The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) welcomes the adoption by the Council of the European Union of updated aviation safety rules for Europe which include a new mandate for EASA.

This new mandate consolidates EASA’s scope to cover the full spectrum of the aviation landscape and reinforces the European aviation system as a whole, with the possibility for EASA and European Member States to work closer together in a flexible way.

Patrick Ky, EASA Executive Director said: “In a sector facing unprecedented technological transformation, it was important to provide EASA with the proper tools and legal foundation to support the development of the aviation industry in particular in domains like drones and digitalisation. At the same time we need to preserve the European society aspirations for a safer and environmentally friendly world.”

The so-called new Basic Regulation formalises EASA’s role in the domain of drones and urban air mobility, enabling the Agency to prepare rules for all sizes of civil drones and harmonize standards for the commercial market across Europe. The regulation enlarges the Agency’s role in areas such as in environmental protection, research and development, or international cooperation. The new mandate also gives EASA a coordinating role in cybersecurity in aviation.

This week’s vote of the Council of the European Union concludes the legislative procedure. The regulation will be published in the EU Official Journal by the end of July and will enter into force at the end of the summer break.