Different sources of information are used to monitor and assess the compliance of operators with international safety standards; namely, the safety audits carried out by the International Civil Aviation Organisation, the information provided by competent authorities of third countries, the information provided by the European Aviation Safety Agency in the framework of its inspections and investigations within the European Union or technical missions outside the European Union, the results of the ramp checks carried out on aircraft or air carriers at EU airports in the framework of the Safety Assessment of Foreign Aircraft Programme, according to the requirements of the relevant EU rules, and, finally, substantiated accident-related informa ...[+++]tion stemming from accident or serious incident investigation reports.

The competent authorities of the Republic of Congo have made written submissions to the Air Safety Committee regarding measures taken to resolve the significant safety concern raised by ICAO as well as other non compliances stated in the ICAO USOAP audit report.

In its communication of 15 November 2005 to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions entitled ‘Extending the tasks of the European Aviation Safety Agency — an agenda for 2010’, the Commission announced its intention to progressively extend the tasks of the European Aviation Safety Agency (the Agency), with a view towards a ‘total system approach’, to aerodrome/airport safety and interoperability, air navigation services (ANS) and air traffic management (ATM).

On adopting Regulation (EC) No 1592/2002, laying down common rules in relation to airworthiness and establishing the European Aviation Safety Agency, it was agreed that an optimum and uniform level of safety could only be secured by extending the scope of this text and, therefore, extending the powers of the European Aviation Safety Agency to air operations, pilots’ licences and safety of airline companies in third countries: this is the purpose of the amendment to Regulation (EC) No 1592/2002.

Derogations are possible i) in the interest of public health and safety, in the interest of air safety, to prevent serious damage to crops, livestock, forests, fisheries and water, and for the protection of flora and fauna; ii) for the purpose of research and teaching, of re-population, of re-introduction and for the breeding necessary for these purposes; iii) to permit, under strictly supervised conditions and on a selective basis, the capture, keeping or other judicious use of certain birds in small numbers.

The Commission should update and specify further the safety requirements applying to air traffic services, in order to ensure the highest possible level of safety without prejudice to such future role as may be defined for the European Aviation Safety Agency in this area.