EU Plans Tighter Drone Rules After Unexplained Sightings Shake Europe

The European Union announced plans on Wednesday to tighten drone registration, establish no-fly zones, and strengthen detection systems at sensitive sites following a series of unexplained drone sightings across Europe last year.

The mysterious flights, which disrupted airports, buzzed military bases, and flew near nuclear facilities, highlighted vulnerabilities in the bloc’s security amid concerns over potential threats from Russia.

“Anything can be used as a weapon against us,” said Henna Virkkunen, EU Commissioner for Technology and Security. “Drone and anti-drone capabilities are central to defending Europe and protecting critical infrastructure.”

The EU’s new action plan focuses on the civilian sector, complementing last year’s initiative to develop a military counter-drone system. As part of the plan, officials aim to make drone registration mandatory across the bloc, ensuring every drone can be linked to a specific operator. The registration rules would also cover smaller drones, lowering the threshold from 250 grams to 100 grams.

EU authorities plan to better define no-fly zones around sensitive areas, with the eventual goal of deploying software to automatically prevent drones from entering restricted airspace. Detection capabilities will also be enhanced through telecom networks and AI monitoring systems to identify potentially suspicious flights.

Officials proposed launching annual “large-scale EU counter-drone testing exercises” and creating rapid-response “emergency teams” to assist member states in case of drone threats.

While the strategy primarily targets security risks, Brussels also intends to strengthen regulations and support the development of the EU’s drone manufacturing sector. Specific funding plans and implementation details have yet to be disclosed.

Officials acknowledged that stricter controls would not stop all malicious drone activity but argued that improved tracking and regulation would help authorities distinguish legitimate use from potential threats.

Although suspicion has fallen on Moscow regarding last year’s unexplained flights, there has been no concrete evidence linking the Kremlin to the incidents.