One of the key elements necessary for providing a safe service is the competence of the staff involved in providing that service, as highlighted by the SES regulatory framework, which includes a variety of provisions relating to competence. The oversight of the competence arrangements for ATM staff and their implementation is becoming more important, particularly as the complexity of the ATM system increases. The licensing of air traffic controllers was the first step in providing such safety assurance.

The course focuses on the role of ANSPs in the implementation of the ATCO competence and of the Competent Authority (CA) to perform  oversight of such arrangements as defined by Commission Regulation (EU) 2015/340 together with its associated acceptable means of compliance (AMC) and guidance material (GM), ICAO standards and recommended practices and supporting EUROCONTROL guidance material.