Airworthiness and environmental certification

SUMMARY OF:

Regulation (EU) No 1321/2014 on the continuing airworthiness of aircraft and aeronautical products, parts and appliances, and on the approval of organisations and personnel involved in these tasks

Regulation (EU) No 748/2012 laying down implementing rules for the airworthiness and environmental certification of aircraft and related products, parts and appliances, as well as for the certification of design and production organisations

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE REGULATIONS?

Regulation (EU) No 748/2012 lays down common technical requirements and administrative procedures to ensure the airworthiness and environmental certification of aircraft and associated products, parts and appliances, and to ensure that design and production organisations are certified.
Regulation (EU) No 1321/2014 lays down common technical requirements and administrative procedures to ensure that aircraft (and any component to be installed in and on them) continue to be airworthy.
Both regulations deal with certificates, approvals, licences, authorisations, attestations or other documents issued as the result of a certification attesting compliance with the applicable requirements. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency, set up under Regulation (EU) 2018/1139, develops certification specifications* which ensure that common technical requirements are uniformly applied in the field of continuing airworthiness of aeronautical parts and appliances.

KEY POINTS

Regulation (EU) No 748/2012

Regulation (EU) No 748/2012 lays down rules for the airworthiness and environmental certification of aircraft products, parts and appliances, including conditions for:

type-certificates;
certificates of airworthiness, permits to fly and authorised release certificates;
repair design approvals;
compliance with environmental protection requirements;
noise certificates;
identifying products, parts and appliances;
certifying certain parts and appliances;
certifying design and production organisations;
airworthiness directives.

Regulation (EU) No 748/2012 has been amended a number of times. Many of these changes have been incorporated into the consolidated version of the act. Since the publication of the consolidated version in summer 2022, it has been further amended by the following delegated acts.

Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/1358, introducing a lighter approach for certifying aircraft used for sport and recreational aviation. This is expected to invigorate and stimulate the general aviation sector and permit the easier development of new aircraft types. These rules apply from 25 August 2023.
Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/1645 setting out rules for applying Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 as regards requirements for managing information security risks with a potential impact on aviation safety for organisations covered by Regulation (EU) No 748/2012. These relate to production and design organisations (other than those solely involved in the design and/or production of ELA2 aircraft (European light aircraft)) and apply from 16 October 2025.

Regulation (EU) No 1321/2014

Regulation (EU) No 1321/2014 sets out technical rules and procedures for aircraft and components to ensure that aircraft, including any component for installation in or on them, continue to be airworthy. These rules cover aircraft that are:

registered in a European Union (EU) Member State, unless their safety oversight has been delegated to a non-EU country and they are not used by an EU operator; or
registered in a non-EU country and used by an EU operator, where their safety oversight has been delegated to a Member State; or
registered in a non-EU country for which safety oversight has not been delegated to an EU Member State and that are dry leased by a licensed air carrier in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1008/2008 (see summary).

With detailed rules set out in various annexes, the regulation covers requirements and procedures for:

continuing airworthiness*, including rules relating to the relevant oversight organisations designated by Member States;
maintenance* organisation approvals;
certifying staff qualification and licence requirements;
training organisation approvals, including for basic training, type training, examinations and the ability to issue training certificates.

FROM WHEN DO THE REGULATIONS APPLY?

Regulation (EU) No 748/2012 has applied since 10 September 2012. It revised and replaced Regulation (EC) No 1702/2003 and its subsequent amendments.
Regulation (EU) No 1321/2014 has applied since 6 January 2015.

BACKGROUND

For further information, see:

Airworthiness directives (European Union Aviation Safety Agency)
Airworthiness (European Commission).

KEY TERMS

Certification specifications. Standard means to demonstrate compliance of products or parts with the essential requirements of Regulation (EU) 2018/1139.

Continuing airworthiness. All of the processes ensuring that, at any time in its operating life, the aircraft complies with the airworthiness requirements in force and is in a condition for safe operation.

Maintenance. Any one or combination of the following activities: overhaul, repair, inspection, replacement, modification or defect rectification of an aircraft or component, with the exception of pre-flight inspection.

MAIN DOCUMENTS

Commission Regulation (EU) No 1321/2014 of 26 November 2014 on the continuing airworthiness of aircraft and aeronautical products, parts and appliances, and on the approval of organisations and personnel involved in these tasks (OJ L 362, 17.12.2014, pp. 1–194).

Successive amendments to Regulation (EU) No 1321/2014 have been incorporated into the original document. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.

Commission Regulation (EU) No 748/2012 of 3 August 2012 laying down implementing rules for the airworthiness and environmental certification of aircraft and related products, parts and appliances, as well as for the certification of design and production organisations (recast) (OJ L 224, 21.8.2012, pp. 1–85).

See consolidated version.

RELATED DOCUMENTS

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/1645 of 14 July 2022 laying down rules for the application of Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 of the European Parliament and of the Council, as regards requirements for the management of information security risks with a potential impact on aviation safety for organisations covered by Commission Regulations (EU) No 748/2012 and (EU) No 139/2014 and amending Commission Regulations (EU) No 748/2012 and (EU) No 139/2014 (OJ L 248, 26.9.2022, pp. 18–31).

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/1358 of 2 June 2022 amending Regulation (EU) No 748/2012 as regards the implementation of more proportionate requirements for aircraft used for sport and recreational aviation (OJ L 205, 5.8.2022, pp. 7–98).

Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 July 2018 on common rules in the field of civil aviation and establishing a European Union Aviation Safety Agency, and amending Regulations (EC) No 2111/2005, (EC) No 1008/2008, (EU) No 996/2010, (EU) No 376/2014 and Directives 2014/30/EU and 2014/53/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council, and repealing Regulations (EC) No 552/2004 and (EC) No 216/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Regulation (EEC) No 3922/91 (OJ L 212, 22.8.2018, pp. 1–122).

See consolidated version.

Regulation (EC) No 1008/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 September 2008 on common rules for the operation of air services in the Community (Recast) (OJ L 293, 31.10.2008, pp. 3–20).

See consolidated version.

last update 25.08.2023

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