Regulation 2015/340 - Technical Requirements and Administrative Procedures relating to Air Traffic Controllers' Licences

Regulation 2015/340 - Technical Requirements and Administrative Procedures relating to Air Traffic Controllers' Licences

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EUROCONTROL

Commission Regulation (EU) 2015/340 of 20 February 2015 laying down technical requirements and administrative procedures relating to air traffic controllers' licences and certificates pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 216/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council, amending Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 923/2012 and repealing Commission Regulation (EU) No 805/2011 - text published in the Official Journal of the European Union

Subject Matter and Scope

This Regulation lays down detailed rules for:

  • the conditions for issuing, suspending and revoking air traffic controllers and student air traffic controllers' licences, associated ratings and endorsements, and the privileges and responsibilities of those holding them;
  • the conditions for issuing, limiting, suspending and revoking air traffic controllers and student air traffic controllers' medical certificates, and the privileges and responsibilities of those holding them;
  • the certification of aero-medical examiners and aero-medical centers for air traffic controllers and student air traffic controllers;
  • the certification of air traffic controller training organisations;
  • the conditions for validating, revalidating, renewing and using such licences, ratings, endorsements and certificates.

This Regulation applies to:

  • student air traffic controllers and air traffic controllers exercising their functions within the scope of Regulation (EC) No 216/2008;
  • persons and organisations involved in the licensing, training, testing, checking and medical examination and assessment of applicants in accordance with this Regulation.

Summary

Provision of air traffic control services

Air traffic control services shall only be provided by air traffic controllers qualified and licensed in accordance with this Regulation. Member States may apply this Regulation to their military personnel providing services to the public.

Transitional provisions

Licences, ratings and endorsements issued in accordance with the relevant provisions of national legislation based on Directive 2006/23/EC and licences, ratings and endorsements issued in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 805/2011 shall be deemed to have been issued in accordance with this Regulation.

Medical certificates and certificates for training organisations, aero-medical examiners and aero-medical centres, approvals of unit competence schemes and training plans issued in accordance with the relevant provisions of national legislation based on Directive 2006/23/EC in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 805/2011 shall be deemed to have been issued in accordance with this Regulation.

Replacement of licences, adaptations of privileges, training courses and unit competence schemes

Member States shall replace the licences referred in the transitional provisions (above) with licences complying with the format laid down in Appendix 1 of Annex II to this Regulation by 31 December 2015, or 31 December 2016, when the Member State makes use of the derogation in Article 11(2) (containing the following: By way of derogation from paragraph 1, Member States may decide not to apply Annexes I to IV, in whole or in part, before 31 December 2016.), at the latest.

Member States shall replace the certificates for air traffic controller training organizations referred to the transitional prvisions with certificates complying with the format laid down in Appendix 2 of Annex II to this Regulation by 31 December 2015, or 31 December 2016, when the Member State makes use of the derogation in Article 11(2), at the latest.

Member States shall replace the certificates for aero-medical examiners and the certificates for aero-medical centres referred to thransitional provisions with certificates complying with the format laid down in Appendices 3 and 4 of Annex II to this Regulation by 31 December 2015, or 31 December 2016, when the Member State makes use of the derogation in Article 11(2), at the latest.

Annex I - Part ATCO

This Part, set out in this Annex, establishes the requirements for the issue, revocation and suspension of student air traffic controller licences and air traffic controller licences, their associated ratings and endorsements, and the conditions of their validity and use.

Licences, ratings and endorsements

Holders of a student air traffic controller licence shall be authorised to provide air traffic control services in accordance with the rating(s) and rating endorsement(s) contained in their licence under the supervision of an on-the-job training instructor and to undertake training for rating endorsement(s).

Holders of an air traffic controller licence shall be authorised to provide air traffic control services in accordance with the ratings and rating endorsements of their licence, and to exercise the privileges of the endorsements contained therein.

Licences shall contain one or more ratings in order to indicate the type of service which the licence holder is authorised to provide:

The unit endorsement shall authorise the licence holder to provide air traffic control services for a specific sector, group of sectors and/or working positions under the responsibility of an air traffic services unit.

Unit competence scheme

Unit competence schemes shall be established by the air navigation service provider and approved by the competent authority. It shall include at least the following elements:

Language proficiency endorsement

Air traffic controllers and student air traffic controllers shall not exercise the privileges of their licences unless they have a valid language proficiency endorsement in English and, if applicable, in the language(s) imposed by the Member State for reasons of safety at the ATC unit as published in the Aeronautical Information Publications. The language proficiency endorsement shall indicate the language(s), the level(s) of proficiency and the expiry date(s).

The demonstration of language proficiency shall be done through a method of assessment approved by the competent authority, which shall contain:

Air navigation service providers shall make available language training to maintain the required level of language proficiency of air traffic controllers to:

Air traffic controller training

Air traffic controller training shall cover the entirety of theoretical courses, practical exercises, including simulation, and on-the-job training required in order to acquire and maintain the skills to deliver safe, orderly and expeditious air traffic control services. Air traffic controller training shall consist of the following types:

  • basic training: theoretical and practical training designed to impart fundamental knowledge and practical skills related to basic operational procedures;
  • rating training: theoretical and practical training designed to impart knowledge and practical skills related to a specific rating and, if applicable, to rating endorsement;
  • unit training, leading to the issue of an air traffic controller licence, the issue of a rating endorsement, the validation of rating(s) or rating endorsement(s) and/or the issue or renewal of a unit endorsement.
  • continuation training, designed to maintain the validity of the endorsements of the licence.

Entry into Force

This Regulation entered into force in March 2015 and applies from 30 June 2015. It repeals Commission Regulation (EU) No 805/2011.

By way of derogation, EU Member States may decide not to apply Annexes I to IV, in whole or in part, before 31 December 2016.

Commission Regulation (EU) 2015/340 laying down technical requirements and administrative procedures relating to air traffic controllers' licences and certificates (OJ 63, 6.3.2015)– full text.

Consolidated version of Air Traffic Controllers’ Licenses and Certificates Implementing Rules and related Acceptable Means of Compliance and Guidance Material (Aug 2015)

Amendment

This Regulation was first amended by Regulation 2023/203. The changes add provisions for information security risk assessment, information security management and reaction to information security vulnerabilities and incidents and are applicable as of 22.02.2026.

This Regulation was then amended in 2023 by Regulation 2023/893 which is applicable from 04 August 2024. The most notable changes were:

  • The scope of the Regulation is expanded to include rules and procedures for the conversion of national air traffic controller licences obtained during military service into Union air traffic controller licences (i.e. to facilitate the convestion from military to civil air traffic controllers).
  • Improved flexibility for air traffic controllers by facilitating the process of relocation to another Member State.
  • The rating endorsement system was updated and some of the information therein was moved to the unit endorsements.
  • Adjustment of provisions related to OJTIs and STDIs to allow them to exercise their privileges is some specific circumstances.
  • A valid ATCL/SATCL is only required for the OJT phase of the unit training (i.e. it could be issued during the transition or pre-OJT phase to facilitate smoother process).

For a detailed list of the changes see the dedicated article.

Related Articles

Further Reading

European Commission

ICAO

EASA

For further information on the harmonised European ATCO licensing system, see: http://www.eurocontrol.int/articles/atm-competence-licensing

Categories
Single European Sky, SES Implementing Rules

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