COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS ‘A Drone Strategy 2.0 for a Smart and Sustainable Unmanned Aircraft Eco-System in Europe’
Date: 2022-11-29
Institutions: Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport, European Commission
Subjects: air safety, drone, environmental impact, innovation, noise level, noise pollution, public health, reduction of gas emissions, smart technology, sustainable mobility

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 29.11.2022  COM(2022) 652 final  COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS ‘A Drone Strategy 2.0 for a Smart and Sustainable Unmanned Aircraft Eco-System in Europe’ {SWD(2022) 366 final}  
 
 
COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

‘A Drone Strategy 2.0 for a Smart and Sustainable Unmanned Aircraft Eco-System in 
Europe’ 

Context  

1.  The European Union has the ambition to lead the transition to a healthy planet and a new 
digital  world.  Indeed,  the  objective  of  the  European  Green  Deal1  is  to  achieve  climate 
neutrality  by  20502.  The  digitalisation  of  the  economy  should  strengthen  the  Union's 
competitiveness  and empower people  with  a new generation of technologies, leaving no 
one  behind,  in  line  with  the  European  Pillar  of  Social  Rights.  Based  on  two  strategic 
communications, namely, shaping Europe’s digital future3 and Europe’s digital decade4, the 
Commission  set  out  the specific  actions it will undertake to  aid  the creation  of safe  and 
secure digital services and markets. 

2.  The transport sector, including the emerging drone5 sector and manned eVTOLs6, should 
help in achieving this twin green and digital transition. The Commission’s Sustainable and 
Smart  Mobility  Strategy7  (SSMS)  adopted  in  December  2020  provides  an  ambitious 
roadmap aimed at putting the European transport firmly on track for a sustainable, smart 
and resilient future. The Zero Pollution Action Plan8 is linked within the SSMS with targets 
and actions on how clean the new EU transport policies should be, for instance on noise and 
air pollutants. 

3.  Among the actions set out in the SSMS, the Commission announced the preparation of ‘A 
Drone Strategy 2.0 for a smart and sustainable unmanned aircraft eco-system in Europe’ to 
be adopted by the end of 2022, setting out possible ways to guide the further development 
of this technology and its regulatory and commercial environment. This Communication is 
a reflection of that announcement.  

4.  The  Commission  has  worked  intensively  since  2014  on  building  the  foundations  of  a 
comprehensive  EU  policy  in  the  field  of  drones.  A  first  Communication  setting  out  the 
foundations of this policy was adopted in 20149, followed by several major steps, such as 

1  
2  
3  

4  

5   

6  

7  
8  
9  

https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/priorities-2019-2024/european-green-deal_en  
COM (2019) 640 final  
https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/priorities-2019-2024/europe-fit-digital-age/shaping-europe-digital-
future_en 
https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/priorities-2019-2024/europe-fit-digital-age/europes-digital-decade-
digital-targets-2030_en 
The term “drone” is the layman term for “Unmanned Aircraft Systems” which means an unmanned aircraft 
and the equipment to control it remotely. 
‘electric Vertical Take Off and Landing’ aircraft (eVTOL) are used for the transport of people and cargo 
initially  with  a  pilot  on  board  controlling  the  flight,  in  the  future,  they  will  have  the  ability  to  fly 
autonomously using the latest technologies when regulations allow. 
COM(2020) 789 final. 
 Communication on an EU Action Plan: 'Towards Zero Pollution for Air, Water and Soil'. 
 COM(2014) 207 final, “A new era for aviation - Opening the aviation market to the civil use of remotely 
piloted aircraft systems in a safe and sustainable manner”  

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the ‘Aviation strategy for Europe’ of 201510 and several landmark Declarations endorsed at 
High Level drone conferences held in Riga, Warsaw, Helsinki, and Amsterdam11.  

5.  The  Union  has  played  a  key  role  in  developing  a  comprehensive  drone  regulatory 
framework for its 27 Member States, which is successfully contributing to the development 
of this promising sector.  Under the new  Basic Regulation12  adopted in  2018, all drones, 
irrespective of their weight are subject to the Union harmonised safety rules. Based on those 
safety  essential  requirements  and  following  the  risk-based  operation-centric  approach 
embedded  in  the  Basic  Regulation,  the  Commission  adopted  in  2019  a  series  of  rules 
regulating  operations  with  drones  (i.e.  Commission  Implementing  Regulation  (EU) 
2019/947  on  the  rules  and  procedures  for  the  operation  of  unmanned  aircraft13  and 
Commission  Delegated  Regulation  (EU)  2019/945  on  operators  of  unmanned  aircraft 
systems14). In addition, to ensure the safety of drone operations in airspace, the Commission 
adopted in 2020 three Implementing Regulations on U-space15, which provide the air traffic 
management system for drones. Those rules are the corner stone of the new Union drone 
regulatory  framework,  facilitating  the  development  of  the  drone  industry  and  the  drone 
services market. 

6.  Developing Union rules for drones has been all the more important as there were very few 
regulatory national frameworks in place in the EU Member States, or at the global level. 
Unlike in  other sectors, where the EU regulatory harmonisation  process  started after  the 
adoption at national level of sometimes diverging regulation, here, it has been possible to 
start from the outset with a truly common set of rules. This continues to present a unique 
opportunity not to be missed. 

7.  Today, the actions announced in the 2015 Aviation Strategy have been largely completed 
and it is now time for an updated Union policy on drones, building on the achievements to 
date and taking into consideration the new policy priorities and new challenges, as well as 
recent technological, regulatory and commercial developments.  

8.  On the military side, drones have been used in the defence sector for the last 30 years, but 
the  European  military  drone  capabilities  remain  less  mature  than  in  other  regions  of  the 

10   COM(2015) 598 final, “An Aviation Strategy for Europe” 
11   High Level Drone Conferences in Riga (2015), Warsaw (2016), Helsinki (2017), Amsterdam (2018, 2019) 
12    Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 July 2018 on common rules 
in  the  field  of  civil  aviation  and  establishing  a  European  Union  Aviation  Safety  Agency,  and  amending 
Regulations (EC) No 2111/2005, (EC) No 1008/2008, (EU) No 996/2010, (EU) No 376/2014 and Directives 
2014/30/EU  and  2014/53/EU  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council,  and  repealing  Regulations 
(EC)  No  552/2004  and  (EC)  No  216/2008  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  and  Council 
Regulation (EEC) No 3922/91, JO L 212 du 22.8.2018, p. 1. 

13   Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947 of 24 May 2019 on the rules and procedures for the 

operation of unmanned aircraft, O L 152, 11.6.2019, p.1. 

14   Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/945 of 12 March 2019 on unmanned aircraft systems and on 

third-country operators of unmanned aircraft systems, OJ L 152, 11.6.2019, p.1. 

15   Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/664 of 22 April 2021 on a regulatory framework for the 
U-space, OJL 139, 23.4.2021, p. 161; Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/665 of 22 April 
2021 amending Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/373 as regards requirements for providers of air traffic 
management/air  navigation  services  and  other  air  traffic  management  network  functions  in  the  U-space 
airspace  designated  in  controlled  airspace,  OJ  L  139,  23.4.2021,  p.  184;  Commission  Implementing 
Regulation  (EU)  2021/666  of  22  April  2021  amending  Regulation  (EU)  No  923/2012  as  regards 
requirements for manned aviation operating in U-space airspace, OJ L 139, 23.4.2021, p. 187. 

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world,  whilst  the  potential  contribution  of  military  drones  to  future  European  Strategic 
autonomy  is  widely  recognised.  The  European  Commission16  has  shown  its  willingness 
together with the High Representative17 to reinforce the EU’s role as a geopolitical actor, a 
position  recognised  by  the  European  Council18  in  its  endorsement  of  the  Strategic 
Compass19 approved by the Council on 21 March 2022, with a clear objective to build a 
stronger and more capable EU in security and defence. 

9.  This Drone Strategy20 should therefore contribute not only to the objectives set out in the 
SSMS, but also to the objectives of the ‘Action plan on synergies between civil, defence 
and  space  industries’21  adopted  in  February  2020,  and  which  includes  an  EU  Drone 
Technologies flagship project. That Action plan identified several areas of possible cross-
fertilisation whereby defence projects may benefit from innovative developments of SMEs 
for  civilian  drones  and  civil  aeronautics  may  benefit  from  developments  in  the  field  of 
defence. 

10. In 2020, the Commission adopted two Communications, which both introduced new policy 
actions to counter possible threats that drones could pose. The EU Security Union Strategy22 
and the Counter-Terrorism Agenda23 stated that the threat of non-cooperative drones is a 
serious concern in Europe that needs to be addressed. Moreover, the proposed Directive on 
the resilience of critical entities (CER Directive)24 will introduce obligations on Member 
States  and  critical  entities  to  conduct  risk  assessments,  and  on  critical  entities  to  take 
technical, security and organisational measures to ensure their resilience against identified 
risks. This security dimension therefore also needs to be addressed in this Drone Strategy. 

11. A Staff Working Document setting out the assessment of the challenges that the drone sector 
faces, as well as the analysis and data underpinning the new Drone Strategy 2.0., which has 
been conducted by the Commission with the support of an external consultant, accompanies 
this Communication25. 

