Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems - RPAS (some people call them civil ‘drones’) are increasingly being used in Europe, 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. Under the term RPAS are included very large aircraft which resemble in size and complexity manned aircraft to very small consumer electronics aircraft.

As a background, the European Commission has proposed to set new standards to regulate the operations of 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.

EASA is following a new regulatory approach for safely operating remotely piloted aircraft. This flexible approach, called ‘Concept of Operations’, has been based on input from users and manufacturers of RPAS and provides a set of rules which are proportionate and risk based. In other words, safety requirements are in relation to the risk an activity poses to the operator and to third parties (e.g. general public). The greater the risk the higher the requirements. This is done in order to ensure there is no compromise in safety, but there is a flexible environment for this promising industry to grow.