I don't know if this was posted already but here it goes...
New Euro Flight Crew Licensing Rules Put on Hold...
The European Commission (EC) has postponed until mid-December a vote on EASA draft rules regarding flight crew licensing. As proposed, the rules have no provisions for the conduct of pilot initial, re-validation and renewal of class and type ratings from outside European Union member states, according the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA). The new EASA rules are proposed to go into effect in April 20102. In an October 6 letter to the EC, EBAA, NBAA and the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) warned that the proposed rules would reverse long-standing reciprocal acceptance policy for pilot credentials between the U.S. and the EU and adversely impact safety. The organizations also said the draft rule would have “a highly negative impact on the safety of business aviation operations” as “many European operators rely on simulator training conducted in Canada or in the U.S.” Because most business aircraft are manufactured and operated in North America “to expect the relocation of such activity to Europe to comply with the rules is completely unrealistic.” Representatives of European member states and the EC discussed the proposal at an October 14 meeting at which the EC insisted that a vote on it be delayed until year’s end to allow more time for revisions.