--- title: "EASA Regulatory Map: Which Regulation Applies · Avioverse" description: "Every major EASA regulation mapped — the Basic Regulation 2018/1139, the implementing rules and the Parts inside them, and which Part covers your job." url: "https://avioverse.aero/guides/easa-regulatory-map" --- # EASA Regulatory Map: Which Regulation Applies Every major EASA regulation mapped — the Basic Regulation 2018/1139, the implementing rules and the Parts inside them, and which Part covers your job. [Dionysis Kefalas](https://avioverse.aero/articles/author/dennis-kefalas) 8 Jul 2026 7 min read Part 2 of 5 in Aviation Regulatory Systems Show parts Hide parts 1. 1 [How to Read EASA Rules: IR, AMC, GM and CS](https://avioverse.aero/guides/how-to-read-easa-regulations) 2. 2 EASA Regulatory Map: Which Regulation Applies 3. 3 [EASA vs FAA: A Part-by-Part Comparison](https://avioverse.aero/guides/easa-vs-faa) 4. 4 [UK CAA After Brexit, Compared with EASA](https://avioverse.aero/guides/uk-caa-after-brexit) 5. 5 [GCAA, GACA and Transport Canada Compared](https://avioverse.aero/guides/national-authorities-gcaa-gaca-tcca) Quotes checked on 8 Jul 2026 against 3 sources. Show sources Hide sources - EASA Easy Access Rules for the Basic Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2018/1139) — 16 Jan 2023 revision - EASA Easy Access Rules for Continuing Airworthiness (Regulation (EU) No 1321/2014) — 2 Sep 2025 revision - annex structures verified against the Easy Access Rules for Aircrew (25 Nov 2025), Air Operations (27 Mar 2026), Initial Airworthiness (27 Nov 2025), Information Security (5 Dec 2025), Occurrence Reporting (27 Sep 2023), Third Country Operators (27 Apr 2023), UAS (10 Jul 2024), Aerodromes (13 Mar 2026) and ATM/ANS (12 Mar 2025) revisions On this page ## Why you need a map Ask a room of aviation professionals which regulation their daily rules live in and you will get confident, conflicting answers. The EASA system is not one rulebook; it is a trunk — the Basic Regulation — with several domain regulations branching off it, each carrying its own annexes, and each annex being one of the "Parts" everyone actually talks about. If you already know [how to read a single rule](https://avioverse.aero/guides/how-to-read-easa-regulations), this guide supplies the other half of the skill: knowing which book to open. ## The trunk: Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 Everything hangs off the **Basic Regulation**, adopted by the European Parliament and the Council. Its opening line is the system's mission statement: [Article 1 (full rule text)](https://avioverse.aero/regulations/easa/basic-regulation/chapter-i-principles/article-1) Subject matter and objectives > 1\. The principal objective of this Regulation is to establish and maintain a high uniform level of civil aviation safety in the Union. > > \[…] Quoted word for word from Regulation (EU) 2018/1139, Easy Access Rules for the Basic Regulation, 16 Jan 2023 revision. The Basic Regulation does three structural jobs: it sets the **essential requirements** each domain must meet, it **empowers the European Commission** to adopt the detailed implementing and delegated regulations, and it **establishes EASA** — including the Agency's power to issue the AMC, GM and certification specifications that surround the binding rules. One caution before you go further: the Basic Regulation has its own **Annex I**, listing the aircraft excluded from the EASA system altogether — historic types, certain microlights and other categories left to proportionate national rules. "Annex I aircraft" therefore means _outside_ the system; it has nothing to do with Annex I of any domain regulation. ## How a domain regulation is built Every domain regulation follows the same pattern: a short **cover regulation** of articles, then annexes — the Parts. The cover articles are the switchboard that routes each situation to the right annex. Watch Regulation (EU) No 1321/2014 do exactly that: [Article 3 (full rule text)](https://avioverse.aero/regulations/easa/continuing-airworthiness/cover-regulation/powers-and-recital/article-3) Continuing airworthiness requirements > \[…] > > 1\. The continuing airworthiness of aircraft referred to in point (a) of Article 1 and components for installation thereon shall be ensured in accordance with the requirements of Annex I (Part-M), except for aircraft listed in the first subparagraph of paragraph 2 to which the requirements of Annex Vb (Part-ML) shall apply. > > \[…] Quoted word for word from Regulation (EU) No 1321/2014, Easy Access Rules for Continuing Airworthiness, 2 Sep 2025 revision. One sentence, and you know where to go: Part-M for most aircraft, Part-ML for the lighter end. This is why the cover regulation is always worth ten minutes before you dive into an annex — it tells you _which_ annex applies to your aircraft, your organisation, your operation. ## The map ### Airworthiness | Regulation | The Parts inside | Who lives here | | ------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | (EU) No 748/2012 — initial airworthiness | Annex I (Part-21), Annex Ib (Part 21 Light) | Design and production organisations, type-certificate holders — see the [Part-21 