I am active in Uprt-Loc mostly out of personal interest, recently I have been advised that EASA wants to completely change the structure of CPl and ATPL training, it looks like they came to a sad reflection of the current state of pilot training. The enciclopedic theoretical question bank ( 18'000 questions ) is targeted, and the practical side also needs to be reformed. It looks like EASA got feedback from airlines concerning the lack of skills and knowledge of both crews and aspiring pilots with freshly minted ATPL's.
www.easa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/dfu/NPA%202016-03%28A%29.pdf
The above NPA paper, is drafted as per traditional EASA bureaucratic style, While they are able to identify the core problems, It is my opinion that they are unable to come up with clear cut solutions,
Again it is my personal opinion as an average person that documents should be drafted more taking into account aspects required by operators, and not to satisfy EU bureaucracy run by lawyers.
It took EASA 135 pages to propose a NPA for UPrt_Loc, which when compared to the task above is menial, and still after nearly a decade there is no final clear set regulatory text.
I would guess if at EASA they are unable to draft documents in a concise, non bureaucratic, less vague and repetitive terms, the developments to be expected will be humourous to say the least, with serious implications for operators.
The universe of basic GA training has been pushed to limits with unbearble consequences in the quest to become ATO's Now EASA is stepping back and moving from an immensely complicated and expensive structure to a simple basic model. Eat your earth those who have been complying and struggling over the years and now realise you are set free to start on new grounds easier than the pre EASA RF's
UPrt-Loc after the Air France accident is suffering a setback, ICATEE started a wonderful job, but EASA seems unable to come up with clear cut solutions to start the training. They now state, at least for the on air side, that ATO's will be left free to decide, some sort of capitulation I would say..
Now EASA ATPL and CPL training as per encyclopedic FCL regulation is deemed in many ways inapropriate and needs to be reconsidered. More proposals, more amendments to come. What are we up to?