Europe Calls for Safer Drone Integration

Europe’s Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc last week expressed concerns about the safe integration of UAS vehicles into that region’s domestic airspace. Bulc anticipates that drone accidents will occur, and like U.S. drone opponents, she calls for a plan that allows authorities to hold accountable any operator “using [a UAS] in prohibited airspace or in an unsafe manner, or for illegal purposes."She also suggested the establishment of compensation funds for uninsured drone users, similar to those in the automobile insurance sector.

Bulc said the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) will soon begin developing regulatory guidelines for operations and specific proposals for low-risk operations and that “a system of consistent drone incident reporting would improve both safety and third-party liability insurance [requirements]."

The commissioner’s comments came at European Union and Latvian Presidency’s “Framing the Future of Aviation” conference in Riga.