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The purpose of this rulemaking activity is to establish the requirements for the introduction and implementation of personnel licences in electronic format (electronic personnel licences (EPLs)) within the EU regulatory framework. The objectives are to:
- enable the issuance, display, validation, and verification of EU EPLs on self-contained mobile electronic visual display devices, in addition to the traditional physical format (e.g. paper or plastic cards). EPLs will be optional, but national competent authorities (NCAs) shall recognise personnel licences issued in electronic format not only by other EU Member States (MSs) but also by all ICAO Contracting States;
- ensure the security, confidentiality, data protection, integrity, authentication and accessibility of EPLs;
- ensure the interoperability of electronic personnel licence systems (EPLSYS) used by different NCAs and stakeholders;
- incorporate ICAO Annex 1 Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) related to implementing an EPLSYS into the relevant EU aviation regulations.
To enable the introduction of personnel licences issued in electronic format and the EPLSYS, amendments are proposed to several regulations. The main topics addressed through the new or amended requirements and associated AMC and GM include:
- new definitions related to the introduction of EPLs;
- new authority requirements on the establishment of EPLSYS enabling authorities to generate, manage and verify such licences;
- new technical specifications for the issuance of EPLs and the establishment of an EPLSYS, based on the ISO/IEC 18013-5:2021 International Standard and ICAO Doc 10190;
- new EASA Forms for EPLs;
- transitional measures related to the inclusion of medical certificate information in EPLs (for pilot and air traffic controller licences only), allowing authorities to start issuing EPLs while continuing to issue medical certificates in the traditional physical (paper) format;
- provisions permitting EPLs to include information on national privileges outside the scope of EU regulations (e.g. related to ‘Annex I aircraft’), issued in accordance with national legislation and valid only within the territory of the issuing MS;
simplifications with regard to the current ICAO EPL format, removing the need to include the photograph of the holder, the script signature of the holder (except in the maintenance domain), and the seal or stamp of the issuing authority.
