Official legalization of the use of drones in agriculture

On February 28, 2024 The National Assembly approved a bill amending and supplementing the Plant Protection Act. These changes regulate the use of agricultural drones for agricultural activities, making Bulgaria the first country in the EU to legislate this activity.

Until now, new technologies have been used in the field of plant protection, but there has been a lack of an appropriate legal framework. The current Plant Protection Act provides for two processing methods — aerial and ground, but drones did not fall into either of these categories. This legislative problem was solved with the amendments that regulate the use of agro drones in agriculture.

All those who carry out drone spraying must enter the information about the treatments in advance in a public electronic register for plant protection, disinfection and disinfestation activities. Its creation and maintenance will be the responsibility of the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency (BAFA), and the information will be available through the agency's website.

These legislative changes pave the way for an even more violent penetration of new technologies into our agriculture, increasing the competitiveness of the sector.