Source: https://loc.gov/law/help/regulation-of-drones/france.php
Timestamp: 2019-04-18 18:38:39+00:00

Document:
The use of civilian drones in France is governed by two recent regulations that came into force on January 1, 2016. These regulations separate civilian drone use into three categories: hobby and competition flying, flying for experimental and testing purposes, and “particular activities,” which essentially means everything else, including commercial use of drones. Drones of all categories are subject to strict geographic restrictions, the main purpose of which is to protect people, property, and other aircraft. Drones may not be flown over public areas of urban zones without governmental approval, and may be flown over private property only with the owner’s authorization. Drones are required to fly under certain altitudes, and these altitude limits are substantially lower in the vicinity of airfields. Absent special authorization, drones are entirely forbidden in certain zones, such as military installations and other sensitive sites, but also historical monuments and certain national parks and natural reserves. Violation of prohibited airspace is punishable by jail time and heavy fines.
Drones flown for hobby and competition purposes are subject to certain weight and performance limits. Lighter and less powerful hobby drones may be flown by anyone, but heavier and/or more powerful ones may be flown only under authorization of the ministry in charge of civil aviation. Drones flown for experimental or testing purposes also require government authorization if they weigh more than 25 kilograms.
Drones flown for “particular activities,” which include commercial purposes, are regulated on the basis of four different types of scenarios. Different rules apply depending on which type of scenario the drone is to be used for, though many rules apply to all four scenarios. Many drones used for “particular activities” require a certification of design in order to receive authorization to fly, and all must comply with defined safety requirements. Furthermore, the operation of a drone for “particular activities” requires that the operator declare these activities to the government authorities, and certain activities require express approval. Pilots of drones for “particular activities” must have a level of knowledge and training that depends on the type of scenario for which the drone is to be used, with some situations requiring a full pilot’s license.
The Creation and Use Order provides for three categories of drone use: (1) hobby and competition flying, (2) flying for experimental and testing purposes, and (3) “particular activities” (activités particulières), which are defined as any use that does not fall into categories (1) or (2).  The Order specifies that the meaning of “particular activities” is not limited to drone use within the context of a commercial transaction.  It would appear that in practice, however, this category would primarily encompass commercial use. Each of these categories is governed by a different set of rules.
Hobby and competition drones are divided into two categories.  Category A drones weigh no more than 25 kilograms, and either have no engine or are powered by an engine that is under specific power thresholds (for example, a combustion engine of no more than 250 cm3, or an electric engine of no more than 15 kW).  In an exception to these limitations, tethered drones fall into category A regardless of any propulsion they may have, so long as they weigh no more than 150 kilograms.  Any drone that does not fall into category A is considered to be a category B drone.
Annex II of the Creation and Use Order applies specifically to drones that are flown for experimental or testing purposes—that is to say, prototypes—or drones flown in order to develop a new technology or modified to go beyond the parameters they were initially designed for.  Flying such drones requires a special permit, to be provided by the ministry in charge of civil aviation.  The application for this permit must include a description of the proposed conditions of the experimental flights, and of the measures taken to ensure the safety of third parties both on the ground and in the air.  Drones that weigh no more than 25 kilograms do not require a special permit as long as they fly during daytime, within the pilot’s line of sight, no farther than 200 meters from the pilot, outside of any populated area, and at least 50 meters away from any person who is not involved in the drone’s operation.  The other restrictions on flight described in Part II above also apply to experimental drones.
Annex III of the Creation and Use Order applies to drones that are flown neither for leisure and competition, nor for experimentation and testing purposes.  French regulators essentially made “particular activities” a sort of catchall category by not explicitly defining such activities. It appears, however, that this category primarily aims to apply to the commercial use of drones.
S-1: Using a drone outside a populated area, without flying over any third party, staying within the pilot’s line of sight, and within a horizontal distance of no more than 200 meters from the pilot.
S-2: Using a drone outside a populated area, where no third party is within the area of operation, within a horizontal distance of no more than 1 kilometer from the pilot, and not falling within the definition of S-1.
The pilot must have access to information on the position and movement of the aircraft in real time, so as to ensure that it does not go beyond the intended limits of its flight.
The drone must have an automatic system to prevent it from going beyond the horizontal distance limits of the flight, or must have an alarm system to warn the pilot when it goes beyond those limits.
The function to stop propulsion in flight, as required of all drones used for “particular activities,” must be independent from the on-board automatic mechanisms that control the aircraft’s flight path.
Any drone used for “particular activities” must have an identification plate affixed to it, showing the operator’s name and contact information.  Presumably, this is to ensure that the operator could be easily identified for purposes of establishing liability in case of an accident.
