As part of the drone strategy 2.0, several flagship actions have already been completed. These include:
- The Innovative Air Mobility Hub, an online platform that helps local authorities and industry to implement Innovative Air Mobility (IAM) services,
- The counter-UAS package, outlining the main ideas for the EU’s future policy on how to address the potential threats posed by unmanned aircraft systems, or
- The coordination on research on air traffic management (ATM) and U-Space delivered through the European ATM Master Plan.
Further efforts have been made to advance other flagship actions of the Strategy, such as:
- To regulate drone use, the Commission has adopted EU drone rules. These focus on the type of operation and its risk. For example, flying over a city poses different risks than flying over the sea - even if it is the same drone - so the rules adapt to the situation.
- In 2024, the Commission adopted the VTOL legislative package, setting rules for operational requirements for manned air taxis and airworthiness standards for drones involved in high-risk operations. This a major step toward offering regular transport services for goods and passengers through IAM, including urban, regional, and international services.
- The Civil-Defence Drone Testing Centre Network will speed up drone innovation through closer cooperation between civil and defence sectors. Managed by the European Defence Agency, in coordination with the Commission, the network will build on existing defence testing infrastructure to include a civil Test & Evaluation (T&E) component. A dedicated database will provide tiered access to information on civil and military T&E centres, supporting both transparency and security.
- In September 2025, the Commission has begun work on defining criteria for a voluntary ‘European Trusted Drone’ label. This initiative aims to strengthen the secure use of drones across the EU while promoting trust in the European drone industry. Drones bearing the label should demonstrate resilience against malicious interference, including hacking, unauthorized control, and signal spoofing. The criteria will focus on secure design, encrypted communications, and robust protection throughout the entire lifecycle of the drone.
- The Commission is accelerating the growth of the drone industry through initiatives such as Horizon Europe and the European Defence Fund, supporting research and innovation as well as the safe integration of drones into airspace. It also promotes SME market uptake and facilitates investment in drone companies by deploying risk sharing instruments.
- To ensure strong stakeholder involvement, the Commission created the European network of U-space stakeholders to promote SME involvement in drone services and U-Space services markets. The Commission is supporting the network together with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, the SESAR 3 Joint Undertaking and EUROCONTROL.