European Commission Moves To Strengthen Drone Defences Across Bloc
New Centre, Certification Scheme Proposed
THE European Commission on Wednesday unveiled a comprehensive action plan aimed at strengthening the European Union’s capacity to counter rising drone-related security threats.
Central to the initiative is the establishment of a new EU Counter-Drone Centre of Excellence, designed to coordinate expertise, innovation and response strategies across member states. The Commission also announced plans to introduce a certification scheme for counter-drone systems to ensure that equipment deployed within the bloc meets strict security and performance standards.
In addition, a Drone and Counter-Drone Industry Forum will be launched to enhance collaboration with manufacturers and accelerate the scaling up of production.
New Rules and Enhanced Detection Systems
As part of what it described as a broader “Drone Security Package,” the Commission intends to overhaul regulations governing civilian drones to reflect evolving security realities. The package includes coordinated risk assessments aimed at protecting supply chains for drone and counter-drone technologies.
An “EU Trusted Drone” label will also be introduced to help identify secure and reliable equipment in the market.
To improve detection capabilities, the Commission plans to deploy integrated air display systems and create a Drone Incident Platform to track and identify potentially malicious drones. It further stressed the urgent need to leverage 5G networks for drone detection, including devices operating outside conventional network connections.
The action plan also proposes joint procurement of counter-drone systems among interested member states, development of AI-powered command-and-control systems, and possible creation of rapid counter-drone emergency response teams.
An annual large-scale EU counter-drone exercise is also being considered to test cross-border cooperation and civil-military coordination. Meanwhile, support for Frontex through drone technology for border surveillance will continue.
