Aviation strategy — Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems: Initial Appraisal of a European Commission Impact Assessment

This note seeks to provide an initial analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the European Commission's Impact Assessment on Safe Development of Drone Operations.

The main strengths of the IA are its solid information base, including the three supporting studies, as well as the presentation of the results of the public consultation throughout, and the examination of options against the proportionality criterion according to the new Better Regulation guidelines.

However, the range of options considered appears to be rather limited, and descriptions are so general that it is very difficult to assess and compare them; for example, the criteria for categorising drone risks, and the question of how the certificates will be issued and by whom, are not explained at all.

The IA reiterates throughout that several issues, such as drone risk categorisation, or factors defining an operation-centric approach to regulating drones, will be topics for new impact assessments accompanying future delegated acts. The absence of some more insight concerning the likely content of the measures to be adopted through delegated acts or for the use of such delegated acts is regrettable.

Nevertheless, the categorisation of risks (what is a high or low risk operation) could have been explained in more detail, as not every aspect of drone rules is likely to depend only on technological development. A better illustrated and explained problem description, as well as more detailed descriptions of the policy options, would have contributed to better and clearer understanding of the impacts of the new proposal, especially for a reader who may not be familiar with existing civil aviation safety rules.

• Primary Source

EP: EPRS: Briefing: Implementation Appraisal: Ex-ante Impact Assessment http://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/search.html?policyAreas=EXIMAS

ESO: Background information: Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council. A new era for aviation. Opening the aviation market to the civil use of remotely piloted aircraft systems in a safe and sustainable manner http://www.europeansources.info/record/communication-from-the-commission-to-the-european-parliament-and-the-council-a-new-era-for-aviation-opening-the-aviation-market-to-the-civil-use-of-remotely-piloted-aircraft-systems-in-a-safe-and-su/

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