General information

Non-EASA activities or services

‘Non-EASA activities or services’ are those excluded from the scope of Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Article 2.3(a), which include customs, police, search and rescue, firefighting, border control, coastal surveillance or similar activities or services, including traffic surveillance and discipline throughout the national territory, under the control and responsibility of a Member State, undertaken in the general interest by or on behalf of a body vested with public authority.

Legal status

The regulations governing non-EASA civil activities or services carried out with UAS in Spain are Royal Decree 517/2024 of 4 June.

Royal Decree 517/2024 of 4 June

That Royal Decree lays down the legal regime applicable to non-EASA activities or services carried out directly by a body vested with public authority responsible for the respective activity or service (non-EASA direct activities) and those carried out on behalf of a body vested with public authority (non-EASA indirect activities).

In addition to the provisions of Royal Decree 517/2024, the European regulation applies to non-EASA direct activities or services, with certain exceptions.

Indirect non-EASA activities are subject to RD 517/2024 and European UAS regulations.

Resolution of 10 November 2024 of the Directorate of the State Aviation Safety Agency, code GR-D-031, approving national standard scenarios (STS-ES-NE) for UAS operations in the ‘Specific’ category in non-EASA activities or services in accordance with Royal Decree 517/2024 of 4 June, developing the legal regime for the civilian use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS).

As an aid for the adaptation of direct non-EASA operators to Royal Decree 517/2024, it has the following explanatory document: