This Opinion proposes to amend Commission Regulation (EU) 2015/340, as well as to establish a new delegated act, with a view to setting European-wide performance standards concerning the output level of air traffic controllers’ (ATCOs) initial training in order to maintain a high and uniform level of safety and enhance efficiency and flexibility as regards both the training and availability of ATCOs.
The proposed amendments to Commission Regulation (EU) 2015/340 are the result of RMT.0668 Subtask 4 and aim to:
- harmonise the initial training output for ATCOs to be able to handle complex and dense traffic situations;
- enhance the regulatory framework for instructors and assessors by setting the required performance standards using the principles of competency-based training and assessment (CBTA), which is also the ICAO preferred route to all aviation personnel licensing;
- enable the utilisation of virtual training proposals stemming from the COVID-19 RNO project.
In addition, through the proposal for a new delegated act developed under RMT.0668 Subtask 3, Member States will be able to accept ATCO certificates issued by third countries by crediting prior training towards the issue of EU student ATCO licences, as well as accept ICAO-compliant licence holders to act as instructors and assessors at EU ATCO training organisations.
The proposed regulatory material is expected to provide for a more flexible use of the available ATCO resources and thus to a better management of the air traffic capacity across Europe.
