(fra kommisjonsforordningen)

(1) Commission Regulation (EC) No 474/2006 (2) establishes the list of air carriers which are subject to an operating ban within the Union.

(2) Certain Member States and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (‘the Agency’) communicated to the Commission, in accordance with Article 4(3) of Regulation (EC) No 2111/2005, information that is relevant for updating that list. Third countries and international organisations also provided relevant information. Based on the information provided, the list should be updated.

(3) The Commission informed all air carriers concerned, either directly or through the authorities responsible for their regulatory oversight, about the essential facts and considerations, which would form the basis of a decision to impose an operating ban on them within the Union, or to modify the conditions of an operating ban imposed on an air carrier which is included in the list set out in Annex A or Annex B to Regulation (EC) No 474/2006.

(4) The Commission gave the air carriers concerned the opportunity to consult all relevant documentation, to submit written comments and to make an oral presentation to the Commission and to the EU Air Safety Committee.

(5) Within the framework of Regulation (EC) No 2111/2005 and Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/660 (3), the Commission informed the EU Air Safety Committee about the ongoing consultations with the competent authorities and air carriers of Algeria, Angola, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, and Libya. The Commission also informed the EU Air Safety Committee about the aviation safety situation in Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Kenya, Nepal, Pakistan, South Sudan, Suriname, Tanzania, and Uzbekistan.

(6) The Agency informed the Commission and the EU Air Safety Committee about the technical assessments conducted for the initial evaluation and the continuous monitoring of Third Country Operator (‘TCO’) authorisations, issued pursuant to Commission Regulation (EU) No 452/2014 (4).

(7) The Agency also informed the Commission and the EU Air Safety Committee about the results of the analysis of ramp inspections carried out under the Safety Assessment of Foreign Aircraft programme (‘SAFA’), in accordance with Commission Regulation (EU) No 965/2012 (5).

(8) In addition, the Agency informed the Commission and the EU Air Safety Committee about the technical assistance projects carried out in third countries affected by an operating ban pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 474/2006. Furthermore, the Agency provided information on the plans and requests for further technical assistance and cooperation to improve the administrative and technical capability of civil aviation authorities in third countries with a view to helping them ensure compliance with applicable international civil aviation safety standards. Member States were invited to respond to such requests on a bilateral basis in coordination with the Commission and the Agency. In that regard, the Commission reiterated the usefulness of providing information to the international aviation community, particularly through the International Civil Aviation Organization's (‘ICAO’) Aviation Safety Implementation Assistance Partnership tool, on technical assistance to third countries provided by the Union and Member States to improve aviation safety around the world.

(9) Eurocontrol provided the Commission and the EU Air Safety Committee with an update on the status of the SAFA and TCO alarming functions, including statistics about alert messages for banned air carriers.

Union air carriers

(10) Following the Agency’s analysis of information resulting from ramp inspections carried out on the aircraft of Union air carriers, as well as standardisation inspections carried out by the Agency, and complemented with information stemming from specific inspections and audits carried out by national aviation authorities, Member States took certain corrective and enforcement measures, and informed the Commission and the EU Air Safety Committee about those measures.

(11) Member States reiterated their readiness to act, as necessary, in the event that pertinent safety information indicates imminent safety risks resulting from non-compliance by Union air carriers with relevant safety standards.