Brussels – Taking action against the growing threats posed by drones to the security of the European Union. With this objective in mind, the European Commission today (11 February) presented its Action plan on drone and counter-drone security, following the complex and repeated episodes involving drone and weather balloon overflights, with associated airspace breaches, airport closures, risks to critical infrastructure, external borders, and public spaces.
Brussels initially proposed responding to these threats with a Drone Wall. However, “we changed the term ‘Drone Wall‘ to ‘Drone Initiative’ because perhaps the term ‘drone wall’ gave the wrong impression, as if it were some kind of physical wall,” the European Commission’s Executive Vice-President for Technological Sovereignty and Security, Henna Virkkunen, explained at the press conference presenting the EU Plan. According to the European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, it is not just a question of security: “Drone innovation and technology is evolving at an extraordinary pace,” and “commercial drones are already capable of carrying 15 kilograms and flying hundreds of kilometres.” Therefore, “staying at the forefront is essential, it is a matter of competitiveness,” he said at the press conference.
The Action Plan is designed to support Member States through coordinated actions and four priorities: improving preparedness, enhancing detection capabilities, coordinating responses, and strengthening EU defence readiness. Firstly, it proposes a new approach to technological development and rapid industrial production, which includes coordinated civil-military industrial mapping to attract investment and promote innovation and interoperability; strengthening anti-drone testing capabilities through a new EU Counter-Drone Centre of Excellence and the development of a certification system for anti-drone systems; launching a Drone and Anti-Drone Industry Forum to promote dialogue with industrial actors in order to increase production. In parallel, the Commission will propose a Drone Security Package to renew existing rules on civil drones, with measures for coordinated risk assessment and the launch of an EU Trusted Drone label to identify safe equipment on the market. “We will launch a new counter-drone centre of excellence in 2027 and will pool our public financing for innovation, so industry can scale up faster and deliver solutions sooner,” Brunner noted.
To safeguard critical infrastructure, the Commission will provide “clear guidelines for operators, launch a pilot project to improve maritime surveillance and help Member States defend themselves against high-altitude threats, such as weather balloons launched from outside the EU.” With regard to the use of 5G technologies and networks to better detect drones, “the Action Plan provides for measures that will support the emergence of unique aerial visualisation systems, integrating all relevant data to identify legitimate drones, and will assess with Member States the progressive establishment of a platform for drone incidents.” Specifically, “given the current threat landscape, and in particular the growing use of drone swarms, it is urgent to harness 5G networks to detect drones, whether connected or not,” and “to support the rapid deployment and real‑time testing of 5G‑based detection, the Commission will launch a call for expressions of interest for Member States and industry,” the Commission said, stressing that “these 5G networks provide precise, real‑time tracking of flying objects, which is essential for the security of our skies and for safeguarding internal security.”
Although Member States are primarily responsible for measures to address drone threats, the Commission points out that it can support capitals’ efforts and, in this context, will launch a call for interested countries to join forces in public procurement and the implementation of counter-drone systems. It will also support the development of sovereign European “command and control” systems based on artificial intelligence and assess the feasibility of establishing rapid-response teams for counter-drone emergencies. From an overall perspective, the Commission also proposes to organise a large-scale counter-drone exercise at an EU level on an annual basis, while continuing to provide Frontex, the EU’s coast guard and border agency, with the necessary drones and technology for border surveillance. In financial terms, “this year we are mobilising 400 million euros to support Member States in purchasing drone and counter-drone technology,” 150 million euros will fund aerial surveillance drones used by Member States and Frontex in joint operations, and 250 million euros will support Member States to directly purchase drones and counter-drone systems,” explained Brunner.
Finally, the Commission aims to step up its support for the creation of a more robust drone ecosystem, promoting closer ties between governments and industry through the Drone Alliance with Ukraine: work that will form the basis of the European Drone Defence Initiative and the Eastern Flank Watch initiative, a flagship project proposed in the Roadmap for Defence Readiness 2030. “Under the leadership of Commissioner Kubilius, the Commission will enhance its support to the Priority Capability Coalition on drone and counter-drone, as well as the European Defence Drone Initiative with Ukraine. Cooperation with Ukraine will be central in this action plan,” Virkkunen explained. “This action plan will open dedicated cooperation opportunities with other partners who share similar security interests. Strong EU-Nato cooperation will remain essential for the rapid delivery of this action plan. This Action Plan is not a statement of intent. It is a tool for action. It is designed to cut across silos: civilian and military, national and European, public and private.”
English version by the Translation Service of Withub
