# Action Plan on Drone and Counter Drone Security Canonical URL: https://digital-acquis.eu/initiative/action-plan-on-drone-and-counter-drone-security Entry type: initiative Source edition current through: 17 July 2026 (2026-07-17). This is not a page modification date. Status: delivered. A delivered initiative is not necessarily legislation in force. Instrument: Communication Date as recorded: 11 Feb 2026 Date kind: date Status note: full date links only to published artifact types ## Summary Action Plan on Drone and Counter-Drone Security prioritises a Drone Security Package, coordinated risk assessment and industrial coordination to address drone threats. Proposed actions include registration and direct remote identification for drones above 100g, D-TECT Forum launch in Q2 2026, a Drone Security Toolbox and an EU Trusted Drone Label. The plan also covers resilience testing for critical infrastructure, training, cellular detection, voluntary deployment and procurement, annual exercises, a centre of excellence and cooperation with Ukraine. ## Sources - [Official source]() ## Action items (52; complete published list) ### 1. Action item 630001 As a matter of priority, the Commission, together with Member States, where appropriate, will: Provenance: source document doc-089, paragraph 1. Digital dimension: no. ### 2. Action item 630002 Propose a Drone Security Package by Q3 2026to rapidly adapt the regulatory framework to new security threats: Provenance: source document doc-089, paragraph 2. Digital dimension: no. ### 3. Action item 630003 Ensure mandatory registration for all drone operators of smaller drones (above 100g). Provenance: source document doc-089, paragraph 3. Digital dimension: no. ### 4. Action item 630004 Extend drone direct remote identification obligation to smaller drones (above 100g). Provenance: source document doc-089, paragraph 4. Digital dimension: no. ### 5. Action item 630005 Avoid take-off of drones unless an operator identification number has been entered. Provenance: source document doc-089, paragraph 5. Digital dimension: no. ### 6. Action item 630006 Introduce regulatory simplification and flexibility for certain operations. Provenance: source document doc-089, paragraph 6. Digital dimension: no. ### 7. Action item 630008 Work with willing Member States on a voluntary plan to stress test the resilience of critical infrastructures against drone intrusion. Provenance: source document doc-089, paragraph 8. Digital dimension: no. ### 8. Action item 630009 Adopt non-binding CER guidelines on resilience enhancing measures for critical entities with targeted guidance on countering threats posed by drones (Q2 2026). Provenance: source document doc-089, paragraph 9. Digital dimension: no. ### 9. Action item 630010 Issue a Recommendation on voluntary performance requirements for counter-drone systems (Q4 2026) Provenance: source document doc-089, paragraph 10. Digital dimension: no. ### 10. Action item 630011 Launch by Q3 2026 a Coordinated Security risk assessment on drones and counter- drone capacities, with a view to adopt a Drone Security Toolbox. Provenance: source document doc-089, paragraph 11. Digital dimension: no. ### 11. Action item 630012 Launch in Q2 2026 a drone and counter-drone industrial forum – the “D-TECT Forum” (Drone TEch for Countering Threats). Provenance: source document doc-089, paragraph 12. Digital dimension: no. ### 12. Action item 630013 Support the scaling up of drone and counter-drone start-ups and the ramping up of production capacities. Provenance: source document doc-089, paragraph 13. Digital dimension: no. ### 13. Action item 630014 Gather immediately a working group with interested Member States targeting balloon threatsand launch in Q2 2026 a dedicated hackathon on balloons threats, for the industry and start-up community to propose innovative solutions. Provenance: source document doc-089, paragraph 14. Digital dimension: no. ### 14. Action item 630016 The Commission, will follow up with Member States, in order to: Provenance: source document doc-089, paragraph 16. Digital dimension: no. ### 15. Action item 630017 Develop by Q4 2026 an EU Trusted Drone Label to enhance trustworthiness of civil drones placed on the market. Provenance: source document doc-089, paragraph 17. Digital dimension: no. ### 16. Action item 630018 Improve by Q4 2026 the availability of UAS geographical zone information, and by 2027 establish the technical requirements for geofencing function. Provenance: source document doc-089, paragraph 18. Digital dimension: no. ### 17. Action item 630019 Establish by Q1 2027 a EU counter-drone centre of excellence and launch testing programmes, integrating aviation safety requirements. Support the development of full standard for a harmonised testing methodology for countering unmanned aircraft systems. Provenance: source document doc-089, paragraph 19. Digital dimension: no. ### 18. Action item 630020 Launch by 2027 a pilot action to enhance maritime domain awareness to counter surface and undersea drone threats Provenance: source document doc-089, paragraph 20. Digital dimension: no. ### 19. Action item 630021 Expand in Q1 2026 the composition of the Commission-chaired Counter-drone Expert Group (CUASG) to include relevant EU Agencies (e.g. Frontex, Europol, EDA, EASA). Provenance: source document doc-089, paragraph 