EUROPEAN AVIATION SAFETY AGENCY (EASA)

Established in 2002, EASA is the European Union Authority in aviation safety. The main activities of the organisation include the strategy and safety management, the certification of aviation products and the oversight of approved organisations and EU Member States. The Agency staff is composed of more than 700 aviation experts and administrators from all EU Member States. The headquarters is in Cologne (Germany) with an office in Brussels and 3 international permanent representations in Washington (USA), Montreal (Canada) and Beijing (China).

EASA enjoys technical, financial and legal autonomy to ensure the highest common level of safety protection for EU citizens within the EU and worldwide, to ensure the highest common level of environmental protection, to avoid duplication in the regulatory and certification processes among Member States and to facilitate the creation of an internal EU aviation market.

EASA plays a leading role within the EU External Aviation Policy: the Agency is a strong counterpart of other Aviation Authorities outside the EU (e.g. USA, Canada, Brazil) and a major contributor to the export of the EU aviation standards worldwide, in order to promote the movement of EU aeronautical products, professionals and services throughout the world.

Mission

• Ensure the highest common level of safety protection for EU citizens
• Ensure the highest common level of environmental protection
• Single regulatory and certification process among Member States
• Facilitate the internal aviation single market & create a level playing field
• Work with other international aviation organisations & regulators

Tasks

• Make implementing rules in all fields pertinent to the EASA mission
• Certify and approve products and organisations, in fields where EASA has exclusive competence (e.g. airworthiness)
• Provide oversight and support to Member States in fields where EASA has shared competence (e.g. Air Operations, Air Traffic Management)
• Promote the use of European and worldwide standards
• Cooperate with international actors in order to achieve the highest safety level for EU citizens globally (e.g. EU safety list, Third Country Operators authorisations)