Any new regulation by the EU on non-military drone use within its airspace may be done with a light touch. The European Parliament’s Transport Committee voted on the 15th September to back a report that seeks to ensure that regulation will take a risks based approach without unnecessary bureaucracy or heavy handedness.

Though individual member states are developing regulation, there is no unifying regulation from the EU at present. It is expected that the European Commission (EC) will publish draft regulation in the next year.

Europe is a world leader in the use of civil aviation drones, with over 2,500 operators in the region. Online shopping and delivery companies, notably Amazon among them, are looking at drone use to replace van delivery routes.