21. Digital dimension: no. ### 20. Action item 630022 Upgrade by Q2 2026 the training cycle for law enforcement operators to include mitigation and neutralisation measures. Provenance: source document doc-089, paragraph 22. Digital dimension: no. ### 21. Action item 630024 As a matter of priority, the Commission, together with Member States, will: Provenance: source document doc-089, paragraph 24. Digital dimension: no. ### 22. Action item 630025 Launch a Call for Expressions of Interest to Member States, Ukraine and European industrial partners to live test and deploy cellular-based, dual-use drone detection capacity (Q2 2026): Provenance: source document doc-089, paragraph 25. Digital dimension: no. ### 23. Action item 630026 AI-based early alert mechanism of malicious connected drones enhanced by the digital airspace concept; Provenance: source document doc-089, paragraph 26. Digital dimension: no. ### 24. Action item 630027 Cellular sensing detection of non-connected drones; Provenance: source document doc-089, paragraph 27. Digital dimension: no. ### 25. Action item 630028 Embedding cellular sensing into current and upcoming military applications. Provenance: source document doc-089, paragraph 28. Digital dimension: no. ### 26. Action item 630029 Take the necessary regulatory steps to allow spectrum to be used for sensing through an amended spectrum harmonisation decision. Provenance: source document doc-089, paragraph 29. Digital dimension: no. ### 27. Action item 630030 The Commission will also follow-up with Member States in order to: Provenance: source document doc-089, paragraph 30. Digital dimension: no. ### 28. Action item 630031 Improve situational awareness through Provenance: source document doc-089, paragraph 31. Digital dimension: no. ### 29. Action item 630032 The integration of relevant data into dedicated single display systems; Provenance: source document doc-089, paragraph 32. Digital dimension: no. ### 30. Action item 630033 Exploring the progressive establishment an EU drone incident platform; Provenance: source document doc-089, paragraph 33. Digital dimension: no. ### 31. Action item 630034 Integrating detection, tracking and identification capabilities into national border surveillance systems; Provenance: source document doc-089, paragraph 34. Digital dimension: no. ### 32. Action item 630035 Common data formats for counter-drone capabilities. Provenance: source document doc-089, paragraph 35. Digital dimension: no. ### 33. Action item 630036 Strongly encourage Member States to set up an information-sharing framework between civil aviation authorities, law enforcement and military. Provenance: source document doc-089, paragraph 36. Digital dimension: no. ### 34. Action item 630038 As a matter of urgency, the Commission, together with Member States will: Provenance: source document doc-089, paragraph 38. Digital dimension: no. ### 35. Action item 630039 Launch by Q2 2026 a call for Expression of Interest to establish a voluntary EU counter-drone deployment initiative for critical infrastructure based on: Provenance: source document doc-089, paragraph 39. Digital dimension: no. ### 36. Action item 630040 An overview of EU dual use counter-drone capability needs. Provenance: source document doc-089, paragraph 40. Digital dimension: no. ### 37. Action item 630041 a joint development pilot programme for counter-drone capacities. Provenance: source document doc-089, paragraph 41. Digital dimension: no. ### 38. Action item 630042 Voluntary joint purchasing for the protection of critical infrastructure. Provenance: source document doc-089, paragraph 42. Digital dimension: no. ### 39. Action item 630043 Deploying Counter-drone capacities in maritime and land border (through the €250m call on expression of interest under the BMVI). Provenance: source document doc-089, paragraph 43. Digital dimension: no. ### 40. Action item 630044 As part of the ongoing rollout of AI Gigafactories, support home grown, dual use and AI-Powered C2 capacities for autonomous assets with the view to deploy sovereign software solutions. Provenance: source document doc-089, paragraph 44. Digital dimension: no. ### 41. Action item 630045 Launch a yearly EU large-scale drone security/blueprint exercise to testcross border cooperation and civilian/military synergies (first exercise in autumn 2026). Provenance: source document doc-089, paragraph 45. Digital dimension: no. ### 42. Action item 630047 The Commission will follow up with Member States to: Provenance: source document doc-089, paragraph 47. Digital dimension: no. ### 43. Action item 630048 Launch a feasibility study for an EU level counter-drone regulatory framework setting a common minimum baseline for Member State authorities, and private operators of critical infrastructure. Provenance: source document doc-089, paragraph 48. Digital dimension: no. ### 44. Action item 630049 Adopt a Commission Recommendation on countering threats posed by drones for law enforcement operators. Provenance: source document doc-089, paragraph 49. Digital dimension: no. ### 45. Action item 630050 Support Frontex in using drones for enhanced border surveillance purposes through joint operations, drone and counter-drone pilots and live demos. Provenance: source document doc-089, paragraph 50. Digital dimension: no. ### 46. Action item 630051 Explore