Unleashing the growth potential of drones 

12. Drones are already used as daily tools in ever broadening array of data intensive-demanding 
economic sectors, such as agriculture, construction, surveillance, film-making, healthcare, 

16   COM(2022) 60, Communication on Commission contribution to European defence, 15.2.2022.  
17  
18  

JOIN(2022) 24, Communication on  the Defence Investment Gaps Analysis and Way Forward, 18.5.2022 
EUCO 1/22, European Council conclusions 24-25 March 2022, 29.3.2022 -  EUCO 21/22 European Council 
conclusions 30-31 May 2022, 31.5.2022 

19   A Strategic Compass for Security and Defence “For a European Union that protects its citizens, values and 

interests and contributes to international peace and security”, 21.03.2022. 

21  

20   While recognising the differences and commonalities between the different use cases and the need to avoid 
taking a one-size fits all approach to all issues, for further reference in the following text, the term ‘drones’ 
will  be  used  to  cover  all  vehicles  involved  in  Innovative  Aerial  Services,  including  manned  eVTOL 
(electrically  powered  vehicles  capable  of  vertical  take-off  and  landing),  as  well  as  Unmanned  Aircraft 
Systems used in the defence sector.   
Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and 
Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions “Action Plan on synergies between civil, defence and 
space industries”, COM(2021) 70 final, 22.02.2021. 
22  
  COM(2020) 605 final of 24 July 2020 
23      COM (2020) 795 final of 9 December 2020 
24   COM(2020) 829 final The European Parliament and the Council reached political agreement on the proposed 

Directive on 28 June 2022 (Security Union (europa.eu) 
Fact finding study preparing a “Drone Strategy 2.0”, Final report, Ecorys, 2022 

25  

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medical emergency, energy, environment, public safety and security. Drones could be used 
in the future also, for example, as platforms for communication hubs or for weather and 
pollution monitoring, and for maintenance of renewable energy installations, especially for 
offshore wind.  

13. In  the  transport  sector,  the  use  of  drones  for  deliveries  is  already  being  tested  in  many 
countries. First pilot trials in passenger transport are expected to take place in the European 
Union within the coming years. It is important that the Union safeguards its open strategic 
autonomy in this area.   

14. The  drone  eco-system  also  includes  the  defence/military  dimension  for  the  purpose  of 
achieving  technological  synergies  between  civil,  security  and  defence  sectors.  Reaping 
synergies  between  the  civil  and  the  military  use  of  drones,  including  counter-drone 
technologies, is an important success factor for the competitiveness of the European drone 
eco-system as well as the Union’s defence capabilities. 

15. On the civil side, the drone services market includes three segments which are interlinked: 
the new Innovative Aerial Services (IAS)26, including two segments: ”Aerial Operations“ 
(surveillance, inspection, mapping, imaging, …), and “Innovative Air Mobility“ (IAM)27, 
covering  international,  regional  and  Urban  Air  Mobility  (UAM)  and  thirdly,  ”U-space“. 
Although first IAM operations are expected to be conducted with manned eVTOL aircraft, 
such operations  will likely be in  the future performed on similar platforms but  remotely 
piloted and then fully autonomous.  

16. With the right framework in place, the drone services market in Europe could by 2030 reach 
a value of €14.5 billion, with a compound annual growth rate of 12.3%, and create 145,000 
jobs in the EU28. The different segments of this market are constantly growing in terms of 
companies and volume of operations.  

17. Against this background, the existing strategy from 2015 has been overtaken by these new 
developments and a new strategy is needed at EU level to provide a forward-looking vision 
for the future holistic development of the sector.  

27  

26   Due  to  the  lack  of  a  definition  and  in  line  with  the  regulatory  operation  centric  approach,  EASA  has 
developed the notion of Innovative Aerial Services (IAS) which corresponds to the set of operations and/or 
services  enabled  by  the  new  airborne  technologies  –  the  operations  and/or  services  include  both  the 
transportation  of  passengers  and/or  cargo  and  aerial  operations  (e.g.  surveillance,  inspections,  mapping, 
telecommunication networking). 
The concept of Innovative Air Mobility (‘IAM’) is to accommodate operations with novel aircraft designs 
(that  do  not  automatically  fall  under  one  of  the  known  categories,  but  which  have  vertical  take-off  and 
landing  (VTOL)  capabilities  for  take-off  and  landing,  specific  (distributed)  propulsion  features,  can  be 
operated in unmanned configuration, etc.), that are conceived to offer a new air mobility of people and cargo, 
in particular in congested (urban) areas, based on an integrated air and ground-based infrastructure. IAM 
describes a diverse array of aircraft types (such as manned and unmanned), whose designs are enabled by 
ongoing  innovations  particularly  in  the  areas  of  hybrid  and  electrification  of  propulsion  systems,  energy 
storage, lightweight materials, digitalisation and automation. These innovations have made possible an array 
of novel designs spanning multi-rotor, tilt wing, tilt-rotor, powered wing, offering short take-off and landing 
(STOL) through to VTOL capabilities. 
Fact finding study preparing a “Drone Strategy 2.0”, Final report, Ecorys, 2022. 

28  

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The Commission’s vision 

18. Setting out a clear vision for the development of the drone sector will provide the foundation 
for the next steps at EU level to develop a thriving viable drone eco-system in the Union. 
This  vision  for 2030,  which has  been developed with  the support of the Drone  Leaders’ 
Group29, can be formulated as follows: 

-  By 2030 drones and their required eco-system will have become an accepted part of 

the life of EU citizens. 

-  Drones  will  be  used  to  provide  numerous  services  to  the  benefit  of  diversified 
civilian and defence end-users, including EU citizens, organisations, Member States 
and industry. Drones’ aerial operations will include emergency services, inspections 
and surveillance using drones to gather data, as well as for the delivery of goods. 

- 

IAM services will start providing regular transport services of passengers, initially 
using aircraft with a pilot on board but with the ultimate aim to fully automate their 
operations.  Drone  services  will  effectively  integrate  or  complement  existing 
transportation systems and contribute to the decarbonisation of the transport system 
by providing an alternative to carbon intensive modes of transport, while minimising 
their impact on the environment throughout their life cycle.  UAM will become  a 
part of the future urban multimodal intelligent mobility ecosystem and the ground 
and air infrastructures enabling these transport services will be widely deployed and 
integrated. 

-  An increased spectrum of distinct types of drones and use cases will coexist. The 
Union  legislator,  the  Commission,  the  European  Union  Aviation  Safety  Agency 
(EASA) and the Member States all have an institutional responsibility to safeguard 
the  safety,  security  and  efficiency  of  their  operations.  They  ensure  that  all  drone 
services  are  provided  in  a  manner  that  ensures  safety,  security,  sustainability, 
privacy, and affordability, in line with citizens’ expectations and addressing their 
concerns.  Drones  used  for  the  transport  of  people  and  goods  will  be  particularly 
oriented to the achievement of publicly accessible services, thus creating benefits 
for citizens and local communities.  

-  The current U-space regulatory framework will have been completely rolled out in 
the  EU.  Additional  advanced  U-space  services  will  support  large  scale  highly 
automated  and  digitally  connected  affordable,  safe,  secure,  and  environmentally 
friendly  unmanned  aircraft  operations  in  several  Member  States.  The  integration 
between manned and unmanned traffic in the same airspace will be initiated, inside 
and outside U-space airspace.  

-  The EU drone industry will have become viable and accessible to EU citizens and 
businesses with an active participation of actors of all sizes, including a variety of 
diversified SME’s, fostering collaboration between all actors, and broadening the 
spectrum  significantly  beyond  the  limited  number  of  global  multinational 
stakeholders.  

-  Civil-defence  industry  synergies  will  be  systematically  identified  and  exploited. 
They will benefit both sectors. They will improve the competitiveness of European 

29   Drone  Leaders’  Group  Report: 

https://transport.ec.europa.eu/news/drone-leaders-group-supports-

preparation-drone-strategy-20-2022-05-02_en 

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industry and strengthen Europe's strategic autonomy, by allowing Member States to 
rely on competitive drone technology of European origin.  

-  The  drone  eco-system  will  provide  jobs,  promote  and  protect  European 
technological know-how and allow for growth opportunities for the EU economy as 
a whole, enabling European companies, including new SMEs to grow and flourish 
as global leaders. 

Making the vision a reality  

19. This strategy covers ten areas which should unfold the development of the drone eco-system 
and help to achieve the above vision. They were identified on the basis of the input received 
during wide-ranging consultations which are described in the accompanying Staff Working 
Document. Those areas are grouped under two main objectives. The first one is to build the 
Union drone service market, and the second one is to strengthen the Union’s civil, security 
and defence industry capabilities and synergies. Each area aims to reinforce the efficiency 
of the different segments of the overall drone value chain, ranging from drone operators, 
drone manufacturers, the defence sector, counter drones to the U-space. 

A. Building the Union drone services market 

1. 

Improving airspace capabilities (U-space development and integration 
with Air Traffic Management) 

20. One  of  the  major  objectives  of  the  existing  Air  Traffic  Management  (ATM)  and 
Standardised European Rules of the Air (SERA)30 is to avoid collisions between aircraft. 
The SERA are built on the principle of “see and avoid” which is used by the pilot to avoid 
mid-air collision. Considering that, in drone operations, the intention is for the pilot not to 
be on-board, a strict adherence to this principle cannot be applied and hence collision risks 
need to be mitigated with adequate alternative means.  

