Generic - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

This General FAQ page compiles Frequently Asked Questions related to all aspects of the the Agency.

The Agency has also published specific Frequently Asked Questions pages on the following topics:

Please note that abbreviations are frequently used at the European Aviation Safety Agency. A document which expands these abbreviations is available here.

A. About EASA

What is the Agency?
EASA is an Agency of the European Union. As a Community Agency, EASA is a body governed by European public law; it is distinct from the Community Institutions (Council, Parliament, Commission, etc.) and has its own legal personality. EASA was set up by a Council and Parliament regulation (Regulation (EC) 1592/2002 repealed by Regulation (EC) No 216/2008) and was given specific regulatory and executive tasks in the field of civil aviation safety and environmental protection.
What does the Agency do?
The European Aviation Safety Agency is the centrepiece of the European Union's strategy for aviation safety. Its mission is to promote the highest common standards of safety and environmental protection in civil aviation. The Agency develops common safety and environmental rules at the European level. It monitors the implementation of standards through inspections in the Member States and provides the necessary technical expertise, training and research. The Agency works hand in hand with the national authorities which continue to carry out many operational tasks, such as certification of individual aircraft or licensing of pilots.

The main tasks of the Agency currently include:
- Rulemaking: drafting aviation safety legislation and providing technical advice to the European Commission and to the Member States;
- Inspections, training and standardisation programmes to ensure uniform implementation of European aviation safety legislation in all Member States;
- Safety and environmental type-certification of aircraft, engines and parts;
- Approval of aircraft design organisations world-wide as and of production and maintenance organisations outside the EU;
- Authorization of third-country (non EU) operators;
- Coordination of the European Community programme SAFA (Safety Assessment of Foreign Aircraft) regarding the safety of foreign aircraft using Community airports;
- Data collection, analysis and research to improve aviation safety.
In a few years, the Agency will also be responsible for safety regulations regarding airports and air traffic management systems.

More details on these tasks can be found in the EASA homepage.
What does the Agency not do?
It should be noted that the Agency's role does not yet extend to issues related to the safety regulation of airports or of air traffic management systems. The Agency expects to take up these responsibilities in a few years time.

Furthermore, EASA's remit does not encompass questions related to civil aviation security e.g. airport security measures, counter-terrorism.
Where is the Agency located?

The Agency's headquarters are in Cologne, Germany. Full details of the Agency's address on the banks of the Rhine in Cologne can be found on the Contacts page.
Who is in charge of the Agency?
EASA is headed by an Executive Director, Mr. Patrick Goudou. The work of the Agency is overseen by a Management Board, which represents EU Member States and the European Commission. The Executive Director is also answerable to the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union and since a part of the Agency's budget is derived from the general budget of the European Union, its expenditure remains subject to the normal EU financial checks and procedures.
Who was looking after aviation safety before the creation of EASA?
Except for the limited rules established by the Community in the field of airworthiness and maintenance through Regulation 3922/91, Member States were responsible for the regulation of civil aviation safety. Although they did their best to harmonise their requirements and practices in the Joint Aviation Authorities (based in Hoofddorp, the Netherlands), this system led to differing interpretations of harmonised standards, which adversely affected the efficiency of regulation and increased compliance costs for the sector. Although the European Commission had been closely associated with the JAA process, the transition to the EASA system and decision-making based on the European Community method was decided as a significant improvement in the execution of certification and rulemaking tasks. It also reduces fragmentation at the international level, by providing the international aviation community with a European interlocutor with enhanced authority and credibility.
Why is an EU Agency needed to look after aviation safety?
The ' Basic Regulation' establishes common requirements for the regulation of safety and environmental sustainability in civil aviation. It gives the European Commission powers to adopt detailed rules for the Regulation's implementation.

The Agency answers the Regulation's need for 'a single specialised expert body', which delivers appropriate expertise to EU institutions to prepare these rules and verify their implementation at national level. Thus the Agency acts as an enabler to the legislative and executive process, a body which 'is independent in relation to technical matters and has legal, administrative and financial autonomy.'

There were further reasons behind the creation of a Community Agency. Past experience has suggested that common rules do not ensure uniform implementation in domains where technical discretion must be given to the certificating entities. In such cases the centralisation of certification tasks is the only effective way to achieve the desired uniform level of protection. This option was strongly supported by all interested parties. It also ensures that safety-related measures remain free of any political interference which might prejudice the current high standard of civil aviation safety enjoyed in Europe.

The Agency has been designed in order to ensure a degree of separation between the political process (the role played by the European Commission, Council and Parliament in drafting and enacting legislation relating to aviation safety) on the one hand, and the design and implementation of the technical measures necessary for safety, on the other. This explains why the Executive Director is granted independence in decision-making relating to the safety issues under the Agency's responsibility. This, however, is without prejudice to the chain of accountability to which the Agency and its Executive Director are subject.
Is it correct that if an aircraft is certified in an EU country, it will already be certified in the remaining country members?
Yes, when an aircraft is certified in an EU country, it will be already certified in the remaining EU Member States, this is in line with article 11 - 'Recognition of Certificates' - of the EASA Basic Regulation.
Article 11, Section 1 states as follows:
"Member States shall, without further technical requirements or evaluation, recognise certificates issued in accordance with this Regulation. When the original recognition is for a particular purpose or purposes, any subsequent recognition shall cover only the same purpose or purposes."

B. Doing business with EASA

1. My company wishes to sell its products and services to EASA. What should I do?
Being a European Community agency, the Agency works with strict financial procedures with regard to procurement of services and products. Please check the Procurement page within the Administrative Directorate section, where Calls for Tender are published.

