In recent months alone, repeated drone sightings disrupted operations at energy infrastructure, airports and even military infrastructure across Europe. These incidents underline a growing and persistent threat to Europe’s security and resilience.

Against this backdrop, CoESS has once again called on the European Commission and Member States to take urgent action on Counter-UAS (C-UAS) and to provide clear legal certainty on roles, competencies, and standard operating procedures.

Legal uncertainty limits effective protection

Today, private security companies across Europe are typically authorised only to detect drones. In most cases, they cannot properly assess the threat, identify the operator, or neutralise the device - even though technologies and market demand exist.

This legal gap is increasingly problematic. Private security personnel are already present at a vast number of sensitive sites, while law enforcement resources are limited and response times are often extremely short during an incident. As CoESS stressed in a dedicated meeting with EU policymakers, this situation leaves critical infrastructure exposed.

The industry has been raising these concerns for years. Concrete recommendations were already shared in 2023, yet little to no progress has been made at national level since then. CoESS therefore reiterates its call that conversations and frameworks are necessary at level to see if private security should receive additional competencies in the field of C-UAS.

EU tools exist - but national action lags behind

At EU level, important steps have been taken. The European Commission has launched a legal mapping exercise and published highly valuable handbooks on protection against drones. These tools provide a solid foundation - but they must now translate into national frameworks that enable effective action on the ground.

A shared transatlantic challenge

In November 2025, CoESS hosted a transatlantic webinar with US counterparts at the Security Industry Association (SIA), confirming that similar legal and operational challenges persist on both sides of the Atlantic. At the same time, the rapid evolution of drone technologies and tactics - clearly visible in the Russian war against Ukraine - shows that the threat to European infrastructure will only intensify.

Time to move from analysis to action

CoESS calls on EU and national authorities to move beyond studies and guidance and urgently clarify who can do what, when, and how in a C-UAS incident. Legal certainty, proper coordination, and the smart use of existing private security capacities are essential to protect Europe’s critical infrastructure in an increasingly contested airspace.