DRONES – SECURITY AND AVIATION SAFETY MUST REMAIN TOP PRIORITY IN EU ACTION PLAN

Public safety and aviation must remain top priority when designing and carrying out new European drone security and counter-drone measures.

 In its opinion adopted drawn up by Miroslav Hajnoš and adopted at the July plenary session, the EESC argues that the end goal of any future EUֹ action on drones must be security and safety for people and aviation, preserving the operational integrity of the European Air Traffic Management (ATM) system.

The Committee backs the EU Action Plan on Drone and Counter Drone Security, calling the Commission's proposal a timely and necessary response to a rapidly changing security environment. The EESC specifically supports the goal of strengthening preparedness, detection and response capacities and deterring malicious drone use. At the same time, the Committee stresses that all measures must remain proportionate and consistent with fundamental rights, privacy, data protection, legal certainty and democratic accountability.

As already pointed out in the opinion on the Drones strategy 2.0, proper coordination between the relevant authorities is vital. This means there must be a clear division of roles between civil aviation authorities, law enforcement, military actors and infrastructure operators. In light of this, the EESC cautions against any transfer of security or law-enforcement duties to Air Traffic Management personnel or other safety-critical staff. It therefore calls on the EU to set up a framework establishing intervention thresholds and permissible counter-measures.

Drones are becoming part of our everyday lives. They are used in agriculture, logistics, infrastructure inspections, environmental protection, emergency services and many other sectors. They bring innovation, new business opportunities and economic growth, but they can also be misused.

Recent events have shown that drones can threaten critical infrastructure, airports, energy networks, public spaces and even national security. With the rapid development of drone technologies, Europe must prepare to respond to these new circumstances.

‘The EU must strengthen its drone and counter-drone capabilities to protect critical infrastructure, citizens and public security,’ said Mr Hajnoš. ‘In addition to this, we need a strong European industrial base, skilled workers and clear rules to ensure that innovation, safety and strategic resilience go hand in hand.’