Audible response
Danish Ports’ response to the Commission’s proposal for an action plan on drone safety and anti-drone safety
Danish Ports would like to thank the Commission for the opportunity to provide comments on its action plan for drone safety and anti-drone safety.
Danish Ports emphasizes that surveillance, detection, and operational countermeasures against drone activities in the maritime domain should remain the responsibility of the authorities.
- Danske Havne believes that technological solutions for the protection of critical maritime infrastructure should be funded through EU funds or national funding and should not be imposed on individual ports.
- Danske Havne believes that technological solutions for the protection of critical maritime infrastructure should be funded through EU funds or national funding and should not be imposed on individual ports.
Danish ports play a vital role in Denmark’s and the EU’s overall critical infrastructure. In light of geopolitical developments, there is a need for a coordinated effort to address an escalating threat landscape, including hybrid threats and activities targeting critical infrastructure in Europe. Danske Havne therefore welcomes the Commission’s work on an action plan for drone safety and anti-drone security.
Ports are a central part of critical infrastructure and play a crucial role in security of supply, energy supply, the green transition, military mobility, as well as trade and international supply chains. At the same time, we are seeing increasing use of both aerial and underwater drones. This underscores the need for strengthened efforts to protect critical maritime infrastructure.
The Commission’s action plan also notes that ports, energy facilities, transport hubs, and maritime infrastructure are particularly vulnerable to drone activities. This highlights the need for targeted action. At the same time, it is important that new measures be implemented in a proportionate manner, with a clear division of responsibilities and without imposing a disproportionate burden on ports.
1. Legal Clarity and Liability
Danske Havne considers it essential that responsibility for monitoring, detecting, and managing drone activities remain with the relevant authorities, including the police, the military, and other government agencies. Measures such as jamming, neutralizing, or taking down drones can have significant security and liability implications. Therefore, such operational countermeasures should remain the responsibility of the authorities. Ports can contribute through cooperation, information sharing, and local situational awareness, but should not be held responsible for operational interventions. In this regard, Danish Ports wishes to be an active partner in the development of solutions and cooperation models between the port sector and the relevant authorities.
2. Funding and Proportionality
The Action Plan contains a number of proposals for technological and operational measures designed to strengthen the protection of critical infrastructure against drone activities. Danish Ports considers it important that any new requirements for security measures in port areas be accompanied by adequate funding from the EU or national authorities. Implementation should be carried out in a manner that does not impose disproportionate financial burdens on ports as a result of security measures that stem primarily from national and European security considerations.
3. Administration and Port Conditions
The maritime dimension requires solutions that take into account the specific conditions in ports and the maritime environment. Threats from aerial and underwater drones differ significantly from the situation at, for example, airports and other transportation hubs.
Therefore, Danish Ports proposes the following:
- That the implementation of the action plan is carried out with a clear division of roles, adequate funding, and the involvement of the port sector in relevant stress tests and pilot initiatives.
Danish Ports supports the goal of strengthening the EU’s resilience to drone and hybrid threats. Ports play a vital role in protecting critical maritime infrastructure, and the sector is eager to contribute to the further development of solutions and models for cooperation.
Danish Ports is available for further discussion regarding the national implementation and Denmark’s position in future EU efforts.
