Projected changes concerning UAS in the Polish Aviation Law and other acts

Abstract

The unmanned aerial vehicle industry is developing dynamically and ahead of the regulations. Integrating manned and unmanned aviation is necessary to ensure an appropriate level of safety and the sustainable development of the unmanned aerial vehicle industry. Therefore, an amendment to the Polish aviation law has been prepared. It includes the effective EU regulations on UAS, which have been applied directly since the beginning of 2021. EU law, however, requires more details in many aspects. Specifying EU solutions will allow for a more effective impact of the regulations on UAS users and aviation authorities and the achievement of the assumed goals of the proposed changes. The article presents the reasons for the introduced changes, the outline and essence of EU regulatory solutions, and elements of national solutions. The proposed changes to the Aviation Law, the PANSA Act of December 8, 2006, and April 13, 2016, Act on compliance assessment and market surveillance systems were presented. The most important thing is the additional Section VIa - Unmanned Aerial Vehicles added to the Aviation Law. The article covers the content of six chapters, additional provisions, penal provisions, and new charges for geographic zones. The proposed amendments to the PANSA Act related to new obligations for the Agency are also presented. The article ends with a summary and conclusions that indicate the positive impact of the amendment. At the same time, an attempt was made to evaluate the introduced changes by identifying the shortcomings and imperfections of the new regulations.