series](https://avioverse.aero/guides/easa-airworthiness-lifecycle-design-to-service) | | (EU) No 1321/2014 — continuing airworthiness | Annex I (Part-M), Annex II (Part-145), Annex III (Part-66), Annex IV (Part-147), Annex Va (Part-T), Annex Vb (Part-ML), Annex Vc (Part-CAMO), Annex Vd (Part-CAO) | CAMOs, maintenance organisations, licensed engineers, training organisations — see [continuing airworthiness](https://avioverse.aero/guides/easa-continuing-airworthiness-explained), [Part-145](https://avioverse.aero/guides/easa-part-145-approved-maintenance-organisation) | | (EU) 2015/640 — additional airworthiness specifications | Specifications for operations of in-service aircraft | Operators and CAMOs of ageing and in-service fleets | Alongside these sit the Agency's **certification specifications** — CS-25 for large aeroplanes, CS-23 for normal-category aeroplanes, CS-E for engines, CS-P for propellers, CS-ETSO for standardised parts and appliances (ETSO articles), CS-MMEL for master minimum equipment lists, and the cross-cutting AMC-20 — soft law issued under the Basic Regulation rather than annexes to a Commission regulation. ### People | Regulation | The Parts inside | Who lives here | | --------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | (EU) No 1178/2011 — aircrew | Annex I (Part-FCL), Annex IV (Part-MED), Annex V (Part-CC), Annex VI (Part-ARA), Annex VII (Part-ORA), Annex VIII (Part-DTO) | Pilots, cabin crew, AeMCs, ATOs and DTOs — see the [flight crew licensing series](https://avioverse.aero/guides/easa-pilot-licences-explained) | | (EU) 2015/340 — air traffic controllers | ATCO licensing and certification | Controllers and their training organisations | Maintenance engineers are the deliberate exception: their licence, **Part-66**, lives in the continuing airworthiness regulation above, next to the organisations that employ them. ### Operations | Regulation | The Parts inside | Who lives here | | --------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | (EU) No 965/2012 — air operations | Annex I (Definitions), Annex II (Part-ARO), Annex III (Part-ORO), Annex IV (Part-CAT), Annex V (Part-SPA), Annex VI (Part-NCC), Annex VII (Part-NCO), Annex VIII (Part-SPO), Annex IX (Part-IAM) | AOC holders, NCC/NCO operators, SPO operators — see the [air operations series](https://avioverse.aero/guides/easa-air-operations-explained) | | Third country operators | Part-TCO, Part-ART | Non-EU airlines flying into the Union | | SERA — standardised European rules of the air | Rules of the air | Everyone who flies in European airspace | ### The safety system | Regulation | What it does | Who lives here | | ------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | (EU) No 376/2014 — occurrence reporting | Mandatory and voluntary reporting, Just Culture protection | Every certificated organisation and professional — see the [occurrence reporting series](https://avioverse.aero/guides/easa-occurrence-reporting-complete-guide) | | (EU) 2022/1645 and (EU) 2023/203 — information security | Part-IS for organisations and authorities | Approved organisations across all domains — see the [Part-IS series](https://avioverse.aero/guides/aviation-information-security-fundamentals) | ### Infrastructure and the new domains | Regulation | What it covers | | ------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | (EU) No 139/2014 | Aerodromes | | (EU) 2017/373 | ATM/ANS — provision of air traffic management and air navigation services | | (EU) 2019/945 and (EU) 2019/947 | Unmanned aircraft systems — the open and specific categories | | (EU) 2021/664 | U-space | | (EU) 2025/23 and (EU) 2025/20 | Ground handling — the newest branch of the tree | ## Which Part are you under? | You are… | Your daily Parts | The regulation | | ----------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------- | | A certifying engineer or mechanic | Part-66 (your licence), Part-145 (your organisation) | 1321/2014 | | A CAMO airworthiness engineer | Part-M or Part-ML, Part-CAMO | 1321/2014 | | A maintenance training instructor | Part-147, Part-66 | 1321/2014 | | A pilot | Part-FCL, Part-MED | 1178/2011 | | An ops post-holder at an AOC holder | Part-ORO, Part-CAT, Part-SPA | 965/2012 | | A design or certification engineer | Part-21 plus the CS codes | 748/2012 | | A safety or compliance manager | Part-IS plus your domain Parts, and 376/2014 for reporting | 2022/1645, 2023/203, 376/2014 | ## Three habits that keep the map straight **Name the regulation, not just the Part.** "Part-145" is unambiguous today, but amendments land on regulations, not Parts — when you track a change, you are tracking an amendment to 1321/2014. Citing "point 145.A.30 of Annex II to Regulation (EU) No 1321/2014" once in a document, then shortening afterwards, is the professional convention. **Beware same-name collisions.** Annex I means Part-M in 1321/2014, Part-FCL in 1178/2011, Part-21 in 748/2012, definitions in 965/2012 — and _excluded aircraft_ in the Basic Regulation. An annex number without its regulation is meaningless; a Part name is portable. **Let the cover articles route you.