Thanks Pace, good to see that this will finally go forward.
Means that I'll probably get my IR back any time within a few months of this becoming law. (Mine lapsed due to a > 7 year hiatus and I'd have to retake the whole current theoretical exam, decided to wait, good by the looks of it).
For those who have a problem with the EIR, I think it needs to be seen in a broader context than most seem to do here. Personally, while I will go for the full one, I find it an extremely useful thing to propose.
Looking at the airspace mess many countries have, not least huge Class A airspaces in the stupidest places, an EIR will allow the holder to fly airways quietly and relaxed rather than dodiging all that red and other marks on a 1:500k map at low altitude. It will do away with the need to do scud running in the Milano and Rome TMA (and other equally useless airspace monstrosities) but allow you to fly at normal flight levels consistend with safety and options in case of emergency.
Flying with an EIR does not mean you HAVE to fly solid IMC all the time, but it gives you the distinct advantage to fly an airways enroute part of your flight, in VMC or within the limits of your airplane in IMC too.
Most of the airplanes available to the average PPL who might want to go that path do not allow "hard" IFR anyhow, in as sofar that they are not FIKI equipped, are single engine. Many of our airports do not have IFR Approaches either. So for many of those people, having the option to fly the enroute part with a pick up and release after departure and before landing, becomes a very viable thing to do.
One question I will want to have addressed is what of the airplane itself. Will it need to be fully IFR equipped for it to be able to fly EIR legs or will the equipment necessary do. As EIR Pilots do not have the authority to fly approaches, it consequently would not need to have (certified) approach aids on board but rather needs enroute navigational equippment up for the task. Probably the answer will be yes, fully IFR certified. But seeing as the facilitating of getting an IR was a distant dream not 2 years ago, one never might stop to wonder.