by Q4 2026 the establishment of Rapid Counter-drone emergency teams to enhance the solidarity and mutual assistance against drone threats. Provenance: source document doc-089, paragraph 51. Digital dimension: no. ### 47. Action item 630052 Encourage Member States to develop the right legal framework in place to allow to take efficient remedial measures, including take downs, against drone threats and empowering private critical infrastructure owners to take the necessary measures. Provenance: source document doc-089, paragraph 52. Digital dimension: no. ### 48. Action item 630054 As a matter of priority, the Commission and the High Representative within their respective prerogatives, will: Provenance: source document doc-089, paragraph 54. Digital dimension: no. ### 49. Action item 630055 Intensify its support to Member States in the Priority Capability Area Drone and Counter-Drone, including through fostering convergence and synergies across PCA’s coalition work and related ongoing capability efforts as well as through tools such as the EDPCI and SEAP. Such efforts will frame the European Defence Drone Initiative, and the Eastern Flank Watch initiative. Provenance: source document doc-089, paragraph 55. Digital dimension: no. ### 50. Action item 630056 Support the rapid industrialisation of drone / counter-drone solutions for defence purposes. Provenance: source document doc-089, paragraph 56. Digital dimension: no. ### 51. Action item 630057 Launch the Drone Alliance Initiative with Ukraine to incentivise the creation of an innovative industrial ecosystem. Provenance: source document doc-089, paragraph 57. Digital dimension: no. ### 52. Action item 630058 Incentivise and support exchanges and training programmes between Ukraine and Member States for drone pilots, engineers and maintenance specialists. Provenance: source document doc-089, paragraph 58. Digital dimension: no. ## Referenced entries - [AI Gigafactories]() — status: forthcoming. AI Gigafactories will give Europe frontier-scale compute to train state-of-the-art models. Each site will exceed 100,000 high-performance processors, be designed for energy and water efficiency and circularity, and be federated with EuroHPC’s AI Factories. Financing will blend public-private partnerships with the InvestAI Facility and an official EuroHPC call in Q4 2025. Facilities will co-locate data, training, safety and evaluation capabilities; provide shared access for startups, researchers and the public sector; and anchor regional skills pipelines. As a pilot for the Competitiveness Coordination Tool, they will crowd-in private capital, spur EU AI-chip design ahead of the 2026 Chips Act review, and secure sovereign AI capacity. Source document doc-089, action item 630044: > As part of the ongoing rollout of AI Gigafactories, support home grown, dual use and AI-Powered C2 capacities for autonomous assets with the view to deploy sovereign software solutions. ## Citing documents - [ProtectEU: Agenda to prevent and counter terrorism]() — status: not recorded. Source document doc-090, action item 640031: > Implement the EU Action Plan on drone and counter drone security ## Current developments Latest updates from Digital Policy Alert and Global Trade Alert. No reviewed developments available; this does not establish that no developments exist. ## Associated policy priorities - [External Strategy, Security & Democratic Resilience]() ## Broader policy context (shared priority; not a direct citation) - [Action Plan on the Cybersecurity of Hospitals and Healthcare Providers]() — status: delivered. Healthcare cybersecurity action is centred on a European Cybersecurity Support Centre, sector-specific guidance, maturity assessment and incident-response support. Planned measures include a rapid-response service in the EU Cybersecurity Reserve, a Health Cybersecurity Advisory Board, a network of health CISOs, cyber exercises and a ransomware recovery subscription service. The plan also covers cyber hygiene, threat intelligence, procurement guidance, training, regulatory mapping and international cooperation. - [Digitalisation of Return Case Management]() — status: forthcoming. The Commission will table a dedicated initiative to digitalise Member States’ return case management, as part of a new common approach on returns. COM(2025) 101 sets a common return system and, in Art. 42(1)(d), makes national digital systems for return/readmission/reintegration a core component; a separate act will specify interoperability, once-only data flows and statistics. The Commission’s Political Guidelines commit to digitalising case management; von der Leyen’s 17 March letter signalled presentation by end-2025. A 2026 consultation under the Work Programme will prepare governance and implementation, aligning with SIS/Eurodac and digital-by-default delivery while ensuring uniform practice across the Union. - [DigitalJustice@2030]() — status: delivered. The Commission's justice digitalisation programme will expand shared tools, data availability and cross-border digital cooperation. It plans a repository of digital justice tools, an IT toolbox, exchanges among Member States and guidance on high-risk AI. Other actions cover legal and judicial-data reuse, common videoconferencing requirements, remote participation in criminal hearings, support for national digitalisation