According to the EU drone strategy, the development of the drone industry and manned electric aircraft should contribute to the EU's green and digital transition. Drones are already being used for deliveries in many countries, and the first passenger transportation by drones is expected in the EU in the near future. It is crucial for the EU to maintain its strategic independence in this field.

The initial Innovative Air Mobility (IAM) operations related to logistics are anticipated to take place using manned eVTOL (electrical Vertical Take-Off and Landing) aircraft. IAM operations are likely to be conducted on similar platforms in the future, but with remote control initially and eventually fully autonomous.

The European Commission has demonstrated its willingness to strengthen the EU's role as a geopolitical actor with a clear objective of building a stronger and more capable EU in the field of security and defence.

The drone ecosystem includes a security dimension (including cybersecurity) to achieve technological synergy between the civilian, security, and defence sectors.

Achieving synergies between these sectors is a crucial factor for the competitiveness of the European drone ecosystem and for the overall resilience of the Union.

Unmanned aviation and drones can have significant benefits for agriculture and forestry for several reasons:

• Efficiency: Drones can perform precise and fast tasks such as data collection and mapping.

• Analytics: Data collected by drones can be processed through data analytics.

• Improved production outcomes: Drones reduce the need for physically demanding and time-consuming tasks, allowing a focus on value-added activities.

• Reduced environmental impact: Drones can help reduce the environmental footprint of agriculture by emitting fewer pollutants and exerting minimal mechanical stress on the environment.