EASA’s High Level Conference – Expectations Not Met

Last week, the EASA High Level Conference on Drones took place in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, as part of the Amsterdam Drone Week. At the «grand opening» of this event, Cora van Nieuwenhuizen, the Dutch Minister of Infrastructure & Water Management, and Violeta Bulc, European Commissioner of Transport, gave very lively and positive opening speeches.

The same session also featured a speech by Patrick Kt (Executive Director, EASA), which was followed by a keynote speech by Eric Allison, head of Uber Aviation, USA. Inviting the representative of an American company, owning subsidiaries in the European Union (EU) and paying minimal taxes, to give such a keynote, was totally out of place, and was not understood by many of the representatives of European tax paying corporate entities present. Could the organizers not have found a European industry representative to give this keynote…?

The one and a half day High Level Conference was organized by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), with inputs and suggestions from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, The Netherlands (the host nation). The event consisted of panels made up of 4 or 5 panelists and a moderator. Each panel focused on a speci c topic (smart mobility (2x), drone operations today, European regulatory framework, tools enabling drone operations, U-Space (2x), towards sustainable aviation, Drones-More than just aircraft, communications & promotion). The selected panel themes showed forward thinking on the part of EASA, but unfortunately, the correct balance between the preoccupations of the current European civil drone manufacturers and operators community and those of large corporations with aspirations for the future and deep pockets (e.g. urban air mobility) was not there.

Strangely enough, EUROCONTROL was not part of any panel, and very little was said about the integration of U-Space into ATM, as well as the required regulatory framework to make this possible.

Regrettably, none of the panels permitted any direct interaction between the panelists and the audience. Questions could only be submitted using an smart phone application, and apparently the moderators had difficulty to read the submitted questions on their monitors.

There are currently at least 19 000 certificated* drone operators** in the European Union. This community***, as well as the European drone manufacturers community, which both principally consist of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), was waiting for announcements by EASA and/or the European Commission on matters that will have a direct impact on their current & future businesses:

• Critical practical operational matters that have still not been resolved (e.g. C€ marking; standards; standard scenarios);
• The R&D funding programmed for the development of urgently required technologies (e.g. Detect & Avoid for small drones to be operated in the speci c category; drone identi cation systems);
• When the new regulation will be published in the European of cial journal, when & how the new regulation will be implemented, and the duration of the transition phase.

None of these matters were adequately addressed.

As expected, the EASA High Level Drone Conference was concluded with a high level declaration. However, the Amsterdam Drone Declaration (funnily entitled “Drones Amsterdam Declaration”) looks like an attempt by the European Commission and EASA to:

• Announce that the work relative to the upcoming drone regulation is totally on track;
• List the positive drone-related actions that have been initiated over the last 12 months;
• Make the world aware that it is taking smart cities and urban air mobility seriously;
• call for the «necessary» research and innovation activities to be undertaken.

However, it does not clearly indicate what is urgently required in order to meet the performance requirements of the upcoming drone regulation, nor how they will be achieved and when.

Effective communication requires to define the target audience, the message, the place & time to deliver it, and the method of communicating. In the case of the 2018 High Level Conference on Drones, the venue (RAI, Amsterdam, The Netherlands) was very good, and the moment chosen was fine. However, it appears that the targeted audience does not include the SMEs constituting the backbone of the European drone manufacturers and operators communities, and that the message brought out is not in equation with the expectations of the majority of the tax paying enterprises that constitute these communities.

Where is the Video Coverage?

It is strange that, one week after the conclusion of the EASA High Level Conference on Drones, the video of the event’s panel discussions is still not available online. Making this video rapidly available to all interested parties that were not able to attend the High Level Conference on Drones would appear to be something that the entire EU drone community has the right to expect.

Suggestion for the Future

In order to serve a real purpose, be effective and live up to the expections of the entire EU drone community, it is suggested that EASA and the European Commission consider structuring the next event to have two complementary forums aimed at two different audiences:

• Political level (on invitation only): High level representatives of the European Commission, EASA, SESAR JU, EUROCONTROL, European national ministries of transport and European aviation & drone stakeholder organisations;
• Drone community level (open registration & direct interaction with the audience): Representatives of the European Commission, EASA, SESAR JU, EUROCONTROL, EU agencies, European national ministries of transport, European aviation & drone stakeholder organisations, and corporate representatives.

*Certificated = Any form of recognition that a product, part or appliance, organisation or person complies with the applicable requirements, including the provisions of a regulation and its implementing rules, as well as the issuance of the relevant certificate attesting such compliance.

**Operators = Organisation or enterprise employing pilots & engaging in commercial drone operations.

***The certificated drone operators community in the EU is estimated to currently represent 50 000 to 75 000 jobs.