EASA Launches Rules Simplification Programme

EASA has launched the Rules Simplification Programme, a strategic initiative to make Europe’s aviation regulations smarter, clearer, and more accessible for everyone who works with them.

“Simplification is a collaborative effort to ensure EU aviation remains safe, competitive and efficient,” says Micaela Verissimo, who leads the programme at the Agency. “We’re not changing what’s important — we’re making it easier to understand, implement, and comply with what really matters.”

Over the years, EASA’s regulatory framework has grown in both scope and complexity, reflecting new technologies, emerging safety risks, and the diversity of aviation operations across Europe. While that evolution has been essential, the complexity of the aviation system also makes it increasingly challenging for organisations, authorities, and individuals to navigate the rules efficiently.

The Rules Simplification Programme aims to address this by focusing on clarity, coherence, and usability. The goal is to ensure that regulations remain robust while becoming more intuitive,  reducing administrative burden, eliminating overlaps, and making the system more responsive to future change.

EASA say that "simplification is not about deregulation. It’s about maintaining the same safety objectives while improving how the rules are structured, written, and applied."

How the programme works

The programme follows a structured and transparent approach, guided by a Joint MAB/SAB Simplification Board — representing both the Member States and Stakeholder Advisory Bodies.

It will unfold across several key phases:

1. Initiation – setting the objectives, scope, and governance for the programme.
2. Data collection – gathering input from across the aviation community, including authorities, operators, manufacturers, and individuals.
3. Data analysis and prioritisation – identifying which rules or processes most urgently need simplification.
4. Implementation – developing concrete simplification actions and integrating them into future updates of the European Plan for Aviation Safety (EPAS).

Timing and milestones

The first set of simplification actions — focusing on low-controversy areas and projects already within EPAS — are expected to be completed between 2025 and 2026.

These include the following EPAS tasks:

In short, simplification will be a multi-year, continuous improvement process — not a one-off project. Each cycle will build on lessons learned and feedback received, ensuring that the rules evolve in step with the operational realities of Europe’s aviation community.

Your voice matters

At the heart of the programme is collaboration. EASA is inviting all aviation professionals, organisations, and authorities to contribute their perspectives and experiences.

A short online survey has been launched to gather feedback on where simplification is most needed and how the process can deliver the greatest benefit to stakeholders.

Have your say: https://ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/runner/SimplifyEASA

Whether you work in operations, maintenance, training, manufacturing, or oversight, your input will help shape a smarter and more efficient regulatory framework for the future.