Article 4 Exemptions for special operations

1. The competent authority may, either on its own initiative or based on applications by the entities concerned, grant exemptions to individual entities or to categories of entities from any of the requirements of this Regulation for the following activities of public interest and for the training necessary to carry out those activities safely:

(a)  police and customs missions;

(b)  traffic surveillance and pursuit missions;

(c)  environmental control missions conducted by, or on behalf of public authorities;

(d)  search and rescue;

(e)  medical flights;

(f)  evacuations;

(g)  fire fighting;

(h)  exemptions required to ensure the security of flights by heads of State, Ministers and comparable State functionaries.

[...]3. This Article is without prejudice to Article 3 and may be applied in the cases where the activities listed under paragraph 1, cannot be carried out as operational air traffic or where they otherwise may not benefit from the flexibility provisions contained in this Regulation.

This Article shall also be without prejudice to helicopter operating minima contained in the specific approvals granted by the competent authority, pursuant to Annex V to Commission Regulation (EU) No 965/2012.