26/01/2023 (Agence Europe) – New European Union rules on drone airspace – or ‘U-space’ – came into force on Thursday 26 January (see EUROPE 12704/17). By way of a reminder, these new rules should make it easier to perform more complex operations over longer distances, particularly at low altitude, and to develop a safe space for drones. Future drone operations could cover several areas, such as life-saving services like transporting medical samples or assisting first responders at an emergency scene, or even carrying out remote inspections of infrastructure. It will now be up to the Member States to designate their ‘U-space’ and the authorised service providers. Work will also be carried out by Member States on information exchange and navigation performance standards. (TM)