9.2.2018   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 50/150

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having regard to the draft Commission regulation (D042244/03,

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having regard to Regulation (EC) No 216/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 February 2008 on common rules in the field of civil aviation and establishing a European Aviation Safety Agency, and repealing Council Directive 91/670/EEC, Regulation (EC) No 1592/2002 and Directive 2004/36/EC (1), and in particular Article 7(6) thereof,

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having regard to the opinion delivered on 18 December 2015 by the committee referred to in Article 65 of the above regulation,

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having regard to the Commission’s letter of 12 February 2016 asking Parliament to declare that it will raise no objections to the draft regulation,

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having regard to the letter from the Committee on Transport and Tourism to the Chair of the Conference of Committee Chairs of 23 February 2016,

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having regard to Article 5a(3) of Council Decision 1999/468/EC of 28 June 1999 laying down the procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission (2),

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having regard to the recommendation for a decision of the Committee on Transport and Tourism,

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having regard to Rules 106(4)(d) and 105(6) of its Rules of Procedure,

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having regard to the fact that no objections have been raised within the period laid down in the third and fourth indents of Rule 105(6) of its Rules of Procedure, which expired on 8 March 2016,

A.

whereas the draft Commission regulation is aimed at, among other things, prolonging by one year an existing transition period for holders of a private pilot licence, from 8 April 2016 to April 2017;

B.

whereas the deadline for Parliament to object to the draft Commission regulation will expire on 23 April 2016;

C.

whereas the entry into force of the Commission regulation by 8 April 2016 would prevent a legal void regarding the situation of several thousand EU citizens who hold a private pilot licence (PPL) issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States;

D.

whereas if the date is not modified these pilots will be obliged to validate or convert their FAA licence into an EU licence, which will require significant resources and time both from national authorities and from pilots;

E.

whereas the Commission and the European Aviation Safety Agency are willing to negotiate a simplified procedure to facilitate the reciprocal recognition and conversion of such pilot licences between the EU and the USA, and whereas this new procedure is likely to become available to pilots in the second half of 2016;

1.

Declares that it has no objections to the draft Commission regulation;

2.

Instructs its President to forward this decision to the Commission and, for information, to the Council.