Agreement on civil aviation safety between the European Union and China

Summary:

Bilateral Civil Aviation Safety Agreement (BASA) between European Union (EU) and the People's Republic of China.

Further information:

The objectives of this Agreement are to:

• enable the reciprocal acceptance, as provided for in the Annexes to this Agreement, of findings of compliance and certificates issued by either Party's Competent Authorities;
• facilitate the multinational dimension of the civil aviation industry;
• facilitate and promote the free circulation of civil aeronautical products and services;
• promote cooperation in order to achieve a high level of civil aviation safety and environmental compatibility.

In the framework of its Aviation Strategy for Europe, the European Commission was authorised by the Council of the European Union in March 2016 to launch negotiations with the Chinese authorities for an agreement on matters relating to civil aviation safety. The overall objective of a BASA is to support worldwide trade in aircraft and related products, parts and appliances. After four rounds of talks, the Commission and the Civil Aviation Authority of China (CAAC) agreed on 29 September 2017 on a draft text for the Agreement and its annex on airworthiness and environmental certification. The text was initialled on 8 December 2017.

On 18 May 2018, the European Commission tabled proposals for Council Decisions on the signing and conclusion of this Agreement. The Council of the European Union adopted the Decision on the signing on 26 June 2018 and on the conclusion on 26 June 2020. The signing of the Agreement was held on 20 May 2019.

Official

EUR-Lex: COM(2018)308: Proposal for a Council Decision on the conclusion of an Agreement between the European Union and China on civil aviation safety https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=COM:2018:308:FIN

EUR-Lex: COM(2018)309: Proposal for a Council Decision on the signature of an Agreement between the European Union and China on civil aviation safety https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=COM:2018:309:FIN

Council Decision (EU) 2018/1153 on the signing on behalf of the Union of the Agreement on civil aviation safety between the European Union and the Government of the People's Republic of China http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2018/1153/oj

Council Decision (EU) 2020/1075 on the conclusion of the Agreement on civil aviation safety between the European Union and the Government of the People’s Republic of China http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2020/1075/oj

European Commission: Press Release, 08/03/2016: Aviation: EU to launch negotiations with China and Japan for new safety agreements https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_16_661

European Commission: Press Release, 20/05/2019: Aviation Strategy for Europe: Commission signs landmark aviation agreements with China https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_19_2650

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News

Reuters, 20/05/2019: China and European Union sign landmark aviation deals https://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKKCN1SQ1GL

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