C. What is the EASA competent

Does EASA deal with Flight Crew Licensing (FCL) and Flight Time Limits (FTL)?
(07/12/2004) The EASA is not competent yet for issues related to FCL and FTL. It will be, but only in a few years' time. Questions related to these topics should be addressed for the time being to your national administration which should be able to help you on the subject. Information can be also found on the European Commission website - DG Transport and Energy, in the unit dealing with aviation safety matters and on the JAA website.

Article 8, Section 1 states as follows:

"Member States shall, without further technical requirements or evaluation, recognise the certificates issued in accordance with this Regulation. When the original recognition is for a particular purpose, or purposes, any subsequent recognition shall cover only the same purpose(s)."
2. Does EASA deal with airports?
(07/12/2004) The EASA is not competent yet for issues related to airports. It will be, but only in a few years' time. Questions related to airports should be addressed for the time being to your national administration which should help you on the subject.

D. Recruitment

Is the Agency a European Union institution?
The European Aviation Safety Agency is an independent Community agency, that is to say a body under European public law but distinct from Community institutions such as the Council, Parliament, Commission, etc., and which possesses its own legal personality. The Agency became operational on 28th September 2003.
How many people work at the Agency?
The Agency currently employs 350 staff members. A further 100 people are expected to be engaged in 2008. Within the present mandate, in the coming years, the staffing level at the EASA is expected to grow up to 480.
Where is the Agency's permanent seat located?
The European Aviation Safety Agency headquarters are located in Cologne, Germany.
What does the recruitment procedure consist of?
The selection procedure and the conditions of recruitment will be clearly set out in all of the Agency's vacancy notices. The Agents of EASA will be appointed by the Executive Director on the basis of short lists established by the selection committees. Any applications which do not meet the requirements specified in a vacancy notice (i.e. incomplete application, applications sent after the deadline or the detailed criteria listed under "the eligibility criteria") will be rejected. Applicants are advised to specify on the envelope containing their application the title of the vacant post and the reference specified in each vacancy notice.
What selection criteria will be applied?
Applicants will be selected on the basis of the eligibility and selection criteria specified in each vacancy notice. Applicants must meet the required eligibility and selection criteria (for example concerning the required educational qualifications or years of experience) by the application closing date mentioned in each vacancy notice.
When will the interviews take place?
Applicants short-listed for an interview will be informed once all applications have been examined. The interview date will be set within a reasonable time after the closing date for the applications.

Applicants are invited to check regularly the information posted on the Website of the Agency (Career Opportunities section: Call for Applications, Calendar of Career Opportunities and Update on Previous Vacancies), where regular updates are made regarding the recruitment process.
What language should I use in my application for a post at the Agency?
Applicants may use any of the official languages of the European Union when applying for a post advertised by the Agency. However, in order to speed up the selection process and to reduce the amount of the translations needed, applicants are invited to use either French or English. Nevertheless, the applicants will not be disadvantaged in any way what so ever even if they use other official languages of the Union.
How long does the recruitment procedure take?
As a rough guide only, the recruitment procedure can take up to 6 months from the date when a position is first advertised to the final offer being made. An extensive need for translations into the working languages of the selection panels may cause delays even beyond the above estimate.
I come from a country that is not a Member State of the European Union; may I apply for a vacancy advertised by the Agency?
To apply for a position at the Agency it is mandatory to be a citizen of a Member State of the European Union, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland.
Will I receive an acknowledgement that my application for a post at the Agency has been received?
The Agency is not able to acknowledge receipt of any applications due to the high numbers received in response to the posts published. Due to the large volume of applications only candidates selected for interviews will be notified and to ensure reception of your application we strongly recommend to send your application by registered post.

Only applicants invited for an interview will be informed by an e-mail or phone and e-mail, as applicable.

The time taken to invite applicants for an interview depends on the number of applications received for each Vacancy Notice. It is important to bear in mind that during the first years of activity there are a considerable number of vacancies published simultaneously. Therefore, it may take up to 8 weeks concerning a particular post before the invitations for the interviews can be sent out. However, this is also a sign of uniform adherence to the strict recruitment rules applied at EASA, which require detailed studying of every application, notwithstanding the number of vacancies or applications per a vacancy.
May I send applications for more than one position in the same envelope?

Applicants may apply for more than one vacancy at the same time but it is mandatory that they use a separate envelope for each application with the required reference marks carefully marked on the cover envelope.
Where are vacancy notices for the Agency published?
Vacancy notices for the Agency are regularly published on:
- the Agency's Website - ("Recruitment page") http://www.easa.europa.eu
- EPSO's Website - (under "Non-permanent posts") http://europa.eu/epso/temp-staff_en.htm
Where can I find more information related to grades and salary?
For more information regarding grades and salary please consult the following link on staff regulations: http://ec.europa.eu/civil_service/job/official/index_en.htm
What is a Temporary Agent?
Most often the future EASA staff will be offered initially a Temporary Agent Post which in the EASA is normally for a renewable 5 years' fixed period. If the contract is renewed, it will become an indefinite contract without an end date. Information concerning temporary staff within the meaning of Article 2 of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Communities can be found on the Website of the European Commission's Directorate General of Personnel and Administration at: http://ec.europa.eu/civil_service/job/temp/index_en.htm

When will the next vacancy notices be published?
Anyone interested in working at the Agency is advised to consult the Website at regular intervals including the Calendar of Career Opportunities in order to find further information.

Contact:

For further information, please contact recruit .at. easa .point. europa .point. eu

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