On 12 March, the European Union (EU) took a new step towards unified EU rules for drones, as the European Commission introduced EU-wide technical requirements for UAVs. The goal of the legislation is to balance the interests of all involved parties: on the one hand, ensuring safety and security of the airspace, and, on the other hand, encouraging investments to drive innovation in the drone market. For instance, in order to help national authorities to more easily track drones, each vehicle will have to be individually identifiable and registered with national authorities. According to Violeta Bulc – the Commissioner for Transport – these changes will be vital for the further development of the European drone sector.
The rules are the result of cooperation between the European Commission and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), and is an attempt to transfer the high safety standards of manned aviation to the UAV sector. The next part of the legislation will focus on various types of drone operations, ranging from basic operations to those requiring specialised training and certification. The overall goal is to replace national UAV rules with standardised EU provisions. This will provide more clarity on the rights and obligations of both recreational and professional drone pilots. It will also increase market flexibility and aid further growth and development.
Read more in the official announcement by the European Commission.
DroneRules.eu is also a part of EU’s effort to safe and responsible use of drones. Check out our resource page here.