Even though the specific implementation of the relevant regulations is the responsibility of the individual member states, the decisive regulatory and industrial policy foundations for commercial drone operations are laid at the EU level. Accordingly, UAV DACH is making diverse efforts to articulate the needs and demands of the UAS/AAM industry to the European institutions.
Not least in view of comprehensive government support measures in the US and China, there is an urgent need to create optimal conditions in Europe for the development of an internationally competitive drone economy. In a letter to EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the UAV DACH Executive Board has therefore called on the EU Commission to take an active leadership role in this regard. Essentially, the letter addresses three key demands to the EU Commission:
- Introduction of a “Buy European” directive for government and public sector investments in UAS technology.
- Access for the UAS/AAM industry to existing EU financing instruments.
- Inclusion of the UAS/AAM industry in the European Commission's next multi annual financial framework.
“Europe must now go all-in in the field of unmanned aviation so that the EU does not become strategically dependent on other regions of the world,” demands Dr. Gerald Wissel. “Substantial support for the UAS/AAM industry must therefore become an integral part of European policy.”
(Photo: EU Commission / Audiovisual Service, modified)