Instrument "practice" approach / hood flying with safety pilot in Europe

[Zonkor]

I'm looking for a ("cheap" and convenient) way to keep my FAA IR current in Europe (EASA PPL holder, no EASA IR, but FAA IR).

Does EASA regulation allow to shoot "practice approaches" as it's commonly done in the US? instrument approaches under the hood in VFR with a safety pilot ("properly certified", i.e., PPL, no IR required)?

If yes, is an EASA IR required to do hood flying with a safety pilot, or is a PPL sufficient?

Also, where could I find some good info regarding IFR flying in Europe (for general aviation)?

[Cusco]

Also, where could I find some good info regarding IFR flying in Europe (for general aviation)?

You could join PPL/IREurope

PPL/IR Europe - Home

Cusco

[hvogt]

Here in Euroland, the rules of the air are still national rules, not EASA rules, so the answer to your question might vary, depending on where you intend to fly.

In Germany, section 18 of the German Aviation Regulation (Luftverkehrs-Ordnung, translation from ENR 1.1 of the AIP) reads:

§ 18 Training flights under simulated instrument flight conditions An aircraft shall not be flown under simulated instrument flight conditions unless

1. dual controls are available and
2. a second pilot holding a valid pilot licence for the type of aircraft in operation is available at the dual controls. The safety pilot shall observe the airspace; if required, he shall avail himself of the assistance of an observer who is in communication with him.

As you can see, the provision is in line with 3.2.4 of ICAO Annex 2 and shooting practice approaches under the conditions given in your post is possible.