Crossroads Between Safety and Environmental Protection: EASA is not Merely a Specialized Safety Agency

Inference from the Chicago Convention and its Annexes suggests that safety and environmental protection can be viewed as two distinct domains. However, as aviation rules develop in the European Union (EU), the two have been increasingly seen as interconnected. There have been many advancements in creating aviation environmental rules, and it is essential to always prioritize safety while implementing these rules. In reality, safety and environmental protection cannot be fully separated. As a specialized agency, the EU Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) operates within this reality. It plays a vital role in ensuring paramount safety while simultaneously implementing and developing environmental protection.The European Commission adopted Regulation (EU) 2021/1119, the ‘European climate law’, which requires relevant EU institutions, including EASA, to ensure continuous progress in enhancing adaptive capacity, strengthening resilience, and reducing vulnerability to climate change. EASA has previously been additionally tasked with environmental protection and must, therefore, continue its progress in the area alongside its main task for aviation safety. The intersections of these two areas can be analysed through the lens of EASA’s tasks. This article explores EASA’s Basic Regulations within the context of environmental roles, particularly in research, monitoring, and rule development.