Modern agriculture is currently experiencing a fascinating paradox: while global demands for sustainability and food security are growing, the crop protection tools available to support the needs of EU farmers are under constant threat.
In this landscape, Digital and Precision Agriculture (DPA) is emerging not just as a trend, but as a true cornerstone of a sector that must be productive and resilient at the same time. Among the tools driving this revolution, drones, or Unmanned Aerial Spraying Systems (UASS), stand out as advanced tools that allow farmers to complement their established expertise with field scouting and pest pressure mapping, as well as enabling accurate site-specific (patch) treatment.
The beauty of drone technology in the application of plant protection products lies in its capacity to target specific areas of a field, and difficult terrain in particular. Imagine being able to treat a steep vineyard in the Douro Valley, or a muddy field after heavy rain, where a tractor would certainly get stuck. Beyond mere convenience, we are looking at huge environmental gains: the use of drones can reduce water consumption by 90% to 95% [1, 2], and since they run mainly on battery power, they can significantly lower carbon emissions. Moreover, by flying over the crop, they eliminate the damage caused by tractor wheel tracks, which can destroy more than 5% of the harvest in crops such as maize.
Regulation that has not kept pace with the potential of drones to support precision application
However, in the European Union, drones are still hidden away in a complex regulatory drawer. The current Sustainable Use Directive (SUD) classifies drones as "aerial spraying", a term that historically referred to aeroplanes and helicopters, which is prohibited by default and permitted only under very specific derogations. In 2024, Portugal, supported by 14 other Member States, asked the European Commission for clearer guidelines on the use of drones and on the inclusion of these and other digital and precision agriculture technologies in the legal product authorisation process. Without a clear and ambitious roadmap to facilitate drone applications at EU level, there is a risk that some Member States will feel compelled to take on this initiative at national level, leading to a fragmented approach and creating an uneven playing field for EU farmers. The request highlights an urgent problem: technology is advancing faster than regulation, and Europe must keep pace to remain competitive, as other regions have already shown.
A window of opportunity
There is now a concrete opportunity to close this gap.
The Food and Feed Safety Omnibus offers a timely instrument to modernise EU rules so that they better reflect real-world risk reduction and innovation. Now is the right time to enable drone applications by clarifying the conditions under which drone-based application meets the same safety criteria as ground applications and can therefore be authorised on a regular basis. If addressed pragmatically, the Omnibus can help ensure that EU legislation enables a safer, more targeted and more sustainable use of plant protection products rather than restricting innovation. However, a practical and future-proof approach must be ensured so that EU farmers can take full advantage of the current EC proposal to amend the existing SUD to allow drone applications.
Firstly, to avoid an uneven playing field across the EU, a harmonised and uniform framework should be established in all Member States once the Directive has been adapted. Secondly, given the fast pace of technological development, the Delegated Act envisaged by the EC should follow a criteria-based approach rather than a 'positive list of specific drones' approach, in order to provide a future-proof set of rules. Finally, a clear roadmap with interim steps should also be developed to introduce the EU framework that will make drone applications possible. This roadmap should also provide clear guidance for Member States on granting derogations for drone applications before the adoption of the Delegated Act, as well as guidance for stakeholders on the type of data that needs to be generated to assess the risks associated with drone applications.
Including drone technology in the toolbox of application techniques will provide farmers with an additional solution adapted to difficult growing conditions, as well as a cost-effective tool for implementing precision uses. To achieve this, we need regulation that enables innovation and recognises the exciting potential of drones to support precision application needs.
Sustainable food production must be driven by science, innovation and the pragmatism of giving farmers the best tools of the 21st century.
Drones are part of this future. It is time to let them fly.
