EPRS_BRI_2025_772885_EN.pdf — page 12

EPRS | European Parliamentary Research Service 
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and public disclosure of the results. It also calls for strict controls over drone exports to prevent their 
use in human rights abuses. These positions reflect Parliament's commitment to ensuring that the 
use of military drones aligns with international legal standards and ethical norms.  
Parliament has also taken an early and active role in the military AI debate, adopting key resolutions 
in 2018 and 2021. While generally open to military AI for its strategic value and potential to protect 
lives, Parliament stresses three core principles: human control, legal accountability and international 
governance via the UN. It strongly opposes LAWS without meaningful human oversight and calls for 
their global ban through UN negotiations. The 2021 resolution urges an EU-wide framework to 
regulate military AI in line with international law and fundamental rights, promoting ethics, 
transparency and accountability. Though the EU AI Act, adopted in 2024, excludes military uses, 
Parliament's Artificial Intelligence in the Digital Age (AIDA) Committee has nevertheless addressed 
dual-use concerns, highlighting the need for responsible AI governance in defence and 
cybersecurity, as well as cooperation with partners like NATO. 
At the same time, Parliament actively supports defence innovation, particularly in the development 
and integration of UAS and emphasises the importance of fostering a competitive and innovative 
defence industrial base to enhance the EU's strategic autonomy. Parliament has called for the 
Commission to propose an EU drones package focusing on drone and anti-drone systems, including 
plans and funds to stimulate R&D. This initiative aims to learn from the Ukrainian experience and be 
open to the participation of Ukraine's highly innovative companies in R&D. It also aims to establish 
an industrial programme dedicated to the joint development, production and procurement of drones 
and anti-drone systems, as well as a regulation on the use of drones in civilian and military contexts. 
Additionally, Parliament has advocated for increased funding and support for emerging disruptive 
technologies in defence, recognising their potential to revolutionise military operations. Through 
these efforts, Parliament seeks to ensure that the EU remains at the forefront of defence technology 
and enhances its security and defence capabilities. 
MAIN REFERENCES 
Andersson, J. and Simon, S., 'Minding the drone gap: Drone warfare and the EU', European Union Institute 
for Security Studies, October 2024. 
Arana, G. and Romero, J., 'Drone Warfare in Today's World: 15 Policy Recommendations to improve the 
European Union's Defence Capabilities', Harvard Kennedy School Belfer Center, December 2024. 
 
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© European Union, 2025. 
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