Impending implementation decree for the experimental use of drones in agriculture: details and ministries involved
The new inter-ministerial decree will define the conditions for the use of drones in agriculture, including types of crops, plant protection products and operational regulations.
The use of experimental drones in agriculture could start in the next few days, with the approval - delayed - of the inter-ministerial implementing decree that would effectively make Article 13-bis of the legislative decree 150/2012 operational.
According to what Mr Gadda said in a recent hearing - consulted by Radiocor - in the Agriculture Commission of the Chamber of Deputies, 'the Ministry's objective is to complete, within a few days, the phase oftechnical and inter-ministerial consultation, so as to arrive at a shared definition of the implementing decree and allow the experimental phase envisaged by the regulation to begin'.
The Interministerial Decree on Agriculture, Environment, Health, Infrastructure will define:
types of agricultural land and crops for which intervention is necessary;
types of plant protection products that can be used; operating conditions.
The experimental phase will last three years
On 20 April 2026, the first interministerial meeting took place, which was also attended by the Enac, as the competent authority for technical regulation, certification, supervision and control in the field of civil aviation.
Subsequently, a specific technical working group was set up, composed of representatives of the ministries. The subject is also being studied in depth at European level, as part of the so-called 'Omnibus package' on regulatory simplification.
