EU, member states to continue cooperation for improved aviation safety in Nepal

Kathmandu, Dec. 6

The European Union (EU) said on Sunday that the adoption of the Civil Aviation Bill by the Parliament and implementation would pave the way to remove Nepal from the European Union’s Air Safety List.

Issuing a statement on the occasion of the International Civil Aviation Day, the commission said that it was aware of the efforts that have been undertaken by the country, notably as regards the proposed new aviation legislation currently in the Parliament.

Implementation of the new law would allow the Commission to advance with the process of eventually removing Nepal from the EU Air Safety List, it said.

The standard process to remove Nepal from the list specifically includes organising a technical meeting (in Brussels) with Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) to review the progress made, organising a subsequent on-site visit to Nepal by DG MOVE, European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), and air safety experts from Member States, which is needed in order to make a determination about the effective implementation of the safety enhancements, and enacting the eventual removal from the EU Air Safety List by way of a commission proposal to be endorsed by the EU Air Safety Committee.

Meanwhile, the EU praised Nepal government’s commitment to improve safety mechanisms and progress made in recent years to address the challenges of aviation safety.

“We applaud the Government of Nepal for its firm commitment to improve safety mechanisms as progress has been made in recent years to address the challenges of aviation safety,” it said in the statement.

The aim of aviation day is to generate awareness on the importance of international civil aviation for the social and economic development of the nation to cooperate and realise safe, efficient and sustainable air transportation.

The European Commission with the assistance of EASA will deliver concrete and demand-driven technical assistance to the CAAN in order to support Nepal’s efforts to enhance the aviation safety oversight in Nepal, said the EU.  

This activity complements the actions undertaken in the context of the EU–South Asian Aviation Partnership Project, an EU-funded project implemented by EASA that will be renewed for a period of 36 months (with a budget of € 5.5 million).

“In the context of this project, CAAN has made efforts at local and regional level to improve its safety management both in terms of internal processes and in its relationship with other related stakeholders. Furthermore, France and Germany are implementing specific aviation safety technical assistance to the CAAN,” read the statement.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 7 December 2020.