Commission Regulation (EC) No 1315/2007 of 8 November 2007 on safety oversight in air traffic management and amending Regulation (EC) No 2096/2005 (Text with EEA relevance)
Date: 2007-11-08
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: air safety, air traffic, air transport, audit, organisation of transport, provision of services

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Official Journal of the European Union

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COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 1315/2007

of 8 November 2007

on safety oversight in air traffic management and amending Regulation (EC) No 2096/2005

(Text with EEA relevance)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty
Community,

establishing the European

Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 550/2004 of the European
Parliament and of
the Council of 10 March 2004 on the
provision of air navigation services in the Single European
Sky (the service provision Regulation) (1), and in particular
Article 4 thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

to Regulation (EC) No 550/2004,
required to identify and adopt

Pursuant
the
the
Commission is
relevant provisions of the Eurocontrol Safety Regulatory
Requirements (ESARRs),
taking into account existing
Community legislation. ESARR 1 provides a set of
safety regulatory requirements for the implementation
of an effective air
(ATM) safety
oversight function.

traffic management

framework for

The role and functions of national supervisory authorities
have been established in Regulation (EC) No 549/2004
of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10
the
March 2004 laying down the
creation of the single European sky (the framework Regu-
lation) (2), Regulation (EC) No 550/2004, Regulation (EC)
No 552/2004 of the European Parliament and of the
Council of 10 March 2004 on the interoperability of
the European Air Traffic Management network (the inter-
operability Regulation) (3) and Commission Regulation
(EC) No 2096/2005 of 20 December 2005 laying
down common requirements for the provision of air
navigation
include
requirements on the safety of air navigation services.
safe provision of
While
service
the Member States
should ensure effective supervision through national
supervisory authorities.

the
responsibility for
lies with the provider,

services (4).

regulations

These

the

(1) OJ L 96, 31.3.2004, p. 10.
(2) OJ L 96, 31.3.2004, p. 1.
(3) OJ L 96, 31.3.2004, p. 26.
(4) OJ L 335, 21.12.2005, p. 13.

(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

(7)

(8)

(9)

This Regulation should not cover military operations and
training as referred to in Article 1(2) of Regulation
(EC) No 549/2004.

National supervisory authorities should conduct safety
regulatory audits and reviews in accordance with this
Regulation as part of
and
inspections
surveys required by Regulation (EC) No 550/2004.

the proper

National supervisory authorities should consider using
this Regulation in
the safety oversight approach of
to
other areas of oversight as appropriate in order
develop efficient and coherent supervision.

In line with Annex 11, Section 2.26 of the Convention
on International Civil Aviation, ESARR 1 requires the
monitoring and assessment of
safety
achieved against the tolerable levels of safety determined
those tolerable
for specific airspace blocks. However,
levels of safety still need to be completely established
at Community level and therefore they should be taken
into consideration in this Regulation at a later stage.

the levels of

All air navigation services, as well as air traffic flow
management and air space management use functional
traffic.
that enable the management of air
systems
Therefore any changes to functional systems should be
subject to a safety oversight.

Article 7 of Regulation (EC) No 552/2004 requires a
national
supervisory authority to take all necessary
measures in case a system or a constituent of a system
does not comply with the relevant requirements. In this
context and in particular when a safety directive has to
supervisory authority should
be issued,
consider
involved in
issuing the EC Declaration to conduct specific investi-
gations with regard to that technical system.

instructing the notified bodies

the national

time to prepare for

supervisory authorities

should be given a
National
sufficient period of
the safety
oversight of changes, notably as regards the identification
of the targets and standards. The identification should be
supported by appropriate Community specifications and
other guidance material.

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(10) Annual safety oversight reporting by the national super-
visory authorities should contribute to the transparency
and accountability of the safety oversight. The reports
should be addressed to the Member State nominating
or establishing the authority. Furthermore, they should
be used in the context of regional cooperation and inter-
national safety oversight monitoring. The actions to be
reported should include relevant information with regard
to the monitoring of safety performance, the compliance
with applicable safety regulatory requirements by the
organisations supervised, the programme of safety regu-
latory audits, the review of the safety arguments, the
changes to functional systems implemented by the or-
ganisations in accordance with procedures accepted by
the authority and the safety directives issued by the
national supervisory authority.