21. The integration of drones in the airspace therefore calls either for the revision of the existing 
aviation safety rules to take account of those differences, or for the development of entirely 
new rules designed specifically for those new entrants. The Union’s strategy so far has been 
to progress on both fronts. In the first stage, the airspace for drones is separated from the 
airspace used for manned operations to then achieve in a second stage a full integration of 
both, allowing all airspace users (manned and unmanned, as well as IAM and regular air 
traffic, but also operators of State, including military, manned and unmanned aircraft) to 
safely and freely operate within the same airspace or transit between airspaces. 

Flagship action 1: The Commission intends to adopt amendments to the Standardised 
European Rules of the Air and the Air Traffic Management/Air Navigation Services 
Regulation to safely integrate drone and piloted eVTOL operations. 

22. In terms of adapting airspace capabilities, in 2016 the Commission launched an initiative 
aimed at ensuring the safe and secure integration of drones into the airspace: the so-called 
U-Space, a bespoke, fully digital, and automated traffic management system that has been 
designed to enable the efficient and affordable scaling up of drone services. The U-Space 

30   Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 923/2012 of 26 September 2012 laying down the common 
rules of the air and operational provisions regarding services and procedures in air navigation and amending 
Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1035/2011 and Regulations (EC) No 1265/2007, (EC) No 1794/2006, 
(EC) No 730/2006, (EC) No 1033/2006 and (EU) No 255/2010 , OJ L 281, 13.10.2012, p. 1  

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should be as cost-effective as possible, while providing equitable access to airspace for a 
diversity of drone operators from across the EU and enabling military and State manned 
and unmanned aircraft operations in a safe and efficient manner. 

23. U-space  development  was  subsequently  initiated  in  2017  in  the  context  of  the  Single 
European  Sky  ATM  Research  (SESAR)  programme  and  is  still  the  subject  of  ongoing 
research and innovation, in particular as regards more advanced U-space services. 

24. An  initial  regulatory  framework,  the  U-space  regulatory  package31,  was  adopted  by  the 
Commission in 2021 to establish common U-space foundations and ensure the convergence 
of the pioneer implementation projects blossoming across the Union. 

25. In the short to medium term, it is necessary to facilitate the roll-out of this initial regulatory 
framework.  To  that  end,  EASA,  Air  Navigation  Service  Providers  and  U-space  service 
providers should agree on the necessary protocols to exchange information with Common 
Information  Service  provider,  and  better  define  navigation  performance  requirements. 
Accordingly, they should also prioritise the development of the related standards. 

26. U-space  service  providers  should  also  be  able  to  capitalise  on  the  existing  mobile 
telecommunication  technologies  and  standards,  such  as  those  resulting  from  the  Aerial 
Connectivity Joint Activity32 which is a collaboration by Unmanned Traffic Management 
and  mobile  communication  entities  aimed  to  promote  interchange  and  understanding 
between the aviation and cellular communities, the purpose being to enhance information 
sharing and avoid incompatibilities between those groups. The use of U-space solutions and 
operational concepts for a more automated ATM should also be considered. 

27. There also is a continuing need to support large scale demonstration and validation activities 
and harmonise efforts by pioneer projects to validate prototyping implementations and draft 
standards used during real life tests. To this end, EU stakeholders can take advantage of the 
Living Labs for Future Urban Ecosystems recently set up by the European Commission’s 
Joint Research Centre (JRC)33. 

28. The Commission intends to continue to support research and development in order to build 
on  the  initial  regulatory  framework  and  enhance  U-space  deployment  to  support  more 
advanced services  and  Innovative Air Mobility (IAM), in  accordance with the European 
ATM  Master  Plan  (MP)  vision34,  and  the  Roadmaps  to  achieve  this,  as  described  in  the 
Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) for the Digital European Sky35. 

29. This research and development should be designed to increasingly consider ATM and U-
space together so that, by the time the full U-space is deployed, the two environments will 
have become one, fully integrated airspace, seamlessly encompassing small drones, IAM, 
manned aviation, and Higher Airspace Operations (HAO). As research continues in each 
thread, lessons from one environment should be applied to each of the others, so that the 
final    air  traffic  management  system  is  safe,  economically  viable  and  environmentally 
sustainable. 

30. The Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda clearly describes the transformation from 
three  separate  Communication,  Navigation  and  Surveillance  (CNS)  domains  into  one 

31   Commission Implementing Regulations (EU) 2021/664, (EU) 2021/665 and (EU) 2021/666). 
32  

https://www.gsma.com/iot/aerial-connectivity-joint-activity/ 
https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/research-facility/living-labs-at-the-jrc 
European  ATM  Master  Plan,  Digitalising  Europe’s  Aviation 
https://www.atmmasterplan.eu  
Strategic research and innovation agenda for the Digital European sky, Single European Sky ATM Research 
Joint Undertaking, 12 October 2020. 

Infrastructure,  Edition  2020, 

33 
34  

35  

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integrated CNS (ICNS) environment. This includes all current CNS technologies used for 
ATM, but also those needed to support U-space, Innovative Air Mobility, drone integration 
and Higher Airspace Operations. The SESAR programme, as envisaged in the SRIA, should 
look to ICNS as the mechanism by which all airspace users can inter-operate safely, while 
reducing costs and environmental impact through rationalisation and multi-use of existing 
and developmental technologies. This integration should include technologies from other 
domains, such as the telecommunications and the space industries, leveraging services and 
data of the EU Space programmes (EGNOS, Galileo, Copernicus and Secure Connectivity), 
and should address increased connectivity through digital communications as well as the 
more conventional elements. In this regard, synergies with the EU Space Programme will 
be further explored and the coordination strengthened to support resilient and robust drone 
navigation,  as  well  as  development  of  U-Space  services,  as  enabler  of  Innovative  Air 
Mobility. Research and demonstration under this Action should address both technological 
issues  and  the  specific  performance  and  certification  requirements  of  all  relevant 
technologies that arise from the evolving U-space and IAM domains. 

Flagship action 2: The Commission will continue to promote coordinated research on 
integrated  Communication,  Navigation  and  Surveillance  technologies  to  ensure  the 
convergence between ATM and U-space environments. 

31. A key element for the fair and harmonised implementation of U-space across the Union, 
and the development of a competitive European market for drone services, is the pricing 
(and related oversight) of the Common Information Services (CIS), as well as the pricing 
of  access  to  data  necessary  for  such  services.  The  SES2+  recast  proposal  of  the 
Commission36 proposes to establish clear pricing and data sharing rules necessary for the 
development of the U-Space market, thus its adoption by the Union legislator should take 
place without undue delay. 

32. Whenever  possible,  the  EU  regulatory  framework,  including  the  U-space  regulations, 
should be promoted with trading partners outside of the EU, and at the level of ICAO, as a 
basis for a future global drone regulatory framework to ensure consistent approaches with 
other Regions  and at  the global level.  Such  cooperation should also  cover the review of 
ICAO Annex 2 (rules of the air) to cover drone operations’ specificities. 

2. 

Facilitating Aerial Operations 

33. Drone operators performing Aerial Operations are an essential part of the drone value chain 
and one of the driving forces of the drone services market. They contribute to achieving 
competitive  advantages  in  a  wide  spectrum  of  economic  activities,  ranging  from 
surveillance, monitoring, mapping or filming, as well as medical and emergency services. 
Business models associated to Aerial Operations are more advanced than those pertaining 
to Innovative Air Mobility. However, they have not yet been fully implemented and to a 
large extent are still to be rolled out as external services. In fact, most Aerial Operations are 
currently  taking  place  as  internal  services  within  companies,  based  on  a  clear  business 
perspective.  

34. The risk-based operation-centric approach that has underpinned the development of the EU 
regulatory  framework  for  drones  until  now  provides  operators  with  more  flexibility  in 
operations compared to the previous national regulations applicable for unmanned aviation. 

36   Commission  amended  proposal  for  a  Regulation  on  the  implementation  of  the  Single  European  Sky, 

COM(2020) 579 final, 22.9.2020. 

8 

 
 
                                                           
However, the markets for those services still remain relatively immature and mainly focused 
on research, innovation and testing activities. While this partly reflects the fact that the EU 
regulatory  framework  is  relatively  recent,  the  public  consultations  and  workshops  in 
preparation of this strategy highlighted two important elements. First, while safety is the 
first priority, the operation-centric policy should keep the safety requirements proportionate 
to  the  risk  of  operations,  and  secondly,  in  line  with  the  principle  of  safety  first  and  this 
operation-centric policy, there is a need to improve some regulatory aspects already in place 
to ensure a more harmonised application and legal certainty. 

35. According  to  the  feedback  received  during  the  consultation  process,  some  industry 
stakeholders consider that in some cases, requirements to permit operational authorisations 
are disproportionate to address the level of risks from both an operational and financial point 
of  view.  The  same  also  applies  to  real  world  testing  and  demonstration  of  new  types  of 
aerial operations for which the requirements are considered as too cumbersome. One of the 
risks for the drone operator is that the competent authority may reach the conclusion that 
the operation should be performed under the conditions of the ‘certified’ category37, instead 
of  the  ‘specific’  category38,  the  former  requiring  the  certification  of  the  aircraft,  the 
operators and the remote pilot, as applicable. 