 Arrêté du 17 décembre 2015 relatif à l’utilisation de l’espace aérien par les aéronefs qui circulent sans personne à bord [Order of December 17, 2015, Regarding the Use of Airspace by Unmanned Aircraft] (Airspace Order), https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000031679868&dateTexte=20160330 , archived at https://perma.cc/ZFA4-5L63.
 Arrêté du 17 décembre 2015 relatif à la conception des aéronefs civils qui circulent sans personne à bord, aux conditions de leur emploi et aux capacités requises des personnes qui les utilisent [Order of December 17, 2015, Regarding the Creation of Unmanned Civil Aircraft, the Conditions of Their Use, and the Required Aptitudes of the Persons That Use Them] (Creation and Use Order), https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORF TEXT000031679906&dateTexte=20160330 , archived at https://perma.cc/38PR-Y2DJ.
 Thierry Vallat, «Faux-bourdons» mais vraie règlementation: vers l’élaboration d’un véritable droit des drones [“ Drones” and True Regulations: Toward the Elaboration of a Real Law of Drones], Revue: La Lettre Juridique [Journal: Legal Weekly] No. 608, at 15 (Apr. 9, 2015), available on the Lexbase database, at http://www. presentation.lexbase.fr/sites/default/files/actualites/fichiers/24072961.pdf (by subscription), archived at https://perma.cc/3338-ZDQ3.
 Airspace Order art. 13; Creation and Use Order art. 12.
 Airspace Order art. 1; Creation and Use Order art. 1 (all translations by author).
 Creation and Use Order art. 1.
 Direction de la sécurité de l’Aviation civile [Directorate for Civil Aviation Security], Aéromodélisme: modèles réduits et drones de loisir: Guide [Model Aircraft Flying: Small-Scale Models and Hobby Drones: Guide] 8 (Dec. 22, 2015), available at http://www.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/ IMG/pdf/Guide_Aeromodlisme_v1-0.pdf , archived at https://perma.cc/C2T6-BQ5D.
 Direction de la sécurité de l’Aviation civile, supra note 10, at 8.
 Id. art. 4; Direction de la sécurité de l’Aviation civile, supra note 10, at 8–9.
 Id. ; Direction de la sécurité de l’Aviation civile, supra note 10, at 16–18.
 Airspace Order art. 4; Direction de la sécurité de l’Aviation civile, supra note 10, at 16–18.
 Direction de la sécurité de l’Aviation civile, supra note 10, at 9–10.
 Direction de la sécurité de l’Aviation civile, supra note 10, at 9.
 Code des transports [Transportation Code] art. L6232-2, https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichCode.do? idSectionTA=LEGISCTA000023078242&cidTexte=LEGITEXT000023086525&dateTexte=20160406 , archived at https://perma.cc/KR5Y-3HHZ.
 Id. art. L6232-8, https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichCode.do?idSectionTA=LEGISCTA000023078226&cid Texte=LEGITEXT000023086525&dateTexte=20160406 , archived at https://perma.cc/274W-MH5A.
 Creation and Use Order Annex I.
 Creation and Use Order art. 3; Direction de la sécurité de l’Aviation civile, supra note 10, at 10.
 Direction de la sécurité de l’Aviation civile, supra note 10, at 10.
 Id. ; Creation and Use Order art. 3.
 Creation and Use Order art. 3.
 Id. Annex II, ¶ 1.
 Code des transports art. L6232-4, https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichCodeArticle.do?idArticle=LEGIARTI 000023078234&cidTexte=LEGITEXT000023086525 , archived at https://perma.cc/6TQH-9EDC.
 Creation and Use Order Annex III, ¶ 3.3.1. As used in these regulations, the term “operator” appears to refer to the person or company in charge of the drone’s operation. The operator, in this context, is not necessarily the same person as the pilot. Rather, the term refers to the company that owns the drone and employs the pilot. It is possible (and probably not uncommon) for the operator and the pilot to be the same person if he/she is self-employed, but the concepts as used in these regulations are distinct.
 Id. ¶ 4.1.1; Direction de la sécurité de l’Aviation civile, Aéronefs circulant sans personne à bord: activités particulières : Guide [Unmanned Aircraft: Particular Activities : Guide] 17 (Dec. 22, 2015), http://www.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/Guide_Activites_particulieres_v1-0.pdf , archived at https://perma.cc/V8CH-LHEL.

References: art. 13
 art. 12
 art. 1
 art. 1
 art. 1
 art. 4
 art. 4
 art. 3
 art. 3
 art. 3