(11)

Pursuant to Article 2(4) of Regulation (EC) No 550/2004,
national supervisory authorities should make appropriate
arrangements for close cooperation with each other to
ensure adequate supervision of air navigation service
providers which provide services relating to the airspace
falling under
the responsibility of a Member State
different from the Member State which issued the cer-
tificate. Authorities should exchange in particular ap-
propriate information about
the safety oversight of
organisations.

(12)

Regulation (EC) No 2096/2005 should be amended
accordingly,
in order to ensure consistency in the im-
plementation of the Single European Sky.

(13)

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in
accordance with the opinion of
Sky
Committee,

Single

the

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Subject matter and scope

This Regulation establishes a safety oversight

1.
function
concerning air navigation services, air traffic flow management
(ATFM) and air space management (ASM) for general air traffic
by identifying and adopting the relevant mandatory provisions
of the Eurocontrol Safety Regulatory Requirement on safety
oversight in air traffic management (ATM) (ESARR 1) issued
on 5 November 2004.

2.
This Regulation shall apply to the activities of national
supervisory authorities and recognised organisations acting on
their behalf regarding the safety oversight of air navigation
services, ATFM and ASM.

Article 2

Definitions

For the purposes of this Regulation the definitions established
by Regulation (EC) No 549/2004 shall apply.

The following definitions shall also apply:

1.

‘corrective action’ means action to eliminate the cause of a
detected non-conformity;

2.

3.

‘functional
system’ means a combination of
systems,
procedures and human resources organised to perform a
function within the context of ATM;

‘organisation’ means
provider or an entity providing ATFM or ASM;

either

an air navigation service

4.

‘process’ means a set of interrelated or interacting activities
which transforms inputs into outputs;

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

‘Safety argument’ means the demonstration and evidence
that a proposed change to a functional system can be
implemented within the targets or standards established
through the existing regulatory framework consistently
with the safety regulatory requirements;

‘safety directive’ means a document issued or adopted by a
national supervisory authority which mandates actions to
be performed on a functional system to restore safety,
when evidence shows that aviation safety may otherwise
be compromised;

‘safety objective’ means
a qualitative or quantitative
statement that defines the maximum frequency or prob-
ability at which a hazard can be expected to occur;

supervisory

‘safety regulatory audit’ means a systematic and inde-
pendent examination conducted by, or on behalf of, a
to determine whether
national
complete safety-related arrangements or elements thereof,
related to processes and their results, products or services,
comply with required safety-related arrangements and
whether they are implemented effectively and are suitable
to achieve expected results;

authority

‘safety regulatory requirements’ means the requirements
established by Community or national regulations for the
provision of air navigation services or ATFM and ASM
functions
operational
competence and suitability to provide these services and
functions,
their safety management, as well as systems,
their constituents and associated procedures;

concerning

technical

and

the

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10.

‘safety requirement’ means a risk mitigation means, defined
from the risk mitigation strategy that achieves a particular
including organisational, operational,
safety objective,
procedural,
functional, performance and interoperability
requirements or environmental characteristics;

Article 5

Verification of compliance with safety regulatory
requirements

National supervisory authorities shall establish a process in

1.
order to verify:

11.

‘verification’ means confirmation through the provision of
objective evidence that specified requirements have been
fulfilled.

Article 3

Safety oversight function

shall

National

supervisory authorities

1.
safety
oversight as part of their supervision of requirements applicable
to air navigation services as well as to ATFM and ASM, in order
to monitor the safe provision of these activities and to verify
that
the applicable safety regulatory requirements and their
implementing arrangements are met.

exercise

active

in functional

2. When concluding an agreement on the supervision of
organisations
airspace blocks which
extend across the airspace falling under the responsibility of
more than one Member State, Member States concerned shall
identify and allocate the responsibilities for safety oversight in a
manner which ensures that:

(a) specific points of responsibility exist

to implement each

provision of this Regulation;

(a) compliance with applicable safety regulatory requirements
prior to the issue or renewal of a certificate necessary to
provide
including safety-related
conditions attached to it;

air navigation services

(b) compliance with any safety-related obligations in the desig-
nation act issued in accordance with Article 8 of Regulation
(EC) No 550/2004;

(c) ongoing compliance of the organisations with applicable

safety regulatory requirements;

(d) implementation of safety objectives, safety requirements and

other safety-related conditions identified in:

(i) EC declarations of verification of systems, including any
relevant EC declaration of conformity or suitability for
use of constituents of systems;

(ii) risk assessment and mitigation procedures required by
safety regulatory requirements applicable to air navi-
gation services, ATFM and ASM;

(e)

the implementation of safety directives.