and further development of the European Electronic Access Point. - [EU Action Plan on Cable Security]() — status: delivered. EU Action Plan on Cable Security aims to prevent, detect and respond to risks affecting submarine cables. By Q4 2025, the Commission, Member States and ENISA are to complete cable mapping, a coordinated risk assessment, a Cable Security Toolbox and a priority list of Cable Projects of European Interest. Further measures address investment, integrated surveillance, regional hubs, sensors, surveillance drones, incident reporting, repair vessels and spare parts, alongside crisis response, NATO cooperation, diplomacy, sanctions and attribution. - [European Centre for Democratic Resilience]() — status: not recorded. The Centre will be the operational backbone of the European Democracy Shield, uniting national capabilities to detect, analyse and attribute foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI). It will pool open-source intelligence, media forensics and platform signals, provide rapid alerts and incident-response templates, and coordinate joint attribution with partners. The Centre will convene Member States and neighbouring countries, standardise methodologies, and channel support to independent media and media-literacy initiatives. By closing gaps between monitoring, policy action and sanctions, it will strengthen deterrence, help protect elections and debate, and build a European capacity against hybrid threats. - [European Democracy Shield]() — status: delivered. It will harden democratic resilience by combining early detection of foreign information manipulation, coordinated analysis and rapid response across the Union. A new European Centre for Democratic Resilience will pool national expertise and capacities as the hub for monitoring, attribution and joint action with partners. The Shield will leverage the EU’s FIMI toolbox and the Digital Services Act, expand media- and digital-literacy efforts, and strengthen crisis communication to counter disinformation systematically. It complements a forthcoming Media Resilience Programme supporting independent journalism, and is anchored in upgrades to EU internal-security governance. Work will also address harmful social-media design and youth well-being through expert advice on safeguards and enforcement. - [European Preparedness Union Strategy]() — status: delivered. The Preparedness Union Strategy would improve EU anticipation, coordination and response across crises through an EU risk and threat assessment, crisis dashboard and an upgraded Emergency Response Coordination Centre. It also proposes stockpiling, minimum preparedness requirements, revised civil-protection arrangements, early-warning guidance and preparedness training. The strategy includes measures for public-private continuity planning, population self-sufficiency during extreme disruptions, EU-wide exercises, civil-military coordination and cooperation with partner countries. - [European Space Shield]() — status: forthcoming. The European Space Shield is a proposed flagship within the Readiness Roadmap for defence readiness. It would establish and protect a European system of space capabilities for defence purposes, building on EU space systems and national capacities. The roadmap envisages endorsement of the shield as a priority flagship, coordinated prioritisation through space and defence programmes, coordination with Member States' procurement plans, and the shield's launch. - [Europol & Eurojust Revision]() — status: in progress. Europol & Eurojust Revision seeks to modernise Eurojust's legal framework and strengthen cross-border criminal-justice cooperation. The proposal addresses structural and operational constraints identified by the 2025 evaluation, improving governance and operational performance, cooperation with EU partners and third countries, and analytical and proactive capacity. It would expand Eurojust's mandate to cybercrime, gender-based violence and violations of EU restrictive measures, while reinforcing coordination with Europol and supporting work on serious and organised cross-border crime. - [Frontex Revision & EU Visa Support Office]() — status: forthcoming. Frontex is slated for a stronger mandate and reinforced standing corps, allowing the European Border and Coast Guard Agency to expand its presence and operational support. The Commission also assigns Frontex a stronger role in supporting Member States with returns and places a visa strategy among measures aimed at attracting international talent and reducing administrative barriers. - [Harmonised EU Framework for Data Retention]() — status: forthcoming. The Commission is preparing an impact assessment on data retention by service providers for criminal proceedings. The work responds to divergent national rules and the absence of an EU-wide framework, which authorities identify as an obstacle to investigations and cross-border cooperation. Consultations will examine the obstacles, possible non-regulatory and regulatory responses, and impacts on citizens' security, electronic-communications services and the protection of fundamental rights. - [International Digital Strategy]() — status: delivered. International Digital Strategy would extend EU digital cooperation through partnerships, dialogues, trade agreements and infrastructure with trusted