The law of drones. Unmanned aircraft in European Union law

Abbreviations | p. 11
Legislation | p. 13
Introduction | p. 19
Chapter 1
Basic concepts | p. 25
1.1. Drones as a new technical and social phenomenon | p. 25
1.2. Safety and innovation | p. 26
1.3. Unmanned aircraft | p. 31
1.4. The concept of model aircraft in the EU legislation | p. 32
1.5. Operator | p. 33
1.6. Pilot | p. 34
Chapter 2
Basic Regulation | p. 36
2.1. Matters covered | p. 37
2.2. Main recitals of Regulation 2018/1139 | p. 41
2.3. Essential requirements for unmanned aircraft (Article 55) | p. 44
2.4. Compliance of unmanned aircraft (Article 56) | p. 45
2.5. Articles 57 and 58 – non-legislative acts | p. 48
2.6. Essential requirements for unmanned aircraft (Annex IX) | p. 52
2.6.1. Essential requirements for the design, production, maintenance and operation of unmanned aircraft | p. 52
2.6.2. Additional essential requirements: certification or declaration of conformity | p. 58
2.6.3. Essential environmental requirements for unmanned aircraft | p. 76
2.6.4. Essential requirements for registration of unmanned aircraft and their operators and marking of unmanned aircraft | p. 77
Chapter 3
Implementing Regulation | p. 79
3.1. Normative part | p. 80
3.1.1. Subject matter of the regulation (Article 1) | p. 80
3.1.2. Definitions (Article 2) | p. 81
3.1.3. Categories of UAS operations (Article 3) | p. 81
3.1.4. Open category of UAS operations (Article 4) | p. 82
3.1.5. Specific category of UAS operations (Article 5) | p. 84
3.1.6. Certified category of UAS operations (Article 6) | p. 86
3.1.7. Rules and procedures for the operation of UAS (Article 7) | p. 90
3.1.8. Rules and procedures for the competency of unmanned aircraft pilots (Article 8) | p. 94
3.1.9. Minimum age for unmanned aircraft pilots (Article 9) | p. 96
3.1.10. Rules and procedures for the airworthiness of UAS (Article 10) | p. 99
3.1.11. Rules for conducting an operational risk assessment (Article 11) | p. 100
3.1.12. Authorisation of specific category operations (Article 12) | p. 104
3.1.13. Cross-border operations or operations outside the state of registration (Article 13) | p. 106
3.1.14. Registration of UAS operators and certified UAS (Article 14) | p. 109
3.1.15. Operating conditions for UAS geographical zones (Article 15) | p. 113
3.1.16. Operations with the use of UAS within model aircraft clubs and associations (Article 16) | p. 116
3.1.17. Designation of the competent authority (Article 17) | p. 118
3.1.18. Tasks of the competent authority (Article 18) | p. 118
3.1.19. Safety information (Article 19) | p. 122
3.1.20. Specific provisions on the use of certain unmanned aircraft systems in the open category (Article 20) | p. 123
3.1.21. Adaptation of authorisations, declarations and certificates (Article 21) | p. 124
3.1.22. Transitional provisions (Article 22) | p. 125
3.1.23. Entry into force and application (Article 23) | p. 126
3.2. Annex. Operations with unmanned aircraft systems in the open and specific categories | p. 127
3.2.1. Part A – Operations in the open category | p. 127
3.2.2. Part B – Operations in the specific category | p. 137
3.2.3. Part C – Light UAS Operator Certificate (LUC) | p. 150
3.3. Appendix 1: For standard scenarios supporting a declaration | p. 159
3.3.1. Chapter I: STS-01 – VLOS over a controlled ground area in a populated environment | p. 159
3.3.2. Chapter II: STS-02 – BVLOS with airspace observers over a controlled ground area in a sparsely populated environment | p. 169
3.4. Appendices 2–5 | p. 173
Chapter 4
Delegated Regulation | p. 182
4.1. Definitions | p. 183
4.2. Open category, specific category under operational declaration, accessories kit bearing a class identification label and remote identification add-ons | p. 184
4.3. Procedures | p. 189
4.3.1. Internal production control as set out in Part 7 of the Annex (Article 13(2)(a)) | p. 190
4.3.2. EU-type examination followed by conformity to type based on internal production control as set out in Part 8 of the Annex (Article 13(2)(b)) | p. 192
4.3.3. Conformity based on full quality assurance as set out in Part 9 of the Annex (Article 13(2)(c)) | p. 198
4.4. EU declaration of conformity and CE marking | p. 201
4.5. Obligations of economic operators | p. 205
4.6. Certified and specific categories, with the exclusion of operations under a declaration | p. 210
4.7. Parts 1–6, 16 and 17 of the Annex to Delegated Regulation | p. 212
Chapter 5
Protection of personal data in the operation of unmanned aircraft | p. 213
5.1. Introduction: Legal and technological conditions | p. 213
5.2. Right to privacy in relation to the use of drones | p. 221
5.2.1. Right to privacy | p. 221
5.2.2. System of guarantees for the right to privacy | p. 226
5.2.3. Risks to information privacy associated with the use of drones | p. 228
5.3. Right to protection of personal data in relation to the use of unmanned aircraft | p. 229
5.3.1. Right to protection of personal data | p. 229
5.3.2. Guarantees of personal data protection | p. 233
5.3.3. Scope of the GDPR | p. 238
5.4. Personal data, data processing and steps to be taken prior to conducting drone operations in order for the processing to be lawful | p. 241
5.4.1. Personal data | p. 241
5.4.2. Processing of personal data | p. 246
5.4.3. Prerequisites for the lawfulness of personal data processing | p. 247
5.4.4. Accountability principle – principles governing the processing of personal data | p. 252
5.4.5. Areas of personal data processing in the operation of drones under the GDPR | p. 255
5.5. Subjective conditions under the GDPR: Drone operator as a controller or a processor | p. 256
5.6. Obligations of drone operators with regard to the lawfulness of processing | p. 265
5.7. Records of processing activities | p. 269
5.8. Obligations of drone operators with regard to the exercise of the rights of data subjects | p. 271
5.9. Risk assessment with regard to the rights and freedoms of natural persons | p. 275
5.10. Obligations of drone operators with regard to data processing security | p. 277
5.11. Data protection impact assessment | p. 280
5.12. Personal data breaches and notification obligations | p. 282
5.13. Protection of personal data with regard to registration of UAS operators | p. 286
5.14. Final remarks | p. 288
Summary | p. 291
Schemes | p. 293
References | p. 315