(b) the Member States have visibility of the safety oversight

mechanisms and their results.

2.

The process referred to in paragraph 1 shall:

(a) be based on documented procedures;

Member States shall regularly review the agreement and its
practical implementation in particular in the light of achieved
safety performance.

Article 4

Monitoring of safety performance

National

supervisory authorities

1.
shall provide regular
monitoring and assessment of the levels of safety achieved in
order to determine whether they comply with the safety regu-
latory requirements applicable in the airspace blocks under their
responsibility.

2.
National supervisory authorities shall use the results of the
monitoring of safety in particular to determine areas in which
the
regulatory
requirements is necessary as a matter of priority.

compliance with

verification

safety

of

(b) be supported by documentation specifically intended to
to

safety oversight personnel with guidance

provide
perform their functions;

(c) provide the organisation concerned with an indication of

the results of the safety oversight activity;

(d) be based on safety regulatory audits and reviews conducted

in accordance with Articles 6, 8 and 9;

(e) provide the national supervisory authority with the evidence
needed to support
including measures
further action,
foreseen by Article 9 of Regulation (EC) No 549/2004
and by Article 7(7) of Regulation (EC) No 550/2004 in
situations where safety regulatory requirements are not
being complied with.

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Article 6

Safety regulatory audits

(c) ensure that audits are conducted in a manner commensurate
to the level of risk posed by the organisations’ activities;

National

supervisory authorities, or

1.
recognised organ-
isations as delegated by them, shall conduct safety regulatory
audits.

The safety regulatory audits referred to in paragraph 1

2.
shall:

(a) provide national supervisory authorities with evidence of
compliance with applicable safety regulatory requirements
and with implementing arrangements by evaluating the
need for improvement or corrective action;

(b) be independent of internal auditing activities undertaken by
the organisation concerned as part of its safety or quality
management systems;

(c) be conducted by auditors qualified in accordance with the

requirements of Article 11;

(d) apply to complete implementing arrangements or elements

thereof, and to processes, products or services;

(e) determine whether:

(i) implementing arrangements comply with safety regu-

latory requirements;

(ii) actions

taken

comply with

the

implementing

arrangements;

(iii) the results of actions taken match the results expected

from the implementing arrangements;

(d) ensure that sufficient audits are conducted over a period of
two years to check the compliance of all these organisations
with applicable safety regulatory requirements in all
the
relevant areas of the functional system;

(e) ensure follow up of

the implementation of corrective

actions.

4.
National supervisory authorities may decide to modify the
scope of pre-planned audits, and to include additional audits,
wherever that need arises.

National

supervisory

shall decide which
5.
arrangements, elements, services, products, physical
locations
and activities are to be audited within a specified time frame.

authorities

6.
Audit observations and identified non-conformities shall
be documented. The latter shall be supported by evidence, and
regulatory
identified in terms of
requirements and their
implementing arrangements against
which the audit has been conducted.

applicable

safety

the

An audit report, including the details of the non-conformities,
shall be drawn up.

Article 7

Corrective actions

The national supervisory authority shall communicate the
1.
findings to the audited organisation and shall simul-
audit
the non-
taneously request corrective actions
conformities
identified without prejudice to any additional
action required by the applicable safety regulatory requirements.

to address

(f)

lead to the correction of any identified non-conformities in
accordance with Article 7.

2.
The audited organisation shall determine the corrective
actions deemed necessary to correct non-conformity and the
time frame for their implementation.

