Definition

One or more entities designated by a Member State and having the necessary powers and allocated responsibilities for performing the tasks related to certification, oversight and enforcement in accordance with this Regulation and with the delegated and implementing acts adopted on the basis thereof, and with Regulation (EC) No 549/2004.

Source: Regulation 2018/1139

Description

National Competent Authorities (NCAs) are legal entities designated by States to perform the following tasks:

• Certification of organizations (e.g. operators, ANSPs, maintentance organizations, etc.) and their personnel (e.g. pilots, air traffic controllers, ATSEP, etc.) as well as revalidation of licenses.
• Oversight, i.e. verifying that licensed organizations and personnel continue to comply with the applicable requirements and conditions.
• Enforcement of compliance in case non-compliance has been detected during the oversight process. This may include measures such as licence revocation or suspension in case appropriate remedial action is not performed.

In order to achieve proper operation of the NCAs, states must ensure that they are:

• independent in relation to their decision making on certification, oversight and enforcement
• exercise their tasks impartially, and transparently
• staffed and managed accordingly and have the necessary resources to carry out the tasks assigned

The NCAs may allocate their tasks related to certification and oversight under a particular Regulation to qualified entities that have been appropriately accredited.