Regulation (EU) No 748/2012
This Subpart establishes the procedure relating to the approval of parts and appliances.
21.A.303 Compliance with applicable requirements
Regulation (EU) No 748/2012
The showing of compliance of parts and appliances to be installed in a type-certificated product shall be made:
(a) in conjunction with the type-certification procedures of Subpart B, D or E for the product in which it is to be installed; or
(b) where applicable, under the ETSO authorisation procedures of Subpart O; or
(c) in the case of standard parts, in accordance with officially recognised Standards.
AMC 21.A.303(c) Standard Parts
ED Decision 2012/020/R
1. In this context a part is considered as a ‘standard part’ where it is designated as such by the design approval holder responsible for the product, part or appliance, in which the part is intended to be used. In order to be considered a ‘standard part’, all design, manufacturing, inspection data and marking requirements necessary to demonstrate conformity of that part should be in the public domain and published or established as part of officially recognised Standards, or
2. For sailplanes and powered sailplanes, where it is a non-required instrument and/or equipment certified under the provision of CS 22.1301(b), if that instrument or equipment, when installed, functioning, functioning improperly or not functioning at all, does not in itself, or by its effect upon the sailplane and its operation, constitute a safety hazard.
‘Required’ in the term ‘non-required’ as used above means required by the applicable certification specifications (CS 22.1303, 22.1305 and 22.1307) or required by the relevant operating regulations and the applicable Rules of the Air or as required by Air Traffic Management (e.g. a transponder in certain controlled airspace).
Examples of equipment which can be considered standard parts are electrical variometers, bank/slip indicators ball type, total energy probes, capacity bottles (for variometers), final glide calculators, navigation computers, data logger / barograph / turnpoint camera, bug-wipers and anti-collision systems.
Equipment which must be approved in accordance to the certification specifications shall comply with the applicable ETSO or equivalent and is not considered a standard part (e.g. oxygen equipment).
GM No 2 to 21.A.303(c) Officially recognised Standards
ED Decision 2012/020/R
In this context ‘officially recognised Standards’ means:
1. Those standards established or published by an official body whether having legal personality or not, which are widely recognised by the air transport sector as constituting good practice.
2. The standard used by the manufacturer of the equipment as mentioned in paragraph 2 of AMC 21.A.303(c).
21.A.305 Approval of parts and appliances
Regulation (EU) No 748/2012
In all cases where the approval of a part or appliance is explicitly required by Union law or Agency measures, the part or appliance shall comply with the applicable ETSO or with the specifications recognised as equivalent by the Agency in the particular case.
21.A.307 The eligibility of parts and appliances for installation
Regulation (EU) 2022/1358
(a) A part or appliance is eligible for installation in a type-certified product when it is in a condition for safe operation, marked in accordance with Subpart Q and accompanied by an authorised release certificate (EASA Form 1), certifying that the item was manufactured in conformity with approved design data.
(b) By way of derogation from point (a) and provided that the conditions in point (c) are met, the following parts or appliances do not require an EASA Form 1 in order to be eligible for installation in a type-certified product:
(1) a standard part;
(2) in the case of ELA1 or ELA2, a part or appliance that is:
(i) not life limited, nor part of the primary structure, nor part of the flight controls;
(ii) identified for installation in the specific aircraft;
(iii) to be installed in an aircraft whose owner has verified compliance with the applicable conditions in (i) and (ii), and has accepted responsibility for this compliance;
(3) a part or appliance for which the consequences of a non-conformity with its approved design data has a negligible safety effect on the product and which is identified as such by the holder of the design approval in the instructions for continued airworthiness. In order to determine the safety effects of a non-conforming part or appliance, the design approval holder may establish in the instructions for continued airworthiness specific verification activities to be conducted by the installer of the part or appliance on the product;
(4) in the case of the embodiment of a standard change in accordance with point 21.A.90B or a standard repair in accordance with point 21.A.431B, a part or appliance, for which the consequences of a non-conformity with its design data have a negligible safety effect on the product, and which is identified as such in the certification specifications for standard changes and standard repairs issued in accordance with point (a)(2) of point 21.A.90B and point (a)(2) of point 21.A.431B. In order to determine the safety effects of a non-conforming part or appliance, specific verification activities to be conducted by the person that installs the part or appliance on the product may be established in the certification specifications referred to above;
(5) a part or appliance that is exempted from an airworthiness approval in accordance with Commission Regulation (EU) No 965/2012 (34 Commission Regulation (EU) No 379/2014 of 7 April 2014 amending Commission Regulation (EU) No 965/2012 laying down technical requirements and administrative procedures related to air operations pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 216/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 123, 24.4.2014, p. 1).); and
(6) a part or appliance that is an item of a higher assembly identified in points (b)(1) to (b)(5).
(7) a part or appliance manufactured by a person or organisation referred to in Article 9(4) of this Regulation;
(c) Parts and appliances listed in point (b) are eligible for installation in a type-certified product without being accompanied by an EASA Form 1, provided that the installer holds a document issued by the person or organisation that manufactured the part or appliance, which declares the name of the part or appliance, the part number, and the conformity of the part or appliance with its design data, and which contains the issuance date.
AMC1 21.A.307(b)(3) and (b)(4) Verification activities to be conducted on the part or appliance or release documentation prior to installation
ED Decision 2021/007/R
To prevent a non-negligible safety effect on the product, due to the installation of a part or appliance referred to in point 21.A.307(b)(3) and (b)(4) that could potentially not conform to its design, the design approval holder (DAH) or EASA may identify in the ICA (in the case of 21.A.307(b)(3)) or in CS‑STAN (in the case of 21.A.307(b)(4)) any specific verification activities to be conducted by the installer on the part or appliance before installing it on the product in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 1321/2014.
When assessing the safety effect of a part or appliance identified in point 21.A.307(b)(3) and (b)(4), the DAH or EASA should assume that the installer would conduct, in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 1321/2014, any specific verification activities on the part or appliance or release documentation, as identified in the ICA or in CS-STAN.
Example: Information from the DAH contained in the ICA: ‘Part XXX-YY must comply with flammability requirement JJJ-KKK’.
GM1 21.A.307(b)(3) and (b)(4) Meaning of ‘negligible safety effect’
ED Decision 2021/007/R
For the purpose of 21.A.307(b)(3) and (b)(4), when ‘a part or appliance for which the consequences of non-conformity to its design has a negligible safety effect when installed on the product’ is mentioned, it means that any non-conformity of the part or appliance not identified by the installer that conducted the specific verification activities mentioned in 21.A.307(c):
(a) for ELA1 and ELA2 aircraft, at worst:
(1) slightly reduces the operational or functional certified capabilities of the aircraft or its safety margins;
(2) causes some physical discomfort to its occupants; and
(3) slightly increases the workload of the flight crew; and
(b) for any other aircraft:
(1) has no effect on the operational or functional certified capabilities of the aircraft, or on its safety margins;
(2) causes no physical discomfort to the occupants; and
(3) has no effect on the flight crew.
GM1 21.A.307(b)(4) Certification specifications referred to in point 21.A.307(b)(4)
ED Decision 2021/007/R
The corresponding certification specifications issued by EASA and mentioned in point 21.A.307(b)(4) are the Certification Specifications for Standard Changes and Standard Repairs (CS-STAN).
GM1 21.A.307(b)(5) Equipment exempted from an airworthiness approval in accordance with Commission Regulation (EU) No 965/2012
ED Decision 2021/007/R
The equipment exempted from an airworthiness approval in accordance with Commission Regulation (EU) No 965/2012 that can be installed during maintenance as new equipment on an aircraft under point 21.A.307(b)(5) is the equipment identified in the following points:
— CAT.IDE.A.100(a),
— CAT.IDE.H.100(a),
— NCC.IDE.A.100(b) and (c),
— NCC.IDE.H.100(b) and (c),
— NCO.IDE.A.100(b) and (c),
— NCO.IDE.H.100(b) and (c),
— NCO.IDE.S.100(b) and (c),
— NCO.IDE.B.100(b) and (c),
— SPO.IDE.A.100(b) and (c),
— SPO.IDE.H.100(b) and (c),
— SPO.IDE.S.100(b) and (c), and
— SPO.IDE.B.100(b) and (c)
GM1 21.A.307(b)(6) Part or appliance that is part of a higher-level assembly
ED Decision 2021/007/R
An EASA Form 1 is not required for a part or appliance when that part or appliance is an element of a higher-level assembly for which an EASA Form 1 is not required.