3. Within the inspection programme required by Article 7 of
Regulation (EC) No 2096/2005, national supervisory authorities
shall establish and update at least annually a programme of
safety regulatory audits in order to:

The national

supervisory authority shall

3.
the
corrective actions and the implementation determined by the
the assessment
audited organisation and accept
concludes
the non-
conformities.

to address

they are

sufficient

them if

assess

that

(a) cover all the areas of potential safety concern, with a focus

on those areas where problems have been identified;

(b) cover all the organisations and services operating under the

supervision of the national supervisory authority;

The audited organisation shall

4.
initiate the corrective
actions accepted by the national supervisory authority. These
corrective actions and the subsequent follow-up process shall
be completed within the time period accepted by the national
supervisory authority.

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Article 8

Safety oversight of changes to functional systems

(c) consider the safety objectives, safety requirements and other
safety-related conditions that are related to the change under
consideration which have been identified in:

Organisations shall only use procedures accepted by their
1.
to
supervisory authority when deciding whether
national
introduce a safety-related change to their functional systems.
In case of providers of air traffic services and providers of
communication,
the
or
national supervisory authority shall accept these procedures in
the framework of Regulation (EC) No 2096/2005.

surveillance

navigation

services,

Organisations

shall notify their national

2.
supervisory
authority of all planned safety related changes. To this effect,
the national supervisory authorities shall establish appropriate
administrative procedures in accordance with national law.

3.
Unless Article 9 applies, the organisations may implement
the notified change following the procedures referred to in
paragraph 1of this Article.

Article 9

Review procedure of the proposed changes

The national supervisory authority shall review the safety
1.
arguments associated with new functional systems or changes
to existing functional systems proposed by an organisation
when:

(a)

the severity assessment conducted in accordance with
Annex II, point 3.2.4 of Regulation (EC) No 2096/2005
determines a severity class 1 or a severity class 2 for the
potential effects of the hazards identified; or

(i) EC declarations of verification of systems;

(ii) EC declarations of conformity or suitability for use of

constituents of systems; or

(iii) risk assessment and mitigation documentation estab-
lished in accordance with applicable safety regulatory
requirements;

(d)

identify additional safety-related conditions associated to the
implementation of the change, wherever needed;

(e) assess the acceptability of safety arguments presented, taking

account of:

(i) the identification of hazards;

(ii) the consistency of the allocation of severity classes;

(iii) the validity of the safety objectives;

(iv) the validity,

effectiveness

safety
requirements and any other safety-related conditions
identified;

and feasibility of

(b) the implementation of the changes requires the introduction

of new aviation standards.

(v) the demonstration that

the safety objectives, safety
requirements and other safety-related conditions are
continuously met;

When the national supervisory authority determines the need
for a review in situations other than those referred to in points
(a) and (b), it shall notify the organisation that it will undertake
a safety review of the change notified.

The review shall be conducted in a manner commensurate
2.
with the level of risk posed by the new functional system or
change to existing functional systems.

It shall:

(a) use documented procedures;

(b) be supported by documentation specifically intended to
to

safety oversight personnel with guidance

provide
perform their functions;

(vi) the demonstration that the process used to produce the
safety arguments meets the applicable safety regulatory
requirements;

(f) verify the processes used by the organisations to produce
the safety arguments in relation to the new functional
system or changes to existing functional systems under
consideration;

(g)

identify the need for the verification of ongoing compliance;

(h) include any necessary coordination activities with the autho-
rities responsible for the safety oversight of airworthiness
and flight operations;

(i) provide notification of

the acceptance, with conditions
where applicable, or the non-acceptance, with supporting
reasons, of the change under consideration.

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The introduction into service of the change under con-
3.
sideration in the review shall be subject to acceptance by the
national supervisory authority.

(a) define and document the education, training, technical and
operational
qualifications
relevant to the duties of each position involved in safety
oversight activities within their structure;

knowledge,

experience

and

Article 10

(b) ensure specific training for those involved in safety oversight

Recognised organisations

activities within their structure;

1. When a national supervisory authority decides to delegate
to a recognised organisation the conduct of safety regulatory
audits or reviews in accordance with Article 9(2), it shall ensure
that the criteria used to select an organisation amongst those
recognised in accordance with Article 3 of Regulation
(EC) No 550/2004 include the following:

(a)

the recognised organisation has prior experience in assessing
safety in aviation entities;

(b) the recognised organisation is not simultaneously involved
quality

in
management systems of the organisation concerned;

activities within

internal

safety

the

or

(c) all personnel concerned with the conduct of safety regu-
adequately trained and
the qualification criteria of Article

latory audits or
qualified and meet
11(3) of this Regulation.

reviews

are

The recognised organisation shall accept the possibility of
2.
being audited by the national supervisory authority or any body
acting on its behalf.

