New European drone rules will come into force as of 31st DECEMBER 2020 and will affect EU and EASA Member States as it aims to standardise the drone laws across Europe.  

This means the following for all drone operators: 

·       as of 31 December 2020, registration of drone operators and certified drones becomes mandatory;

·       as of 31 December 2020, operations in the ‘specific’ category may be conducted after authorisation has been given by the National Aviation Authority;

·       between 31 December 2020 and 1 January 2023, drone users operating drones without class identification label can continue to operate in the limited category under Article 22 of EU Regulation 2019/947 (see FAQ #x for additional information);

·       as of January 2022, national authorisations, certificates, and declarations must be fully converted to the new EU System;

·       from 1 January 2022, EASA Member States must make available information on geographical zones for geo-awareness in a digital format harmonised between the EU countries;

·       as of January 2023, all operations in the ‘open’ category and all drone operators must fully comply with EU Regulation 2019/947 and EU Regulation 2019/945.

Regulations:

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947 of 24 May 2019 will be fully applicable from December 30th 2020 and caters for most types of operation and their levels of risk. It defines three categories of operations: the ‘open’, ‘specific’ and ‘certified’ categories. 

The ‘open’ category addresses operations in the lower risk bracket, where safety is ensured provided the drone operator complies with the relevant requirements for its intended operation. This category is subdivided into three further subcategories called A1, A2 and A3. Operational risks in the ‘open’ category are considered low, and therefore no authorisation is required before starting a flight.

The ‘specific’ category covers riskier operations, where safety is ensured by the drone operator obtaining an operational authorisation from the national competent authority before starting the operation. To obtain the authorisation, the drone operator is required to conduct a safety risk assessment, which will determine the requirements necessary for safe operation of the drone(s).

In the ‘certified’ category, the safety risk is so high that certification of the drone operator and the aircraft is required to ensure safety, as well as the licensing of the remote pilot(s).

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/945 of 12 March 2019  on unmanned aircraft systems and on third-country operators of unmanned aircraft systems