36. As a large part of Aerial Operations present a low to a medium risk, more efforts could be 
made by the regulators to facilitate use-cases in the ‘specific’ category of drone operations. 
At this stage, the Commission adopted only two European Standard Scenarios targeting low 
risk operations in the ‘specific’ category. For those, drone operators are allowed to just send 
a declaration to the respective authority instead of applying and waiting for an authorisation. 
However, drones used in operations classified as medium risk of the specific category for 
which there is no possibility to declare, they may have to undergo a prior design verification 
by EASA leading to a ‘design verification report’39.  

37. The  Commission  intends  to  review  this  situation  to  take  account  of  the  difficulties 
experienced in the initial implementation of the related procedure. To facilitate this process, 
EASA  and  the  Member  States  should  continue  to  develop  adequate  Accepted  Means  of 
Compliance and Guidance Materials for drone operations in the specific category in support 
of  the  specific  operational  risk  assessment  (SORA)  methodology  implementation  and  to 
support the further development of industry standards required for implementation of the 
drone  regulations  by  industry.  These  standards  should,  where  possible,  be  performance-
based setting minimum requirements and not be descriptive so as to avoid that they become 
outdated. 

38. In addition, the administrative burden related to the operational authorisation process could 
be  alleviated  by  developing  further  European  Standard  Scenarios  and  pre-defined  risk 
assessments40. Further developing this regulatory approach could also help to address some 

37  

38  

39  

40  

‘certified’  category  means  a  category  of  UAS  operation  that  is  defined  in  Article  6  of  Implementing 
Regulation (EU) 2019/947. 
‘specific’  category  means  a  category  of  UAS  operations  that  is  defined  in  Article  5  of  Implementing 
Regulation (EU) 2019/947. 
EASA Guidelines on Design verification of UAS operated in the ‘specific’ category and classified in SAIL 
III and IV, Issue 1, 31.03.2021. 
European standard scenario (STS) and the pre-defined risk assessment (PDRA) aims to facilitate respectively 
the declarative and the permit application process by drone operators by ensuring that the risk assessment 
has  already  been  performed  in  accordance  with  the  SORA  methodology  for  some  low  to  medium  risk 
operations performed in the ‘Specific category’. 

9 

 
 
                                                           
existing  business  uncertainty  and  support  the  inclusion  of  small  and  medium-sized 
enterprises in the drone operations market.  

39. Finally, new European Standard Scenarios could also address specific needs related to State 

or military operations and maritime surveillance activities. 

Flagship action 3: The Commission intends to adopt new European standard scenarios 
for low to medium risk aerial operations41. 

40. The  current  regulatory  flexibility,  for  example  in  the  definition  of  ‘UAS  geographical 
zones’42 or approval of cross-border operations, provided for in the EU drone regulatory 
framework  could  lead  to  different  interpretations  and  implementation  approaches  by 
Member  States,  ultimately  affecting  market  conditions.  Therefore,  the  Commission  will 
closely examine how regulations are implemented by the competent authorities. Ensuring 
harmonised implementation practices should also contribute to ensure a level playing field 
between  Member  States/regions,  for  example  in  case  of  cross  border  operations.  More 
coordination between competent authorities should help to avoid the risk of de-harmonised 
national implementations of EU rules.  

41. Member States should support further pilot  projects  which aim to  increase awareness  of 
drone operators in the ‘open’ and ‘specific’ categories in order to facilitate the development 
of applications and tools that enable automatic reporting of drone incidents and occurrences. 
Such  data  would  enable  validation  of  assumptions  made  when  developing  the  ‘specific’ 
operational risk assessment required under Regulation (EU) 2019/947. 

3. 

Developing Innovative Air Mobility 

42. Innovative  Air  Mobility  (IAM)  consists  of  vehicles  ranging  from  small  drones  used  for 
cargo delivery operations to eVTOL aircraft, i.e.  electrically powered aircraft capable of 
vertical take-off and landing for the transport of both goods and people. Indeed, multiple 
eVTOL  developers  are  targeting  passenger  operations,  built  on  economic  efficiencies  of 
electric power, nodal networks, and scalability to achieve competitive pricing and provide 
sustainable alternatives to existing travel services. 

43. These technologies are attracting the attention of mobility actors and local authorities as a 
means of contributing to sustainable and integrated mobility across cities and regions by 
providing less polluting, less congesting and safer mobility solutions to local communities 
in urban, sub-urban and rural areas.  

44. Innovative Air Mobility and Urban Air Mobility (UAM) include manned VTOL as well as 
drone operations falling under the 'certified' category which caters for those operations with 
the highest level of risk. Like manned aviation, drone operators, remote pilots, drones and 
manned  VTOL  aircraft  should  be  subject  to  uniform  rules  and  procedures  so  that  drone 
operations are as safe as those in manned aviation. Today, there is a significant technical 
and safety regulatory gap which prevents such ‘certified’ operations from being performed. 
These should be addressed by new rules addressing the certification of aircraft, as well as 
the approval of the drone operator and the remote pilot licence by the competent authority. 

41   Amending  the  Commission  Implementing  Regulation  (EU)  2019/947  of  24  May  2019  on  the  rules  and 

procedures for the operation of unmanned aircraft. 

42   Definitions for the terms given in the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947 of 24 May 2019 

on the rules and procedures for the operation of unmanned aircraft. 

10 

 
 
                                                           
Flagship action 4: The Commission intends to adopt rules for the ‘certified’ category 
of  drone  operations,  addressing  the  initial  and  continued  airworthiness  of  drones 
subject  to  certification;  and  the  operational  requirements  applicable  to  manned 
VTOL-capable aircraft43. 

45. In addition, the Commission intends to develop a regulatory framework for the certification 
of  vertiports  and  other  ground  infrastructure.  Such  framework  should  appropriately  take 
account  of  interfaces  with  aerodromes,  interoperability  and  ensure  an  open  access  of 
equipment  to  ground  infrastructures  by  drone  operators.  In  this  regard,  the  regulatory 
framework should ensure that those ground infrastructures do not become proprietary and 
follow the same open model as airports and heliports, where justified. 

Flagship  action  5:  The  Commission  intends  to  adopt  rules  for  the  design  and 
operations of vertiports under the scope of the EASA Basic Regulation44. 

46. Although  first  Innovative  Air  Mobility  operations  are  expected  to  be  conducted  with 
manned eVTOL aircraft, such operations will likely be in the future performed on similar 
platforms  but  remotely  piloted  and  then  fully  autonomous.  Therefore,  it  is  necessary  to 
support the transitioning phase and ensure a smooth integration of these new operational 
concepts in the current aviation domain, as well as the future multimodal transport system. 
The U-space system is expected to provide the means to safely and efficiently manage high-
density traffic at low altitudes involving heterogeneous vehicles (small unmanned aircraft, 
eVTOL  aircraft  and  conventional  manned  aircraft),  including  operations  over  populated 
areas  and  within  controlled  airspace.  U-space  will  have  to  integrate  seamlessly  with  the 
ATM system to ensure safe and fair access to airspace for all airspace users, including Urban 
Air Mobility flights departing from airports.  

47. When  designing  future  global  technology  solutions,  the  needs  and  specificities  of  all 
airspace users should be considered. Also, from a cost point of view, these solutions should 
be affordable. Airspace users such as recreational (gliders, paragliders, etc.) or ultra-light 
aircraft could benefit from ‘light’ electronic conspicuity solutions along with other airspace 
users and allow their free movement in the EU airspace.  

48. The question of market access should also be addressed with due regard to the situation of 
the drone sector. Currently, the economic and financial conditions to obtain a Community 

43   Amending  the  Commission  Regulation (EU)  No 748/2012 of 3  August 2012 laying down implementing 
rules  for  the  airworthiness  and  environmental  certification  of  aircraft  and  related  products,  parts  and 
appliances, as well as for the certification of design and production organisations; the Commission Delegated 
Regulation (EU) 2019/945 of 12 March 2019 on unmanned aircraft systems and on third-country operators 
of unmanned aircraft systems; the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947 of 24 May 2019 
on the rules and procedures for the operation of unmanned aircraft; the Commission Regulation (EU) No 
965/2012 of 5 October 2012 laying down technical requirements and administrative procedures related to 
air operations pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 216/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council; and 
the  Commission  Implementing  Regulation  (EU)  No  923/2012  of  26  September  2012  laying  down  the 
common rules of the air and operational provisions regarding services and procedures in air navigation and 
amending  Implementing  Regulation  (EU)  No  1035/2011  and  Regulations  (EC)  No  1265/2007,  (EC)  No 
1794/2006, (EC) No 730/2006, (EC) No 1033/2006 and (EU) No 255/2010. 

44   Amending the Commission Regulation (EU) No 139/2014 of 12 February 2014 laying down requirements 
and  administrative  procedures  related  to  aerodromes  pursuant  to  Regulation  (EC)  No  216/2008  of  the 
European Parliament and of the Council Text with EEA relevance 

11 

 
 
                                                           
Air Carrier operating licence are set out in Regulation (EC) 1008/200845. This Regulation 
covers the transport of passengers, cargo and mail and after the adoption of the new Basic 
Regulation,  which  enlarged  the  application  of  Union  rules  to  unmanned  aircraft,  is  also 
applicable to drone operators. However, the existing air carrier licencing rules, which were 
originally  designed  to  cover  large  Commercial  Air  Transport  undertakings,  might  be 
disproportionate  for  drone  operators.  The  Commission  therefore  intends  to  review  this 
Regulation in order to ensure a fair market access based on common requirements, which 
better reflect the economic and financial situation of drone undertakings, for example on 
financial conditions or “Ownership and Control”. 

