Agency. Such a move should contribute to strengthening the programme as well as guaranteeing its long-term continuation.

To this end, the following provisions apply:

-          the Community SAFA system refers to the one set up by Directive 2004/36 for the collection, exchange and analysis of information on air safety of aircraft and of air operators;

-          the European Aviation Safety Agency will manage and operate SAFA. Management obligations include, inter alia, organising information provided by third countries or international organisations, collecting data from the Member States, updating the existing databases, advising the Commission and Member States on the need for immediate actions and reporting potential safety problems to the Commission and Member States;

-          the Member States must enter all of their ramp inspection reports, (including those not required under Directive 2004/36) into a centralised data base;

-          the Agency will prepare a manual of ramp inspection procedures; it will develop training programmes relating to SAFA and it will facilitate and co-ordinate inspector exchange programmes;

-          annually, the Agency must prepare a report on the Community SAFA system.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 9 June 2006.