EC/Canada agreement: civil aviation safety

PURPOSE: the conclusion of an Agreement between the European Community and Canada on civil aviation safety.

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.

CONTENT: this Decision concerns the conclusion of an agreement between the European Community and Canada on civil aviation safety. The agreement is based on mutual trust of each other’s system and on the comparison of regulatory differences. The draft agreement gives the possibility to the Parties to consider ways to further enhance the functioning of the agreement and make recommendations for modifications. Furthermore, the draft agreement constitutes a net benefit for the Community given that it will establish mutual acceptance of certification findings in all areas of airworthiness for all Member States.

The Agreement provides for:

• clear rights and obligations for both Parties;
• clear means to achieve the objectives of the mandate;
• regular consultations and rapid dispute resolution;
• the maintenance of a high degree of confidence in each other's system;
• strong safeguard measures in order to give the parties the necessary flexibility to react immediately to safety problems or to set up a higher level of protection they consider appropriate for safety.