The European Commission has today proposed to set tough new standards to regulate the operations of civil drones (or "remotely piloted aircraft sytems" – RPAS). The new standards will cover safety, security, privacy, data protection, insurance and liability. The aim is to allow European industry to become a global leader in the market for this emerging technology, while at the same time ensuring that all the necessary safeguards are in place.
Civil drones are increasingly being used in Europe, in countries such as Sweden, France and the UK, in different sectors, but under a fragmented regulatory framework. Basic national safety rules apply, but the rules differ across the EU and a number of key safeguards are not addressed in a coherent way.
The new standards will cover the following areas:
- Strict EU wide rules on safety authorisations.
- Tough controls on privacy and data protection.
- Controls to ensure security.
- A clear framework for liability and insurance.
- Streamlining R&D and supporting new industry.
Comments
Sorry to add on top of what has already been very well said by Stefan, but this should be known,
EU bureaucracy now has reached its critical mass that makes it self-sustaining brainless system with no more individuals controlling it. It lives by itself, for itself. It will become progressively, also becasue of passive and oblivious citizens, an authoritarian regime imposing its "out-of-touch" regulations on all european countries and people. There is such a huge gap between people's voice and unlected inhuman (literally) self-deciding supra-national bodies that, as a result, they are killing free entrepreneurship, killing our jobs, killing our economies. Or is it a voluntray intent to better enslave obidient people?
I would have prefered the rise of the drones for its outstanding economy development potential but instead we've got the rise of bureaucrats...
There's yet another reason why an EU regulation makes absolutely no sense:
Difference in infrastructure and culture.
For example, restricting hobby UAVs to model airfields (as now in Spain) might make sense in countries with high population density, but e.g. for Finland such a regulation would pretty much make any R/C hobby illegal outside of Helsinki. We don't have a whole lot of model airfields here and people would need to drive tens or even hundreds of kilometers to find one. Or found a local club to run one but that in a small town with maybe 5 or 10 hobbyists?
That's another aspect of the EU in general. EU politicians dream of themselves as the "government of Europe" and want to regulate every little bit centrally although very often that simply doesn't work.
IMHO they should stick to creating e.g. product safety standards like for motorbike helmets or toys. For that, centralized standards are great, reduce bureaucracy and save money.
But leave lawmaking to the elected governments of the countries which know their people and requirements!
And finally - just as a sidenote...:
Who the hell is this EU Commission to make laws and regulation anyways?
Are you guys aware that they are no democratically elected body? Nope, they aren't! They are a bunch of bureaucrats, basically, hired employees which are under no democratic control whatsoever and yet they have the power to make laws (by writing "directives" which the member states must implement as local law) and even enforce those by dragging a member state in front of the EU Court of Justice.
Holy ....
"All UAV Operations in Spanish Airspace” and further has declared that all operations, which are not conducted on a “Radio-controlled Aircraft Airfield” or in Sport Hall (Not Track and Field), are Illegal”.
How can this even be possible in a modern democracy? Illegal to fly a Blade MQX in own backyard?
Does he Spanish air safety agency really has that power is it an FAA-like declaration with no enforceable value?
Yes
It was yesterday
You can take a look at the spanish publication by AESA here
http://www.seguridadaerea.gob.es/media/4229776/el_uso_de_los_drones...
We'll see
Well Spain just closed its airspace for civil UAS
http://www.suasnews.com/2014/04/28497/spanish-air-safety-agency-aes...
Stefan, I agree that as is usual in the EU this crap is generated by nutbag fringe politicos and of course the pimps for the profiteers. A reason for the focus on "privacy" by these a-holes is that they are very aware that in a short time we will have swarms of ultra-small, ultra light UAVs that simply cannot be regulated from any safety standpoint by even the most rabid bureaucrats. The only laws that can be used to throttle such aircraft will not address the aircraft itself or how it is flown, but rather what is done with it.
Beaurocrats see unregulated growth of anything as employment opportunities and tenure insurance. Politicians see unregulated growth as an opportunity to strengthen their voting constituency by being responsive and to bank IOUs from big business lobbies . Expect to be popular once identified as an area of 'unregulated growth'. Don't expect the words rational, knowledgeable, progressive or evidence based to be included in your discussion of the outcome.
@Stefan
How will all those flying birds who go south in the winter, manage to pay for their courses and certification ?
@mP1:
You forgot paper-airplanes! Ideally with a CAA office plus an "accreditation service" in every school, to make it easier...
@Hugues:
I am already very active, trying to get the voluntary rescue organizations in Finland active in this matter. I'll contact you shortly.
When are they going to require $5000 licenses and courses for kites ?
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