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Rural Vision
News article20 December 2022Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy

Drone Strategy: Creating a large-scale European drone market

The European drone strategy, which is one of the Rural action plan actions for more connected rural areas, has been adopted on 29 November. How can it improve rural connectivity and under which conditions?

The document sets out a vision for the further development of the European drone market. It builds on the EU's safety framework for operating and setting the technical requirements of drones, which is the world's most advanced. The new Strategy lays out how Europe can pursue large-scale commercial drone operations while offering new opportunities in the sector.

It involves all parties concerned at local, regional and national levels to make sure that safe and secure drone operations are deployed, both in urban and rural areas in a fair and sustainable manner. 

Drone on a map

Drones improve accessibility in remote rural areas. The technology attracts the attention of mobility actors and local authorities to contribute to sustainable and integrated mobility. The objective is to provide less polluting, less congesting and safer mobility solutions to local communities in urban, sub-urban and rural areas. In addition to that, the advanced transport technology is readily taken up, as drones deliver services and goods to smaller villages from the local manufacturing supplier or distribution centre. Moreover, rural areas can attract small and medium-sized enterprises to settle down, as the drone sector is developing in a fast pace it might serve as a potential future transport method.