Flagship  action  6:  The  Commission  intends  to  develop  balanced  economic  and 
financial requirements for licensing of drone operators. 

4. 

Ensuring sustainability and societal acceptance 

49. The  societal  and  environmental  impact  of  Innovative  Air  Mobility  operations  must  be 
recognised  and  should  be  tackled  upfront  with  a  set  of  Union  instruments  as  social 
acceptance is key for the success of Innovative Aerial Services. Drone services should be 
promoted  on  the  basis  of  inclusivity,  affordable  access  and  sustainability,  and  not  be 
restricted to the “wealthy few”. 

50. As part of the preparation of an adequate regulatory framework for Innovative Air Mobility, 
EASA  has  conducted  a  comprehensive  study  on  the  societal  acceptance  of  Urban  Air 
Mobility operations  across the European Union46. According to the results of the survey 
conducted by EASA, 83% of respondents have a positive initial attitude towards Urban Air 
Mobility, with 71% ready to try out such services. Cases in the common interest, such as 
emergency  services  or  medical  transportation  received  strong  support.  Furthermore,  the 
results were homogeneous across the various cities which were covered in the survey. 

51. Nonetheless,  some  important  concerns  associated  with  societal  acceptance  of  Urban  Air 
Mobility  were  found  in  the  study,  with  noise  and  safety  concerns  ranking  first,  privacy, 
environmental issues and security following. Hence, more in-depth  follow-up studies  on 
environmental and societal acceptance, including on the environmental impact of drones 
should be conducted at European and national levels, broadening the effort already made 
by  EASA,  followed  by  a  Working  Group  with  participants  from  all  countries  to  jointly 
evaluate possible solutions. 

52. Local  communities,  cities,  regions  have  a  deciding  role  for  ensuring  the  alignment  of 
Innovative Aerial Services with the needs and preferences of their citizens. They have a key 
role in deciding to what extent drone operations can be conducted in their territories. For 
example,  they  are  in  a  good  position  to  assess  which  critical  infrastructure  should  be 
protected,  whether  operations  should  be  allowed  in  day  or  night-time,  what  should  the 
measures in place be in terms of noise and visual abatements. Many European cities are 
already global frontrunners when it comes to transport innovation involving drones and the 
implementation of ambitious climate and mobility targets.  Tools such as the Sustainable 
Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPS)47 should be leveraged by Member States as a mechanism 
to integrate alternative delivery solutions offered by Urban Air Mobility in urban mobility 

45   Regulation (EC) No 1008/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 September 2008 on 

common rules for the operation of air services in the Community, OJ L 293, 31.10.2008, p.3. 
https://www.easa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/dfu/uam-full-report.pdf 

46  
47   COM(2013) 913 final (ANNEX 1) of 17.12.2013 

12 

 
 
                                                           
planning  and  help  to  address  mobility  challenges  for  the  entire  functional  urban  area, 
including synergies with spatial, energy and climate plans.  

53. The role of municipalities is also pivotal in terms of regional planning in urban and rural 
areas and creation of dedicated infrastructure to accommodating vertiports or take-off and 
landing sites. Local administrations should be involved and be able to convey a message of 
certainty  and  transparency  to  society  about  what,  how,  when  and  where  Innovative  Air 
Mobility will be deployed. Citizens’ participation in regulatory sandboxes, living labs and 
demonstrations should be encouraged to include local/regional aspects in the final decision 
regarding Innovative Air Mobility deployment. 

54. The 

the 

location  of 

infrastructure 

required  new  enabling 

(e.g.,  vertiports, 
telecommunication and energy distribution equipment, including for new energy supplies 
such  hydrogen)  in  the  urban  environment  should  be  systematically  analysed,  finding  a 
balance between location requirements, affordability and other aspects, such as nuisance to 
neighbours and visual pollution to avoid jeopardising social acceptance.  Some vertiports 
could reuse existing helipads or airports (including small aerodromes). Connectivity to local 
airports  and  other  modal  hubs,  including  with  public  means  of  transport,  should  be 
prioritised.  

55. Noise mitigation measures to avoid or limit the impact on over-flown citizens, houses, quiet 
and  natural  areas  should  be  fully  taken  into  consideration  by  drone  operators  and  local 
authorities when designing routes, procedures, and other operational practices. 

56. EASA should also continue the development of suitable drone and eVTOL noise modelling 
methodologies,  which  should  be  taken  into  account  by  the  Commission  for  the  next 
amendment of Annex II of the Environment Noise Directive48 for the purposes of adapting 
common noise assessment methods to scientific and technical progress. 

57. There is a need to better define and communicate on Innovative Air Mobility opportunities, 
and create a modus operandi to ensure collaboration between European, national, and local 
authorities to manage societal and environmental impacts. To ensure broader acceptance, 
comprehensive and transparent information about the technology and the type of operations 
involved and about the environmental impact should be provided to the people concerned, 
and  competent  authorities  should  seek  to  involve  them  in  the  planned  implementation 
process through the utilisation of local participatory consultation mechanisms. To achieve 
this, the Commission49, on the basis of  the European Parliament initiative, will fund the 
development by EASA of an online platform as a “pilot project Sustainable IAM Hub” that 
would  provide  support  to  the  authorities,  cities,  industry  and  other  stakeholders  for 
Innovative  Air  Mobility  implementation.  This  European  cross-sectorial  governance 
platform  for  Innovative  Air  Mobility  should  enable  engagement,  alignment,  and 
coordination  between  the  different  stakeholders.  This  platform  should  also  contribute  to 
increasing public knowledge on the environmental impact of drones. 

Flagship  action  7:  The  Commission  will  fund  the  creation  of  an  online  platform  to 
support  a 
implementation  by  authorities,  communities, 
municipalities, industry and stakeholders. 

sustainable 

IAM 

48   Directive  2002/49/EC  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  25  June  2002  relating  to  the 

assessment and management of environmental noise, OJ L 189, 18.7.2002, p. 12–25 

49   Commission Decision of 4.7.2022 on the financing of pilot projects and preparatory actions in the field of 

transport for 2022, C(2022) 4509 final. 

13 

 
 
                                                           
58. Finally, the drone sector is expected to increase at a fast pace and the end-of-life stage of 
these  aircraft  also  raises  important  environmental  challenges.  In  line  with  the  Circular 
Economy  Action  Plan  adopted  by  the  Commission50  and  the  Sustainable  and  Smart 
Mobility  Strategy,  the  drone  sector  should  move  towards  Circular  Economy  models 
covering notably the production of the aircraft, batteries and other electronic components 
to ensure their recycling and ensure that scope 2 and scope 3 emissions are reduced to a 
minimum. This is all the more important as improved circular use of materials, also offer 
the  opportunity  to  create  new  supply  chains,  jobs  and  to  increase  the  resilience, 
competitiveness and innovation of European manufacturers. 

5. 

Promoting the human dimension (knowledge, training, skills, 
competences) 

59. Guaranteeing  the  safety  of  recreational  and  professional  drone  operations  means  remote 
pilots must have received an adequate theoretical and practical training, according to the 
risk  level  of  the  operations.  To  ensure  that  remote  pilots  have  the  requisite  level  of 
knowledge and skills in line with continuous advancing technological development, new 
skills and competences such as those of drone specialists are needed. Initially, the ‘certified’ 
category will involve two different types of pilot licences. One for flying a ‘VTOL aircraft’ 
with an on-board pilot and one for flying an ‘unmanned aircraft’ as a remote pilot who may 
control one drone at a time, or control several drones simultaneously, also of different types 
and from different operators. Training should also be given as a priority to Innovative Air 
Mobility operators’ personnel in view of future autonomous operations. 

Flagship action 8: The Commission  intends to adopt new training and competences 
requirements for remote pilots and pilots of VTOL aircraft51. 

60. Maintaining European leadership in the different drone sector segments i.e. aerial services, 
Innovative  Air  Mobility,  U-space,  also  requires  a  highly  educated,  qualified  and 
experienced workforce. Education and training programmes specific to drone technologies, 
the regulatory framework and the development of SUMPs should be set up in all Member 
States.  Such  academic  and  vocational  programmes  for  both  young  learners  and  workers 
across Europe would foster the competences and technological progress but also increase 
the public awareness and acceptance of drone utility. The involvement of social partners 
could also contribute to this development. 

61. Partnerships between research, universities and industry on education should facilitate the 
movement of experts between these sectors, which at the end would be very beneficial for 
the development of the European drone sector. This should also include skills development 
via the Large Scale Partnership on Aerospace and Defence52 in the framework of the Pact 
for Skills. 

