Update: June 2020 - the CAA have now stated the IR will be delayed to apply from 31st December 2020
There are two key regulations published by the European Commission:
Commission Implementing Regulation 2019/947 (referred to as the IR)
Commission Delegated Regulation 2019/945 (referred to as the DR)
If you are a drone operator or a drone training organisation then the IR (947) is of more interest to you. If you are a drone manufacturer, seller, importer, or perhaps a 3rd country operator then the DR (945) will be of more interest. I’ve put the following image together to give a quick overview of what they cover:
Package summary and pertinent dates.
Both the IR and DR have entered into force already but the IR has not yet become applicable (btw my interpretation is that Entry into Force means the regs formally exist and are legally acknowledged but can’t yet be enforced. Then only when it becomes Applicable are we obligated to follow them as they can be enforced. The time difference gives states, industry, and organizations to get prepared. Other reasons behind having this distinction can be found here).
It’s worth noting that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to the CAA postponing the applicability date of the IR from July to November 2020. This could be delayed further.
At a high level, the new regulations cover much more than currently in the UK ANO, here’s a brief list:
Registration
Competency
Age
Operator and Pilot Responsibilities
Aircraft Equippage
Model Aircraft Clubs
Safety
Privacy
Security
Toys
Insurance
Data Protection
Environment (noise)
+more
The extent of how much of these rules and regulations apply to you will depend on which of the three categories your drone or operation falls into:
Three categories of EU Commission Rules
Open covers low risk operations (e.g. using certified aircraft and/or in very low risk areas), Certified covers high risk operations (e.g. carrying people and/or overflying large assemblies of people) and Specific covers everything inbetween with some overlap at both ends. I’ll cover these individually.
Small Print: These posts are a summary only, include my personal interpretation and is not intended to be a replacement for reading the actual rules.