Brussels, 06/03.2015 (Agence Europe) - The conference on drones in Riga on 5-6 March concluded with the adoption of conclusions, Framing the future of aviation. This document sets out five principles.
Firstly, drones must be treated as a new type of aircraft, with proportionate rules based on the risk involved in each operation. The text states clearly that “the incremental integration of drones in the aviation system must not reduce the level of safety presently achieved in civil aviation”. However, the rules put in place must be simple and tailored to the type of activity carried out by each drone, so as not to hamper the development of this industry.
Secondly, European rules must be developed now, particularly on the qualifications of operators. Developing EU-wide rules would prevent too great a fragmentation of the regulatory framework.
Thirdly, the statement calls for the development of standards and of technologies to allow the full integration of drones in European airspace. European Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc said that the European Aviation Safety Agency would hold consultations in the coming months before bringing forward proposals at the end of the year.
The fourth point of the statement highlights acceptance by the public. For this, protection of privacy and personal data needs to be addressed (a point on which the signatories call on national and European data protection authorities to prepare guidelines). The conclusions also raise the issue of noise and highlight other possible matters which would have to be dealt with by the police. The final principle states that the operator of the drone is responsible for the use to which it is put, which implies that the authorities should be able to identify the operator and hold him responsible for any dangerous or proscribed use made of the drone. The signatories of the statement call for this to be done with as little bureaucracy as possible, for example, through the use of electronic chips. This final principle raises the issue of accidents and envisages a compensation fund for the victims of these accidents.
Bulc hailed the adoption of the statement, saying that “Europe is making a decisive step toward the future of aviation”. Latvian Transport Minister Anrijs Matiss was delighted that Europe is looking to be the first to put standards in place: “We can start to set this level playing field now”. (Jean Comte)