Duchess_Driver,
The UK has invoked Article 14(4) of Regulation 216/2008 to provide a two month exemption from the validation requirements for third country licence holders. This is notified with applicable conditions in UK CAA Official Record Series 4 (ORS4) no. 1168 dated 2016/04/07, available here:
http://publicapps.caa.co.uk/docs/33/1163..pdf
The explanatory note to the above general exemption states:
Temporary exemption from the requirements of Regulation (EU) No. 1178/2011 Annex III requiring the holders of ICAO Annex 1 flight crew licence holders to have their licences validated. This will enable continued operations pending confirmation of extension to 8 April 2017 of the EU Commission opt-out and subsequent UK derogation from the requirements specified in Regulation (EU) No. 1178/2011 Annex III.
A relevant posting from BEeagle on the amendment of Regulation (EU) No. 1178/2011 was made to
this thread and is copied below in its entirety.
Originally Posted by BEagle
Please note
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-conte...6R0539&from=EN :
(3) paragraph 4 of Article 12 is replaced by the following:
‘4.By way of derogation from paragraph 1, Member States may decide not to apply the provisions of this Regulation
until 8 April 2017 to pilots holding a licence and associated medical certificate issued by a third country involved in the non-commercial operation of aircraft as specified in Article 4(1)(b) or (c) of Regulation (EC) No 216/2008. Member States shall make those decisions publicly available.’