✈ECAA Agreement has entered into force

The multilateral agreement between the European Community and its Member States and Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Iceland, Montenegro, Norway, Romania, Serbia and the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1244 of 10 June 1999) on the establishment of a European common aviation area (ECAA) has officially entered into force today, 1 December 2017, after the EU concluded its internal legislative procedures, even though it had been signed as long ago as 2006.The goal of this Agreement is to create a European common aviation area (ECAA) based on free market access, freedom of establishment, equal conditions of competition, and common rules, including in the areas of safety, security, air traffic management and environment.

Although the Agreement, which has entered into force today, includes a phased, full harmonisation of the national regulations of the Signatory States with the European Union regulations in the field of civil aviation, the BHDCA has in the past years made significant progress in the transposition of the regulations and their implementation into the legislative framework of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which has been confirmed on several occasions by inspections carried out by European Commission representatives.

As for the forthcoming period, it is expected that the European Commission will adopt, and submit to the Signatory States, an updated list of the regulations, procedures and activities that must be implemented by the BHDCA and by other institutions as well.

In addition, the entry into force of the ECAA Agreement grants larger powers and influence to the European Commission with regards to the civil aviation processes in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

For this reason, the BHDCA will organise meetings with representatives of the aviation industry in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as with representatives of the other institutions involved in the decision-making and rule-making processes in B&H, with the aim to familiarise them with the activities to be implemented so that Bosnia and Herzegovina could complete its obligations under Phase I of the Agreement as soon as possible.

By conclusion of Phase I of the Agreement, conditions will be created for the BHDCA to be accredited by the European Commission, resulting in the recognition of the licences and certificates issued by the BHDCA in all EU countries and Signatory States to the Agreement.

Bosnia and Herzegovina signed the Agreement on 9 June 2006 and ratified it on 19 July 2007.

ECAC Member Countries are: Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the Republic of Macedonia, Turkey, Ukraine and United Kingdom.

You can download the ECAA Agreement HERE.

Source: Bosnia and Herzegovina Directorate for Civil Aviation (BHDCA)