62. To overcome the risk of shortage of regulatory experts in drones and drone operations at 
both local and national authorities’ level, Member States should support National Aviation 
Authorities (NAAs) to gain the competences that reflect the highly digital and automated 
nature of the technologies underpinning drone operations and U-space services provision. 
Beyond these technical competences, NAAs should adapt to the changing environment and 

50  https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/45cc30f6-cd57-11ea-adf7-01aa75ed71a1  
51   Amending  the  Commission  Regulation  (EU)  No  1178/2011  of  3  November  2011  laying  down  technical 
requirements and administrative procedures related to civil aviation aircrew pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 
216/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council. 

52   Pact for Skills Aerospace and Defence (https://ec.europa.eu/social/BlobServlet?docId=23158&langId=en) 

14 

 
 
                                                           
should  be  put  in  the  position  to  smoothly  manage  SORA  approvals,  U-space  airspace 
establishment  and  certification  &  compliance  monitoring  of  UAS  operators,  Common 
Information Services and U-space service providers. 

63. Member  States  should  ensure  sufficient  training  for  relevant  personnel,  including  local 
authorities, to increase their preparedness to identify and respond to non-cooperative drone 
threats. 

B. Strengthening European civil, security and defence industry capabilities 
and synergies 

64. Given  drone  technology’s  potential  for  developing  both  innovative  civilian  as  well  as 
defence  and  security  use  cases,  the  drone  sector  can  make  an  important  contribution  to 
Europe’s  open  strategic  autonomy.  It  is  therefore  of  utmost  importance  that  European 
companies maintain and enhance their competitiveness, both as regards the production of 
drones and the provision of services using them.  

65. This requires having in place the right enabling framework throughout the innovation cycle, 
from  research,  to  testing  and  demonstration  activities,  as  well  as  retaining  European 
leadership when it comes to setting standards for rapidly evolving drone technologies. 

66. In addition, reaping synergies between the civil and military use of drones and drone-related 
technologies,  including  counter-drone  solutions  to  detect  and  mitigate  threats  posed  by 
drone operations, can be an important success factor. Already today, many critical drone 
technologies for security and defence increasingly originate in the civilian domain and use 
critical components of a dual-use nature. To accelerate innovation across domains and foster 
technological  sovereignty,  better  exchange  between  civilian  and  defence  research  and 
innovation communities is needed. This will require a more efficient use of resources and a 
readiness  to  explore  the  opportunities  of  dual-use.  It  also  means  reducing  strategic 
dependencies  and  vulnerabilities  of  the  value  and  supply  chains  associated  with  these 
technologies. 

1.  Providing funding and financing 

67. The  Commission  has  funded  various  drones-related  research  and  innovation  projects 
through successive EU Research & Innovation (R&I) framework programmes. The support 
for  research  in  the  drone  sector  has  been  substantial  in  the  past  and  critical  for  an  early 
deployment. 

68. From  2003  onwards,  the  Union  invested  a  total  budget  of  almost  €  980  million  in  the 
development or use of drones for innovative applications. It funded 320 projects relating to 
the drone sector under the R&I.  

69. The effort will continue under the current Horizon Europe R&I framework programme53 
that includes the co-funded SESAR 3 Joint Undertaking54 initiative which aims to develop 
a research and innovation ecosystem covering the entire ATM and U-space airspace value 
chains, enabling the collaboration and coordination needed between air navigation services 
providers and airspace users to ensure a single harmonised Union ATM system for both 
manned  and  unmanned  operations.  Horizon  Europe  also  includes  specific  research  and 

53 

54  

https://ec.europa.eu/info/research-and-innovation/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-
open-calls/horizon-europe_en 
SESAR Joint Undertaking is co-funded by the European Union through the Horizon Europe research and 
innovation programme and industry. 

15 

 
 
                                                           
innovation funding on drone and counter-drone capabilities, including for civil security (law 
enforcement, border management and civil protection)55. Moreover, across Horizon Europe 
work  programmes  the  development  of  sector  and  use-case  specific  drone  applications  is 
supported.56 

70. The  European  Defence  Fund  (EDF)57  and  its  precursor  programmes  incentivises  and 
supports  collaborative,  cross-border  research  and  development  in  the  area  of  defence. 
Complementing and amplifying Member States’ efforts, EDF promotes cooperation among 
companies  and  research  actors  of  all  sizes  and  geographic  origin  in  the  EU.  The  EDF 
precursor programmes have already funded nine drone-related projects in the framework of 
defence research and development projects with total budget of close to EUR 200 million. 

71. A budget of close to € 8 billion for 2021-2027 is dedicated to the European Defence Fund: 
€ 2,7 billion to fund collaborative defence research and € 5.3 billion to fund collaborative 
capability  development  projects  complementing  national  contributions.  This 
is 
implemented through annual work programmes that are developed in close cooperation with 
the  Member  States.  The  indicative  multiannual  perspective  for  2021-2027  identifies  e.g. 
development  of  a  MALE  (medium  altitude  long  endurance),  RPAS  (remotely  piloted 
aircraft system) prototype, a HAPS (high altitude platform systems) prototype, a tactical 
RPAS prototype and Detect and Avoid58 capabilities for extensive integration in platforms. 

Flagship action 9: The Commission intends to continue to provide funding for R&I on 
drones and their integration into the airspace under the Horizon Europe programme 
and the European Defence Fund. 

72. The  European  Investment  Bank  (EIB)  finances  drone  projects  by  using  a  wide  range  of 
adapted financial products such as loans or venture debt. Funding can be used for research 
and  development,  or/and  to  ramp-up  drone  production  and  operations.  The  joint 
Commission and EIB initiative, the Drone Investment Advisory Platform59, facilitates the 
access to the EIB, its advisory services and funding mechanisms.  

73. In 2022, EIB launched the Strategic European Security Initiative which aims to mobilise 
investment  in  support  of  Europe’s  dual-use  security  and  defence  systems  by  backing 
Europe’s  technology  industry  and  civilian  security  infrastructure  with  focus  on 
cybersecurity and disruptive emerging technologies. 

74. The InvestEU Advisory Hub, which complements the InvestEU Fund60, is supporting the 
identification, preparation and development of investment projects, including drones, across 
the European Union. 

75. While there is already a substantial EU funding available through Horizon Europe, EDF, 
EIB and other funding programmes, these funds often target a specific development phase 

55 

56  

In Pillar II  “Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness”  ,  Cluster 3  “Civil Security for 
Society”.  
For  instance,  under  the  Horizon  Europe  Work  Programme  for  Cluster  6  “Food,  Bioeconomy,  Natural 
Resources, Agriculture and Environment” the development of drone applications for sustainable agricultural 
production, forestry, environmental monitoring and rural communities is supported. 
https://defence-industry-space.ec.europa.eu/eu-defence-industry/european-defence-fund-edf_en  

57  
58   Detect and Avoid (DAA) systems are technologies that allow drones to integrate safely into civilian airspace, 

avoiding collisions with other aircraft and obstacles. 
https://www.eib.org/en/press/news/commission-and-eib-announce-launch-of-european-drone-investment-
advisory-platform  
https://investeu.europa.eu/what-investeu-programme_en 

59 

60  

16 

 
 
                                                           
of the value chain or are specific to the civil or military sector. This can lead to the lack of 
financing at some technology readiness levels or a fragmented research efforts taking place 
in silos. To address this problem, a coordinated series of calls of existing EU instruments 
and EIB loans should support a new flagship project on ‘drone technologies’, for example 
a cargo drone, that would prove the concept of synergies along the pathway from R&D to 
deployment through public procurement.61. 

Flagship  action  10:  The  Commission  intends  to  set  up  a  coordinated  series  of  calls 
under the existing EU instruments and EIB loans to support a new flagship project on 
‘drone technologies’. 

76. Experience  during  the  first  year  of  the  new  Multiannual  Financing  Framework,  in  the 
context  of  civil,  defence  and  space  industries,  identified  points  of  blockage  in  the 
application of the relevant common provisions in the programmes’ basic acts. Removing 
obstacles (while still respecting provisions of basic acts) may allow to better exploit possible 
synergies:  horizontally  between  R&I  programmes  (e.g.  the  Horizon  Europe  specific 
programme and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology with the European 
Defence  Fund),  vertically  (between  R&I  and  deployment  programmes  such  as  Digital 
Europe Programme or Internal Security Fund), as well as with projects funded under shared 
management (such as the European Structural and Investment Funds) or with the Recovery 
and Resilience Facility. Furthermore, there is no framework for direct support for dual-use 
research. Similarly, the European Investment Bank’s lending policy still has restrictions for 
the defence sector. This can lead to fragmented and inefficient EU funding services for dual 
use projects which in the EU often start as civil research projects and later develop to dual-
use civil and military products. 

77. In order to facilitate exchanges between civilian and defence sectors, especially in the area 
of  critical  technologies,  there  is  thus  a  need  to  explore  the  efficiency  of  the  funding 
possibilities  under  the  existing  legal  framework  and  to  consider  the  appropriateness  to 
develop  more  flexible  EU  funding  programmes  and  financing  instruments  for  dual-use 
drone projects.  

Flagship action 11: The Commission will consider possible amendments to the existing 
financing/funding framework62  to ensure a consistent approach in support of dual-
use  research  and  innovation  to  improve  synergies  between  civil  and  defence 
instruments. 

