In aircraft maintenance personnel must be licensed to sign an aircraft airworthy. Most countries have or had their national maintenance licence. In the US there is still the A&P license. In the EU the member states created a common licence which is the JAR-66 licence. They were setting new standards which have been followed by many countries throughout the world. From 28 September 2003 on the EASA - European Safety Agency became responsible for the airworthyness standards for the majority of civil aircraft registered in the EU member states.