EU-wide Rules for Toy Drones Published

European drone rules are laid down in Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/945 and the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947. These rules will apply from June 2020.

Toy drones will be classed C0 Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UASs) when they meet the following specifications:

• A maximum take-off mass (MTOM) of less than 250g, including payload
• A maximum speed in level flight of 19 m/s
• A maximum attainable height above the take-off point limited to 120 m

1. The 'open’ category is a category of UAS operation that, considering the risks involved, does not require a prior authorization by the competent authority nor a declaration by the UAS operator before the operation takes place
2. The ‘specific’ category is a category of UAS operation that, considering the risks involved, requires an authorization by the competent authority before the operation takes place, taking into account the mitigation measures identified in an operational risk assessment, except for certain standard scenarios where a declaration by the operator is sufficient or when the operator holds a light UAS operator certificate (LUC) with the appropriate privileges
3. The ‘certified’ category is a category of UAS operation that, considering the risks involved, requires the certification of the UAS, a licensed remote pilot and an operator approved by the competent authority, in order to ensure an appropriate level of safety

The unmanned aircraft (UA) “open” category has three subcategories A1, A2 and A3. The A1 subcategory includes C0 and C1 drones.

Class C0 drones need to be marked with the UA class identification label:

In addition to the class identification all drones need to comply with CE-mark provisions like: CE-mark EC Declaration of Compliance, name and address, Technical Documentation. All UAS need to bear a unique serial number allowing their identification.

Drones that are toys should comply with both Regulation (EU) 2019/945 and the Toy Safety Directive 2009/48/EC.

Subcategory A1 drones, that have a maximum take-off mass (MTOM) of less than 250g, including payload are allowed to continue to be operated when they have been placed on the market before July 1, 2022.

SGS offers a wide range of services to ensure that your products comply with the EU Toy Safety Directive. We offer training, safety/risk assessment, technical documentation check, labelling review, testing according to harmonized standards, SVHC screening, inspections and audits. With the largest global network of toy experts and testing facilities around the world - around 20 toy labs worldwide including 3 EU Notified Bodies (France, Germany and Netherlands), SGS is the partner to trust. Please do not hesitate to contact us for further information or visit our website. 

For enquiries, please contact:

Sanda Stefanovic
Toy Expert
t: +318 8214 4617

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