2.  Identifying strategic technology building blocks and technology enablers 

78. Drones,  drone  operations  and  drone  traffic  management  are  a  complex  ecosystem  of 
technology components and information exchange platforms, requiring highly optimised, 

61  

Such  a  flagship  would  be  an  implementation  of  an  action  in  the  recent  Commission  Communication 
‘Analysis of Defence Investment Gaps and way forward’: ‘The Commission will work on further measures 
(such as coordinated calls among existing EU instruments and EIB loans) to support critical technologies 
and industrial capacities by developing strategic projects, as well as an implementation of Action 9 in the 
Synergies  Action  Plan  (‘Drones  Technologies’)  coherent  with  the  findings  of  Action  2  of  the  Synergies 
Action Plan (synergies of financing instruments): ‘The Commission should support new forms of integrated 
programming and planning [...]. To this end, it should select and launch new flagship projects that can prove 
the  concept  of  synergies  along  the  pathway  from  R&D  to  deployment  through  market  update  or  public 
procurement’. 

62 after taking into account the positions of the European Parliament and Member States expressed in the past in 

the course of the relevant inter-institutional negotiations   

17 

 
 
                                                           
safe,  and  secure  elements  such  as  flight  control  systems,  cyber-secure  datalinks  and 
connectivity,  resilient  navigation,  Detect  &  Avoid  systems,  electrical  and  hybrid 
propulsion, batteries and power management, autonomous flight and mission management 
systems. 

79. It is important to identify critical technology building blocks that contribute decisively to 
the  innovative  and  competitive  drone  ecosystem.    Lack  of  foresight  on  the  increasing 
importance of remotely piloted systems is in part a reason for some of the EU’s existing 
strategic  dependencies  on  third  countries  in  this  sector.  The  EU  needs  more  structured 
foresight and strategic reflection on critical drone technologies in order to identify priority 
areas to boost research and innovation, reduce existing strategic dependencies and avoid the 
emergence of new ones.  

80. Similarly,  it  is  important  to  identify  key  underlying  technology  enablers  such  as  AI, 
robotics,  semi-conductors,  batteries,  EU  space  services  and  mobile  telecommunications. 
Drone  operational  and  payload  communication,  as  well  as  drone  traffic  management 
solutions, will benefit from the bandwidth and ultra-reliable low latency of 5G and future 
6G cellular  networks.   To satisfy  the high bandwidth demands of 5G and upcoming 6G 
systems, it is crucial to efficiently use the limited spectrum resources. 

81. The  Commission  has  already  taken  steps  to  ensure  that  the  European  knowhow  and 
manufacturing capacity would be there to meet European industry needs. For example, the 
Commission has supported the setting up of a European Battery Alliance63, which aims to 
ensure that the EU can rely on a domestic battery value chain. It is necessary to ensure that 
the needs of the European drone sector are well covered within this and similar initiatives 
at the European level and globally. 

Flagship action 12: The Commission intends to develop a Strategic Drone Technology 
Roadmap in order to identify priority areas to boost research and innovation, reduce 
existing strategic dependencies and avoid the emergence of new ones. 

Flagship  action  13:  The  Commission  intends  to  coordinate  with  other  relevant  EU 
actors  a  common  approach  with  the  aim  of  providing  sufficient  radio  frequencies 
spectrum for drone operations. 

3. 

Enabling testing and demonstrations 

82. Drones and drone operations at  the EU and national  level  are subject  to  numerous legal 
requirements that are intended to ensure the safety of the products and the environment in 
which  they  operate.  Flight  testing  and  demonstration  plays  an  important  role  for  safe 
research  and  development  of  new  drone  prototypes  when  moving  from  concept  to 
deployment  or  when  demonstrating  a  new  business  case.  Local  sites  could  be  used  to 
demonstrate the technical capabilities of drones and their use cases and by doing so, help to 
secure the necessary support from local and national authorities. 

83. Test  and  demonstration  facilities  are  scarce  and  not  always  available,  particularly  in  the 
more densely populated Member States. Furthermore, the local airspace characteristics and 
seasonal  weather  conditions  might  not  be  meeting  the  desired  testing  or  demonstration 
requirements. Performing flight tests in sites located in a Member State other than the one 
of a state of registration, while possible, can become an administrative bottleneck due to 
different procedures in obtaining permissions, thus slowing down progress.  

63  

https://www.eba250.com  

18 

 
 
                                                           
84. Better  availability  and  geographic  distribution  of  test  sites  across  the  EU  would  be  an 
enabling factor for unmanned technology development, both for the digital infrastructure 
and  vehicle  technology.  It  would  also  be  useful  to  create  a  network  of  such  test  and 
demonstration sites across Europe. 

Moreover, since airspace and airfield facilities are at a premium, maximum use should be 
made  of  military  facilities  to  enable  dual-use  of  defined  airspace  volumes  as  well  as  to 
promote harmonised testing between civil, military and operators.  

Flagship action 14: The Commission intends to set up an EU network on civil-defence 
drone testing centres to facilitate exchanges between civilian and defence sectors.  

85. City authorities’ efforts to speed up the adoption of Innovative Aerial Services should be 
supported, but not only from a financial point of view. ELTIS, the European urban mobility 
observatory64, already facilitates the exchange of information, knowledge, and experience 
in the field of sustainable urban mobility. The UIC2 initiative65 involves more than 40 cities 
or  regions  across  the  EU  that  are  developing  projects  ranging  from  small  scale  projects 
(medical  product  deliveries)  to  larger  Urban  Air  Mobility  ecosystems  with  the  goal  of 
providing testbeds for Innovative Air Mobility across Europe.  

86. As  new  drone  technologies  develop,  testing  and  demonstrations  tend  to  become  more 
complex to organise. This is due in part to the required operational approval process which 
can be  long  and expensive,  sometimes disproportionally so for  short-lived trials with  no 
immediate  commercial  application.  In  addition  to  working  with  industry  stakeholder  to 
facilitate  aerial  operations,  EASA  should  therefore  develop  guidelines  to  support  the 
operational approval of operations conducted for the purpose of test, experimentation, or 
demonstration. 

4. 

Driving common standards 

87. Drone technologies and their use cases are developing rapidly, with new products coming 
to the market with increasing speed. To stay competitive, the European drone industry needs 
to be able to meet the fast-paced development and production cycles. Standardisation and 
interoperability  of  the  enabling  technological  building  blocks  are  key  enablers  for  faster 
product development.   

88. Promotion and application of common standards across the European civil, security  and 
defence drone sector can contribute to savings in cost and development times, reduce risks, 
increase  productivity  and  facilitate  access  to  new  markets.  It  is  necessary  to  encourage 
quicker standards development in the sector by all actors to ensure that the innovative pace 
of the drone industry can be upheld.  

https://www.eltis.org/  

64  
65   UIC2 - UAM Initiative Cities Community, https://civitas.eu/urban-air-mobility. 

19 

 
 
                                                           
89. The  development  of  'hybrid  standards'66,  i.e.  standards  that  apply  to  civil,  security  and 
defence drone technologies should be actively pursued in areas where technologies are the 
same and application areas are very similar. This can be done by encouraging relevant actors 
such  as  EASA,  EDA,  EUROCAE  and  national  military  authorities  to  further  align 
certification requirements  for civil  and military applications towards those set  by EASA 
while considering military specificities and existing military certification standards. To the 
extent possible, this should be done within existing structures such as EUSCG and include 
defining and coordinating common standards, commonly agreed testing protocols and best 
practices to reduce costs, increasing interoperability, improving the potential for synergies 
and enhancing comprehensibility. 

Flagship action 15: The Commission will encourage all relevant actors to further align 
certification  requirements  for  civil  and  military  applications  towards  those  set  by 
EASA  while  considering  military  specificities  and  existing  military  certification 
standards. 

Flagship action 16: The Commission intends to adopt new standard scenarios for civil 
operations that could facilitate corresponding military use cases.67  

5. 

Increasing counter-drone capabilities and system resilience 

90. Drones  are  a  highly  innovative  tool  that  can  be  used  for  legitimate  but  also  malicious 
purposes, including organised criminal activities (e.g. smuggling of goods and migrants) as 
well as attacks on public spaces, individuals and critical infrastructure (including energy, 
transport and border facilities). While the EU has regulated the legitimate use of drones, 
there  are  no  specific  EU  rules  and  guidelines  on  countering  their  unauthorised  or  even 
criminal use. The rapid pace of innovation and the increasingly easy access to commercial 
drones and their components means that the threat is likely to grow.  

91. Protecting from  malicious and non-cooperative drones also  requires  access  to  affordable 
and reliable counter-measure technologies. Some Member States are however still facing 
challenges  with  liberating  the  necessary  budgets,  adapting  or  creating  the  necessary 
regulatory framework and identifying the right (technical) solutions to be able to cope with 
the threat of non-cooperating drones. The proposed Directive68 on the resilience of critical 
entities  will  oblige  Member  States  to  perform  risk  assessments  and  use  them  for  the 
identification of critical entities, including in the transport sector. These assessments should 
account for the relevant risks, including those of non-cooperative drones. 

92. Through its civil security research and innovation programme (Horizon 2020), as well as 
the  Internal  Security  Fund  (Police)  for  the  period  2014-2020,  the  EU  co-funded  the 
development of counter-drone tools, knowledge and technologies. This effort will continue 
in the current Horizon Europe, the Internal Security Fund (ISF) and the Border Management 
and Visa  Instrument (BMVI). These programmes are complimentary as  Horizon Europe 
strengthens research and innovation, while the ISF and BMVI focuses on a wide range of 
practical applications for law enforcement and border management, such as the acquisition 
of equipment, promoting and developing training schemes and ensuring administrative and 
operational coordination and cooperation. 

