OBJECTIVES
The rulemaking task is aimed at ensuring a level playing field for aircrew members and air traffic controllers (ATCOs), as well as for the aero-medical examiners (AMEs), aero-medical centres (AeMCs) and the medical assessors within the national competent authority (NCA) when applying medical requirements for aero-medical certification of aircrew members and ATCOs.
Following the update of Part-MED, several areas of the ATCO-related medical requirements are no longer aligned with those of Part-MED. Furthermore, with the pending update of Subpart ARA.MED of Annex VI (Part-ARA) and Subpart ORA.AeMC of Annex VII (Part-ORA) to Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011, several authority requirements will be applicable only for the aircrew aero-medical certification system and not for the ATCO aero-medical certification system. Moreover, currently AMEs and AeMCs require duplicate certifications on both Part-MED and Part ATCO.MED, which require an increased workload for NCAs and additional burden on the AMEs and AeMCs. A preliminary impact assessment (PIA) was developed and consulted with the EASA Advisory Bodies in 2017 leading to the decision to initiate RMT.0707 aiming to combine the medical requirements, as well as the associated acceptable means of compliance (AMC) & guidance material (GM), for aircrew members and ATCOs.
The objective is expected to be achieved by combining the similar provisions relating to aero-medical certification of ATCOs and aircrew members, which are now laid down in the two regulations, into one single common regulation.
The main expected benefits are that the medical assessor (MA) within the NCAs, as well as the AMEs and AeMCs, will only need to use one common regulatory document, thus simplifying the legal framework, promoting harmonisation and removing the duplication between Part-MED and Part ATCO.MED.