CoESS partners with BDSW and security essen for inaugural EU Drone Congress
On the occasion of the first EU Drone Congress that took place in Essen on 18-19 September, CoESS partnered with its German member BDSW and security essen. Alexander Frank, Deputy Director General at CoESS, intervened together with European Commission representatives to present on the integration of drones and C-UAS (Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems) solutions in security services.
The meeting made clear that the demand for innovative security solutions, including drones, is growing rapidly across Europe, and the security industry is ready to deliver quality solutions for a more effective protection for public spaces, Critical Infrastructure, and private perimeters.
However, private security companies in Europe still face significant administrative hurdles when integrating drones into their services. While the EU Drone Regulation has been in place for several years, companies still have to wait up to one year to get admissions to fly. Alexander Frank therefore highlighted that this requires urgent action, both at EU- and national level, to make a real push for innovation. To this end, CoESS is already in touch with the European Aviation Safety Agency with proposals for new EU Standard Scenarios to facilitate security-related drone operations in Critical Infrastructure Protection that fall in the specific category.
In C-UAS on the other hand, many EU Member States still lack a legal framework. Private security companies however face a growing market demand in the face of evolving threats to public spaces and Critical Infrastructure, leaving companies in a state of uncertainty. Alexander Frank therefore made it clear that, although the regulation of private security tasks and competencies is clearly an EU Member State responsibility, action is required both in terms of a legal and ethical review of rules and the establishment of Standard Operating Procedures for operators, police, and private security in case of an incident with non-cooperative drones. In this regard, Alexander Frank highly welcomed the European Commission’s EU C-UAS Package, which was presented during the Congress by DG HOME. The Packages launched last year two handbooks for the protection of public spaces and Critical Infrastructure against drones as well as an important legal mapping exercise.
The recent steps by the EU, such as the EU Drone Strategy 2.0 and the EU C-UAS Package, are crucial. Yet, their implementation at the national level will be key to unlocking innovation. This made the first EU Drone Congress a vital meeting, connecting both EU and national industry players to drive technological advancements for the benefit of public security.