66   COM(2012) 417 “Security Industrial Policy” and COM(2021) 70 final “Action Plan on synergies between 

civil, defence and space industries” 

67   Amending  the  Commission  Implementing  Regulation  (EU)  2019/947  of  24  May  2019  on  the  rules  and 

procedures for the operation of unmanned aircraft 

68   COM(2020) 829 final of 16 December 2020 

20 

 
 
                                                           
93. Also here, civil, security and defence industry synergies should be identified and exploited 
as they will benefit all relevant sectors. This will improve the competitiveness of European 
industry and strengthen Europe's strategic autonomy, by allowing Member States to rely on 
competitive counter-drone technology of EU origin. 

94. Both the 2020 EU Security Union Strategy69 and the Counter-Terrorism Agenda70 state that 
the  threat  from  non-cooperative  drones  is  a  serious  concern  in  Europe  and  needs  to  be 
addressed. In the Counter-Terrorism Agenda in particular, the Commission committed to 
look into the possibility of releasing guidance on how to secure cities from non-cooperative 
drones. 

95. To tie together all the different counter-drone initiatives in the EU, the Commission will 
adopt a counter-drone (C-UAS) package outlining the EU’s future policy in this field. In 
addition of continuing the dedicated actions on operational, technical and financial support 
to  Member  States,  the  package  will  announce,  among  other  things,  work  towards  EU 
counter-drone guidelines and examine the need for legislative measures. Support activities 
will  include  two  handbooks  on  protection  against  drones:  a  ‘Handbook  on  Counter 
Unmanned Aircraft Systems for Critical Infrastructure and Public Spaces’ and a ‘Handbook 
on Principles for Physical Hardening of Buildings and Sites’. Furthermore, it will establish 
an enlarged technical expert group on voluntary standards to cover counter-drone solutions. 

Flagship  action  17:  The  Commission  intends  to  adopt  a  counter-drone  (C-UAS) 
package  

96. Unauthorised drones can significantly disrupt airport operations. In the worst case, they can 
also  endanger  aircrafts  and  their  occupants.  Following  the  incidents  that  took  place  at 
London  Gatwick  airport  in  December  2018,  the  Commission  supported  EASA  in 
developing non-binding guidelines helping authorities and airports to prepare, respond and 
recover  from  drone  incidents71.  While  these  guidelines  were  favourably  received  by  the 
sector, their advisory nature makes them insufficient to mitigate a threat that is likely to 
grow as drones become more ubiquitous and capable. 

Flagship action 18: The Commission intends to adopt an amendment to the aviation 
security  rules aiming to ensure that aviation authorities  and airports  increase their 
resilience when faced with the risks posed by drones72. 

97. Developing state-of-the-art drones with higher cybersecurity requirements, particularly in 
the ‘open’ and ‘specific’ categories of operations, could provide a competitive edge for the 
EU industry. Such cyber-resilient drones would not only benefit drone operators but also 
all entities responsible for monitoring the use of airspace. Drones with  a higher level of 
cybersecurity could be required for operations in some airspace, helping to separate legally 
operated  drones  from  the  illegal  ones.  Drones  manufactured  to  comply  with  specific 
requirements, for example, with the requirement for a secured communication link, secure 
identification, or use of open-source code and, leveraging resilient navigation enabled by 

69   COM(2020) 605 final of 24 July 2020 
70   COM (2020) 795 final of 9 December 2020 
71 

72  

https://www.easa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/dfu/drone_incident_management_at_aerodromes_part1_web
site_suitable.pdf 
Proposing secondary legislation to Regulation (EC) No 300/2008 of the  European Parliament and of the 
Council of 11 March 2008 on common rules in the field of civil aviation security and repealing Regulation 
(EC) No 2320/2002 

21 

 
 
                                                           
EU space services, could be eligible for a voluntary “European Trusted Drone” label. Such 
label would provide assurance to users that the corresponding drones have been vetted and 
found  sufficiently  secure  to  be  used  for  more  critical  or  sensitive  operations,  thereby 
increasing the overall resilience of the system to cybercrime.  

Flagship  action  19:  The  Commission  intends  to  define  criteria  for  a  voluntary 
“European Trusted Drone” label. 

Conclusion 

98. The twin green and digital agenda gave a call to leverage new actions for more sustainable 
mobility  and  innovation  to  improve  the  efficiency  of  the  overall  economy.  Through  a 
multitude  of  civil,  industrial,  security  and  defence  use-cases,  drones  may  contribute  to 
accelerating  the  decarbonisation  and  digitalisation  of  the  entire  transport  and  mobility 
system,  reducing  its  negative  impact  on  the  environment  and  improving  the  safety  and 
health of our citizens. 

99. The drone sector that the EU is striving for must be mindful of its environmental impact in 
terms  of noise, energy  consumption and visual nuisances in  particular. The Commission 
acknowledges that drones will need to be socially accepted in order to play their full role 
for  the  benefit  of  businesses  and  local  communities.  This  will  require  the  full  upfront 
involvement of all parties concerned at local, regional, and national levels to make sure that 
safe and secure drone operations can be deployed, both in urban and rural areas, in a fair 
and sustainable manner.   

100.  A  growing  number  of  sectors  are  already  engaging  with  drone  technologies.  To 
encourage private investments and the development of new innovative services for different 
sectors,  legal  and  technical  certainty  based  on  a  harmonised  EU  approach  should  be 
ensured. Key in the Drone Strategy 2.0 are two related drivers: building the Union drone 
services market and strengthening European civil, security and defence industry capabilities 
and synergies. Reaping synergies between the civil, security and military use of drones and 
related technologies, including counter-drone solutions, will contribute to foster the uptake 
of  innovative  technologies  and  contribute  to  the  overall  development  of  the  sector  in 
Europe. 

101.  A viable drone eco-system will contribute to leverage European research, innovation, 
and  entrepreneurship  to  achieve  the  objectives  of  the  European  Green  Deal  and  Digital 
Europe, fully in line with our new growth strategy for Europe. The Commission is putting 
forward a comprehensive set of measures aimed at reinforcing the entire Drone eco-system 
by 2030 by proposing actions which will facilitate the move from demonstrations to large 
scale commercial operations. These efforts can only be successful if there is sufficient buy-
in  from  all  those  concerned,  namely  European  institutions,  Member  States  and  their 
authorities  at  all  levels  of  government,  stakeholders,  businesses  as  well  as  citizens’ 
engagement. 

22 

 
 
 
 
List of Flagship Actions to be implemented by the European Commission to further 
build the European drone services market 

The Commission intends to: 
 

adopt amendments to the Standardised European Rules of the Air and the Air Traffic 
Management/Air  Navigation  Services  Regulation  to  safely  integrate  drone  and 
piloted eVTOL operations; 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

promote  coordinated  research  on  integrated  Communication,  Navigation  and 
Surveillance technologies; 

adopt new European standard scenarios for low to medium risk aerial operations; 

adopt rules for the ‘certified’ category of drone operations, addressing the initial and 
continued  airworthiness  of  drones  subject  to  certification;  and  the  operational 
requirements applicable to manned VTOL-capable aircraft; 

adopt  rules  for  the  design  and  operations  of  vertiports  under  the  scope  of  EASA 
Basic Regulation; 

develop  balanced  economic  and  financial  requirements  for  licensing  of  drone 
operators. 

fund the creation of an online platform to support a sustainable IAM implementation 
by authorities, cities, industry and stakeholders; 

adopt training and competences requirements for remote pilots and pilots of VTOL 
aircraft. 

List  of  Actions  to  be  implemented  by  the  European  Commission  to  strengthen  the 
European drone civil, security and defence industry capabilities and synergies 

The Commission intends to: 
 

continue to provide funding for R&I on drones and their integration into the airspace 
under the Horizon Europe programme and the European Defence Fund; 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

set up a coordinated series of calls under the existing EU instruments and EIB loans 
to support a new flagship project on ‘drone technologies’; 

consider  possible  amendments  to  the  existing  financing/funding  framework  to 
ensure  a  consistent  approach  in  support  of  dual-use  research  and  innovation  to 
improve synergies between civil and defence instruments; 

develop a Strategic Drone Technology Roadmap in order to identify priority areas 
to boost research and innovation, reduce existing strategic dependencies and avoid 
the emergence of new ones; 

coordinate  with  other  relevant  EU  actors  a  common  approach  with  the  aim  of 
providing sufficient radio frequencies spectrum for drone operations; 

set up an EU network on civil-defence drone testing centres to facilitate exchanges 
between civilian and defence sectors; 

encourage all relevant actors to further align certification requirements for civil and 
military  applications  towards  those  set  by  EASA  while  considering  military 
specificities and existing military certification standards; 

adopt new standard scenarios for civil operations that could facilitate corresponding 
military use cases; 

adopt a counter-drone package; 

23 

 
 
 

 

adopt  an  amendment  to  the aviation  security  rules  aiming  to  ensure that  aviation 
authorities and airports increase their resilience when faced with the risks posed by 
drones; 

define criteria for a voluntary “European Trusted Drone” label. 

24