(3) Pursuant to Article 12(2a)(3) of Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011, Member States may continue to apply national licensing rules that provide access to basic pilot privileges until 8 April 2020. Some Member States have reported to the Commission and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (‘EASA’) that, in that context, continuation of those national licencing rules, whereby student pilots are allowed to exercise limited privileges without supervision and obtain basic privileges on a step-by-step basis, supports the promotion of aerial sports and recreational activities due to easy and more affordable access to flying. Promoting and enabling such easier access to general aviation is in line with objectives of EASA’s General Aviation Road Map that aims to create a more proportional, flexible and proactive regulatory system . For those reasons, Member States should be given the discretion to continue with those national licensing rules in accordance with the principles introduced in Regulation (EU) 2019/430 , for the purpose of issuing sailplane pilot licences (‘SPL’). However, Member States should inform the Commission and the EASA whenever they make use of such authorisations. The Member States should also monitor the use of such authorisations in order to maintain an acceptable level of aviation safety.

(4) In order to ensure a smooth transition, any certificates, authorisations and approvals issued to sailplane pilots in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011 prior to the date of application of this Regulation should continue to be valid. National sailplane pilot licences issued prior to the date of application of this Regulation should be converted into licences issued in accordance with this Regulation, through conversion reports established by the competent authorities of Member States in consultation with the EASA.

(5) Sailplane pilot trainings that commenced in accordance with Annex I (Part-FCL) to Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011 prior to the date of application of this Regulation should be fully credited because they provide equal or even broader scope of training requirements than those introduced by this Regulation. Training that commenced prior to the date of application of this Regulation in accordance with Annex 1 to the Chicago Convention should be credited on the basis of credit reports established by the Member States.

(6) Existing training organisations should be given the appropriate time to adapt their training programmes, where necessary, in the context of the simplified training requirements.

(7) The measures provided for in this Regulation are based on Opinion No 01/2019 of the EASA in accordance with points (b) and (c) of Article 75(2) and with Article 76(1) of Regulation (EU) 2018/1139.

(8) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the committee established by Article 127 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1139