Summary
In 2002, the European Commission adopted legislation leading to the creation of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to take over rulemaking, certification and uniform implementation from the Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA) and the individual National Aviation Authorities (NAA) across Europe.

Operational since September 2003, this new agency is charged with establishing and maintaining a high and uniform level of civil aviation safety in Europe through rulemaking and consistent application of rules. By creating a single European market for industry and air operators, American access to it will be facilitated as a result of harmonization of requirements and recognition of certificates in line with international standards.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Commission, assisted by EASA, are negotiating a bilateral agreement to allow reciprocal acceptance of safety findings in an effort to avoid duplicative testing. Until that agreement is concluded, the agreements the FAA currently has with each of the National Aviation Authorities will remain in force to ensure