Recent unauthorized drone activity near European airports has underscored the uneven state of counter-UAS (C-UAS) preparedness across the continent.
At the center of efforts to close those gaps is the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the EU body responsible for ensuring a high and uniform level of civil aviation safety and environmental protection. While EASA is not a security or law-enforcement agency, its legal mandate places it squarely at the intersection of aviation safety and counter-drone operations, particularly around airports.
Speaking to Inside Unmanned Systems, Vera Tavares, Communications Officer at EASA, said, “We have a legal mandate to act on unauthorized UAS to support the protection of aerodrome surroundings,” citing Articles 38 and 88 of the EU’s Basic Regulation. That mandate expanded significantly in the wake of the 2019 Gatwick Airport incident, when unauthorized drones disrupted flights for days, prompting EASA to launch its Counter-UAS Action Plan in 2020.
The action plan spans public education to prevent drone misuse, standardized drone incident management procedures, research into UAS-to-aircraft collision risks, improved occurrence reporting, and deep engagement with European and international stakeholders, from EUROCONTROL and EUROCAE to NATO and the FAA.
EASA has focused on standards before certification, actively contributing to EUROCAE Working Group 115, which is developing performance and interoperability standards across the full C-UAS technology chain, from detection and tracking to identification, alerts and mitigation.
“At this stage, EASA has not yet implemented a certification regime,” Tavares said, “but we are cooperating with all stakeholders involved in the creation of appropriate technical standards and coordinated actions to ensure aviation safety.”
Broadening integration
Integration with U-space, the EU framework for safe, coordinated drone airspace operations, is a critical enabler of effective counter-UAS actions. Network Remote ID, which allows drone identification data to be shared across a network of authorized users, is already part of the mandatory U-space service set, providing a foundational layer for identifying and tracking unauthorized drones that can be paired with counter-UAS systems.
Together, these services can significantly enhance situational awareness without compromising safety or privacy. Tavares said, “Safety and security are the key elements that will convince Member States to implement U-space.”
Mitigation remains a thorny issue; rules governing jamming, spoofing, or protocol takeover vary widely across Europe, and EASA does not regulate the use of force. That authority remains with national security agencies. However, EASA is evaluating initiatives to assess the unintended safety consequences of such measures.
Looking forward, EASA envisions more integrated, multi-actor responses. Pilot programs involving air navigation service providers, police, and defense actors, operating under shared concepts of operation (CONOPS) and aligned with ICAO guidance, are under evaluation.
While no single agency can close Europe’s counter-UAS gap by itself, EASA could serve as the keystone around which a more harmonized European response takes shape. Tavares said, “There is a need for strategic and technical coordination with all the actors involved, starting from the political level.”