partners. The programme covers secure connectivity, Digital Public Infrastructure, AI, software, submarine cables, satellite connectivity, quantum research, semiconductors, high-performance computing, cybersecurity and digital identity. Measures include the Digital Partnership Network, additional bilateral and regional partnerships, EU Tech Business Offer, support for Arctic, MEDUSA and Blue-Raman cables, and integration work on the EU Digital Identity Wallet with Ukraine, Moldova and the Western Balkans. - [New Strategic EU-India Agenda]() — status: delivered. Europe have tabled a Strategic EU–India Agenda that elevates the partnership across five pillars: prosperity, technology, security, connectivity and enablers. It prioritises concluding an FTA and an Investment Protection Agreement, alongside Global Gateway investments and supply-chain de-risking via the EU–India TTC (chips, solar, APIs). It deepens digital cooperation (e.g. trusted data flows, secure 5G/6G and interoperable digital public infrastructures) and expands joint R&I in AI, HPC/quantum and space. A Security and Defence Partnership with a Security of Information Agreement will underpin maritime, cyber and hybrid resilience. Delivery will be steered by an annual summit, upgraded TTC, and an EU–India Business Forum. - [ProtectEU: A European Internal Security Strategy]() — status: delivered. ProtectEU sets out EU internal-security action based on regular threat assessments and stronger operational capacity. It covers terrorism, organised crime, cyber-related and hybrid threats, with proposed changes involving Europol, Eurojust and Frontex. The strategy also calls for a European Critical Communication System, better protection of critical infrastructure and transport hubs, stronger cybersecurity, updated organised-crime and firearms rules, and closer operational cooperation with partner regions. - [Roadmap on Lawful and Effective Access to Data]() — status: delivered. The Roadmap for lawful and effective access to data for law enforcement sets out the conditions that should govern access to digital evidence. It says access must be necessary, proportionate, founded on clear, precise and accessible legal rules, subject to independent oversight and accompanied by effective remedies. The roadmap identifies deleted data, jurisdictional conflicts, difficult device forensics, encryption and limited analytical capacity as obstacles to obtaining criminal evidence. - [Strengthening EU Economy Security]() — status: delivered. Strengthening EU Economy Security centres on faster risk assessment, shared intelligence and action to reduce dependencies in critical supply chains, technologies and infrastructure. The Commission proposes an Economic Security Information Hub, stronger coordination with Member States, an adviser group involving businesses, trade-resilience information and an expanded Observatory on Critical Technologies. It will also consider funding safeguards, foreign-investment screening guidance, dual-use export-control evaluation, trade-defence tools, customs measures, procurement preferences and restrictions on high-risk suppliers. - [Team Europe]() — status: delivered. Aligns the EU, Member States, the EIB/EBRD, agencies and the private sector to act as one, pooling finance, expertise and diplomacy for maximum impact. Born during COVID-19, it is now the default delivery model for international partnerships and Global Gateway. It coordinates over 160 Team Europe Initiatives and mobilised €179 billion in 2021–2023, underpinned by instruments such as the €40 billion EFSD+ guarantee and regular Global Gateway business fora, with governance via a Board, Business Advisory Group, and a Civil Society & Local Authorities platform. By joining up investments, reforms and standards, Team Europe scales high-standard projects worldwide and strengthens EU strategic influence. - [The Pact for the Mediterranean]() — status: delivered. The EU will forge a new pact with Southern Neighbourhood partners, building on the 2021 Agenda, with a strong digital pillar to deepen political engagement and cooperation. Priorities include secure connectivity under Global Gateway (most visibly the MEDUSA submarine cable linking the northern and southern shores and boosting regional capacity) alongside resilient cable and satellite links. Cooperation will use Trade & Technology-style dialogues, Cyber Dialogues, and association to Horizon Europe and Digital Europe, embedded in tailor-made Comprehensive and Strategic Partnerships (e.g. Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan). Work will advance trusted 5G/cable security, skills and innovation, and gradual policy harmonisation supporting integration with EU digital rules where relevant. - [White Paper for European Defence]() — status: delivered. The White Paper invites Member States to increase collaborative defence procurement and proposes fast consideration of SAFE and the European Defence Industry Programme. It calls for military support to Ukraine and greater integration of Ukraine's defence industry, mobility corridors and access to EU space-based governmental services. Further measures include a defence-industry dialogue, a Defence Omnibus Simplification proposal, an armament technology roadmap and military-mobility action. --- [Reading guide and interpretation notes]() · [Methodology]()