3.
National supervisory authorities shall maintain a record of
the recognised organisations commissioned to conduct safety
regulatory audits or reviews on their behalf. The records shall
document compliance with the requirements contained in
paragraph 1.

Article 11

Safety oversight capabilities

shall ensure that national

1. Member States
supervisory
authorities have the necessary capability to ensure the safety
oversight of all organisations operating under their supervision,
including sufficient resources to carry out the actions identified
in this Regulation.

National supervisory authorities shall produce and update
2.
every two years, an assessment of the human resources needed
to perform their safety oversight
functions, based on the
analysis of the processes required by this Regulation and their
application.

National

supervisory authorities

3.
shall ensure that all
persons involved in safety oversight activities are competent
to perform the required function. In that regard they shall:

(c) ensure that personnel designated to conduct safety regu-
latory audits, including auditing personnel from recognised
organisations, meet specific qualification criteria defined by
the national supervisory authority. The criteria shall address:

(i) the knowledge and understanding of the requirements
related to air navigation services, ATFM and ASM
against which safety
be
performed;

audits may

regulatory

(ii) the use of assessment techniques;

(iii) the skills required for managing an audit;

(iv) the demonstration of competence of auditors through

evaluation or other acceptable means.

Article 12

Safety directives

The national supervisory authority shall

1.
issue a safety
directive when it has determined the existence of an unsafe
condition in a functional system requiring immediate action.

2.
A safety directive shall be forwarded to the organisations
concerned and contain, as a minimum, the following infor-
mation:

(a)

the identification of the unsafe condition;

(b) the identification of the affected functional system;

(c)

the actions required and their rationale;

(d) the time limit for compliance of the required actions with

the safety directive;

(e)

its date of entry into force.

The national supervisory authority shall forward a copy of
3.
the safety directive to other national supervisory authorities
concerned, in particular those involved in the safety oversight
of the functional system, and to the Commission, the European
Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and Eurocontrol as far as appro-
priate.

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shall

verify

the

2. Member States shall use the reports produced by their
national supervisory authorities when producing their annual
reports to the Commission required by Article 12 of Regulation
(EC) No 549/2004.

The national

authority
4.
compliance with applicable safety directives.

supervisory

Article 13

Safety oversight records

National supervisory authorities shall keep and maintain access
the appropriate records related to their safety oversight
to,
including the reports of all safety regulatory audits
processes,
and other safety-related records related to certificates, desig-
nations, the safety oversight of changes, safety directives and
the use of recognised organisations.

Article 14

Safety oversight reporting

The national

supervisory authority shall produce an
1.
annual safety oversight report of the actions taken pursuant
to this Regulation. The report shall also include information
on the following:

(a) organisational structure and procedures of

the national

supervisory authority;

(b) airspace falling under the responsibility of

the Member
States which established or nominated the national super-
visory authority and organisations falling under the super-
vision of the national supervisory authority;

The annual safety oversight report shall be made available
3.
to the Member States concerned in the case of
functional
airspace blocks and to the programmes or activities conducted
under agreed international arrangements to monitor or audit
the implementation of the safety oversight of air navigation
services, ATFM and ASM.

Article 15

Information exchange between national supervisory
authorities

National supervisory authorities shall make arrangements for
close cooperation in accordance with Article 2(4) of Regulation
(EC) No 550/2004 and exchange any appropriate information
to ensure the safety oversight of all organisations providing
cross border services or functions.

Article 16

Amendment to Regulation (EC) No 2096/2005

Article 5(3) of Regulation (EC) No 2096/2005 is deleted.

Article 17

Transitional provision

(c) recognised organisations commissioned to conduct safety

regulatory audits;

Member States may defer the application of Article 9(3) until 1
November 2008. They shall forthwith inform the Commission
thereof.

(d) existing levels of resources of the authority;

Article 18

Entry into force

(e) any safety issues identified through the safety oversight
processes operated by the national supervisory authority.

This Regulation shall enter into force on the day following its
publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels, 8 November 2007.

For the Commission

Jacques BARROT
Vice-President