** Before reading any annex, read the cover regulation's applicability articles — as Article 3 of 1321/2014 shows above, they decide which annex applies to your aircraft or operation, and getting that branch wrong invalidates everything downstream. ## Where to read it yourself Every regulation on this map is published as a free consolidated **Easy Access Rules** document by EASA; the citations in this guide were checked against the revisions listed in the header, and the annex structures against the corpus snapshot of 2026-07-08. Start from the trunk with [how to read EASA regulations](https://avioverse.aero/guides/how-to-read-easa-regulations), continue to [how the FAA's rulebook compares](https://avioverse.aero/guides/easa-vs-faa), then follow the branch you work under: [continuing airworthiness](https://avioverse.aero/guides/easa-continuing-airworthiness-explained), [Part-145](https://avioverse.aero/guides/easa-part-145-approved-maintenance-organisation), [air operations](https://avioverse.aero/guides/easa-air-operations-explained), [flight crew licensing](https://avioverse.aero/guides/easa-pilot-licences-explained), [initial airworthiness](https://avioverse.aero/guides/easa-airworthiness-lifecycle-design-to-service), [occurrence reporting](https://avioverse.aero/guides/easa-occurrence-reporting-complete-guide) or [Part-IS](https://avioverse.aero/guides/aviation-information-security-fundamentals). Educational content, not regulatory compliance advice. Verify against the current regulation text before relying on it. ## In this series ## Frequently asked questions ### Which EASA regulation covers Part-145? Part-145 is Annex II to Commission Regulation (EU) No 1321/2014, the continuing airworthiness regulation. The same regulation carries Part-M, Part-66, Part-147, Part-T, Part-ML, Part-CAMO and Part-CAO as its other annexes. ### What is the difference between the Basic Regulation and the implementing rules? The Basic Regulation — (EU) 2018/1139, adopted by the European Parliament and the Council — sets the objectives, essential requirements and empowerments, and establishes EASA. The implementing and delegated regulations are adopted by the European Commission under those empowerments and contain the detailed, domain-specific rules professionals work with daily, such as 1321/2014 for continuing airworthiness or 965/2012 for air operations. ### What are EASA Parts? A Part is an annex to an implementing or delegated regulation. Part-145, for example, is Annex II to Regulation (EU) No 1321/2014, and Part-FCL is Annex I to Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011. The cover regulation is a short set of articles; the Parts hanging off it as annexes carry the substantive requirements. ### Which regulation covers pilot licensing? Commission Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011, the aircrew regulation. Pilot licences live in its Annex I (Part-FCL), medical certification in Annex IV (Part-MED), and training organisations in Annex VII (Part-ORA) and Annex VIII (Part-DTO). ### What is an Annex I aircraft? An aircraft listed in Annex I to the Basic Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 itself — historic aircraft, certain microlights and other categories excluded from the EASA system. Annex I aircraft are regulated nationally, not under the EASA implementing rules, which is why the same aircraft type can face different rules in different Member States. ## Related - [How to Read EASA Regulations: IR, AMC, GM and CS Explained Guide · 13 min](https://avioverse.aero/guides/how-to-read-easa-regulations) - [EASA vs FAA: Key Differences and the Part-by-Part Crosswalk Guide · 11 min](https://avioverse.aero/guides/easa-vs-faa) - [EASA Continuing Airworthiness Explained: Part-M, Part-CAMO and Who Keeps an Aircraft Airworthy Guide · 16 min](https://avioverse.aero/guides/easa-continuing-airworthiness-explained) - [EASA Part-145 Explained: The Approved Maintenance Organisation Guide · 4 min](https://avioverse.aero/guides/easa-part-145-approved-maintenance-organisation) - [EASA Air Operations Explained: Part-CAT, the AOC and Operator Responsibilities Guide · 6 min](https://avioverse.aero/guides/easa-air-operations-explained) - [EASA Pilot Licences Explained: LAPL, PPL, CPL, MPL and ATPL Guide · 5 min](https://avioverse.aero/guides/easa-pilot-licences-explained) - [The Airworthiness Lifecycle: From Design to Service Guide · 6 min](https://avioverse.aero/guides/easa-airworthiness-lifecycle-design-to-service) - [EASA Occurrence Reporting: A Complete Guide for Aviation Professionals Guide · 8 min](https://avioverse.aero/guides/easa-occurrence-reporting-complete-guide) - [Information Security Fundamentals for Aviation Professionals Guide · 10 min](https://avioverse.aero/guides/aviation-information-security-fundamentals) Written by Dionysis Kefalas. Retired Hellenic Air Force Captain and founder of Avioverse. [About the author](https://avioverse.aero/articles/author/dennis-kefalas) [Or request early access →](https://avioverse.aero/register?redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fapp.avioverse.aero%2Flibrary) Share [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Favioverse.aero%2Fguides%2Feasa-regulatory-map)[X](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Favioverse.aero%2Fguides%2Feasa-regulatory-map\&text=EASA%20Regulatory%20Map%3A%20Which%20Regulation%20Applies)