FRANCE: Publication of regulatory texts governing agricultural treatments by drones

Following the public consultation held last April, the Ministry of Agriculture has published three complementary regulatory texts in the Official Journal. These texts complete the legal framework governing the application of plant protection products (PPPs) by unmanned aircraft (drones).

These measures fall directly within the scope of the Law of 23 April 2025 and include:

• An implementing decree setting out the conditions for authorising trial programs
• A first ministerial order specifying the content of the authorisation application and the methodology for such trials
• A second ministerial order specifically regulating programs conducted outside the experimental framework on target plots defined by law

Decree No. 2026-422 of 29 May 2026 establishes the general framework for acquiring scientific knowledge on this application method, in comparison with ground-based treatments. In particular, it sets out:

• Equipment requirements: the maximum take-off weight of the aircraft is limited to 200 kg, and the drone must be equipped with the best available technology to reduce spray drift.
• Flight safety rules: the drone must not fly higher than 3 metres above the crop, with a maximum speed limited to 18 km/h.
• Safety and environmental distances: an untreated buffer zone of at least 10 metres from water points is mandatory, as well as a safety distance of at least 20 metres from dwellings, workers, and areas accessible to the public or to vulnerable persons.
• Operational management: the installation of a temporary or permanent watertight area is required at refuelling points in order to contain any accidental leaks or spills.

The first ministerial order of 19 May 2026 supplements this decree by setting out the methodological rules applicable to trial programs, which must be conducted under the responsibility of an agricultural technical institute. The trials must systematically document spray quality, measure exposure of operators and nearby residents, and include sedimentary drift measurements (in accordance with standard NF ISO 22866). The data collected will then be transmitted to Anses.

The second ministerial order of 29 May 2026 specifies the conditions under which authorisations may be granted by the regional prefect for applications outside the strict experimental framework, namely on fields deemed eligible under the law:

• Plots with a slope greater than or equal to 20%
• Banana plantations
• Mother vines for rootstocks trained at ground level
• Crops listed in the Rural Code for which clear benefits for health or the environment have been demonstrated

For all of these programs, the rules regarding the nature of the products used remain strict: only biocontrol products, inputs authorised for use in organic farming, and low-risk products are permitted. In addition, these products must be specifically approved by Anses for application by drone. All authorisation applications must be submitted at least two months before the first treatment via the official “Démarches numériques” platform.

To download (in French): 

Decree No. 2026-422 of 29 May 2026 on the conditions for authorisation and the procedures for conducting trial programmes involving the application of plant protection products by unmanned aircraft.

Ministerial Order of 19 May 2026 on the content of the authorisation application and the methodological rules applicable to trial programmes involving the application of plant protection products by unmanned aircraft.

Ministerial Order of 29 May 2026 on the conditions for authorising programmes for the application of certain plant protection products by unmanned aircraft, pursuant to point B of paragraph I bis of Article L. 253-8 of the Rural and Maritime Fisheries Code.

See also our previous articles: 

FRANCE: Public consultation on the conditions for authorising agricultural treatments by drones

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