EASA and Transport Canada enhance their cooperation in Aviation Safety

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA) signed on 24 September 2013 a Working Arrangement to harmonise their approach to international safety standards, which will ensure that a high uniform level of civil aviation safety is maintained. 
This Working Arrangement establishes working procedures between EASA and TCCA in the frame of the ‘Safety Assessment of Foreign Aircraft’ (SAFA) programme of the European Union. The programme enables participating countries to carry out ramp inspections and to collect and exchange information on the safety of third country aircraft using airports located in the states that participate in the SAFA programme. The provisions of this programme will now be progressively extended to Canada, paving the way for a full participation of Canada in the SAFA programme at the end of a transition period. 
On signing this arrangement, Patrick Ky, EASA Executive Director declared: "I am honored to sign this Working Arrangement with Transport Canada in the presence of Transport Minister Lisa Raitt and EU Vice President Siim Kallas. The SAFA programme is a great European success and the most advanced international programme for safety data collection and exchange". 
"Air travel does not stop at our borders, and this is why Transport Canada is very proud to have joined EASA, and over 40 countries in the SAFA Programme" said Martin J. Eley, Director General, Civil Aviation, Transport Canada. 
On the date of the signature of this Working Arrangement, the participating countries in the SAFA Programme are: Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Georgia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and Ukraine.