It depends how you define operators residence.
I don't think they have even defined by what an operator is yet.
And it might take a couple of test cases to sort it out.
They haven't started down that road yet. And its one of the things I suspect that people are now trying to find ways of getting there aircraft deemed resident in a none EU country.
I would have thought that having a principle who is a national of a country outside the EU and has pilots flying his aircraft which have work permits for that country will push the likely hood of it being none resident.