According to IATA, 65 countries currently have rules for the use of small UAVs. And among EU countries, France is a pioneer: Government decrees already regulate UAV use and parliament has voted in a law coming into force next year that will punish users of UAVs flying over airports and other sensitive areas with fines or prison.
Current common European rules only cover UAVs weighing above 150 kilograms, but small UAVs can be used to deliver services in urban areas, collect data for a wide range of industries, inspect infrastructure, and aid farming. "UAVs mean innovation, new services for citizens, new business models and a huge potential for economic growth," EU Transport Minister Violeta Bulc said in a statement. "We need the EU to be in the driving seat and have a safe UAV services market up and running by 2019. The EU needs to take a leading role worldwide in developing the right framework for this market to flourish, by unleashing the benefits for key economic sectors." added.
The aim is to have the regulatory framework functioning by 2019, with basic services like registration and e-identification. The blueprint unveiled from the European Commission, the EU executive, covers allowing drones to operate in high density under the supervision of fleet operators. The Commission cited estimates that the drone services market could grow up to €127bn in the next few years, so the demand for regulation is increasing with the rising use of drones and the risk of collisions. The European Commission said it hopes negotiations involving the European Parliament and 28 member states will be completed by the end of the year as a key part of the process. The idea is to build a system similar to that of Air Traffic Management for manned aviation, that would supply information to allow UAVs to fly safely and avoid obstacles or collisions.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA), which sets global standards for the aviation industry, counted 856 cases worldwide between January 2013 and August 2015 of a UAV getting too close to a plane for comfort, so the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is trying to establish a global framework for the future use of UAVs. Fortunately, there have been no collisions to date, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) reported in February.
