Europe is introducing new unified regulations in an effort to replace what had been a fragmented market.
Following a six-month delay over original plans due to the pandemic, national UAS regulations in European Union Member Nations will be replaced by a common European Union regulation beginning in 2021. The transition to the new regime will end at the beginning of 2023.
The new European regulation established three categories, which are based on risk. In the easiest ‘open’ category UAS operators with less operational risk can carry out an operation without authorization. The second ‘specific’ category is a category of UAS operation that, considering the risks involved, requires an authorization by the authority before the operation occurs that considers the mitigation measures identified in an operational risk assessment. The third ‘certified’ category includes unmanned operations that, considering the risks involved, requires the certification of the UAS, a licensed remote pilot and an operator approved by the competent authority, in order to ensure an appropriate level of safety.