During an across-the-board discussion at the Executive Yuan today on the management of drones, it was emphasized that this issue must be raised to the level of homeland security, and that its management principles and legislation direction must be premised on ensuring national security and public safety while safeguarding individuals' rights and interests as well as their legal activities.
Minister without Portfolio Yeh Shin-cheng hosted the meeting, which was attended by officials from related ministries, including the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC), Ministry of the Interior (MOI), Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of Justice (MOJ), Ministry of Education and National Communications Commission.
Minister Yeh stated that drones are convenient and can be used in various situations such as disaster rescue, law and order, research, aerial photography and new technological recreation, but if they are not properly regulated they could endanger flight safety and public security as well as infringe on personal privacy. Drones could also be used as weapons by those with ill intent, threatening national security.
Therefore, drones are not mere aerial cameras, and their many uses as well as the safety problems they pose must each be considered from the perspective of national security. While national security and public safety are the top priorities, the government will also take into consideration people's personal rights and interests and safeguard their legal activities.
The Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) under the MOTC elaborated at the meeting that the Civil Aviation Act currently has regulations governing the flight areas of "unmanned aircraft." In the future, management regulations on drones will be formulated based on their weight and whether they are for personal, civil or commercial use, and will cover the qualifications of personnel, arrangement of airspace, and certification and registration of equipment. Current laws that do not cover these areas will be amended along with regulations for their competent authorities. The MOTC will also invite related agencies and local governments to discuss and study coordinated regulatory measures between the central and local administrations, so that local governments can formulate regulations suited to their respective conditions.
The Executive Yuan pointed out that the CAA should analyze the strength of regulatory measures of different nations and formulate revisions based on the principles of "augmenting the scopes, clearly delineating rights and responsibilities, formulating regulations compatible with the present situation and allowing flexible room for future development." There should be different levels of regulation for private, civil and commercial usage.
From the perspective of safeguarding law and order, the MOI's National Police Agency should simulate various situations in which a drone could inflict damage and formulate applicable laws and regulations and methods of dealing with them, the Executive Yuan stated. Likewise, the MOJ should present potential legal issues concerning the use of drones, applicable laws and regulations, and principles for handling such situations. The basic guideline is that there must be laws and regulations applicable to manage every case of drone use.