DJI Mavic 3 may have been released without a CE class label, but that doesn’t mean the technology giant is going to leave its users in the UK and Europe in limbo. DJI stresses that the “issue is of the utmost importance” to the company and that it is working to “resolve it as quickly as is feasibly possible.”
The new European drone regulations laid out by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) came into force on December 31, 2020, bringing EU member states as well as Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and the UK under the same regulatory blanket. These rules require that in addition to existing CE marking mandates, drones also obtain a new CE class identification label based on different safety requirements.
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However, a lack of clarity on the mandatory safety requirements is keeping drone manufacturers from marking their products with CE class labels. Though Mavic 3 is expected to qualify for the “C1” class requirement, given that it weighs less than 900 g, DJI doesn’t want to hazard any guesses. Instead, the company explains the way forward to us in a statement.
DJI statement on Mavic 3 CE class label
The standards for drone class identification labels have not been finalized yet.
As of today, the notified bodies that are necessary to provide class identification labels have not yet been appointed by authorities in any EU state. Therefore, we refrain from speculating what kind of class identification label might apply to current or future DJI products.
DJI participates in advising on the standards and is working with potential notified body candidates, and we will be working on assuring compliance for relevant products accordingly.
We are aware that the current situation has led to many uncertainties amongst users when it comes to compliance of DJI drones with the new European Drone Regulations and class identification labels.
Rest assured this issue is of the utmost importance to us, and we hope to resolve it as quickly as is feasibly possible.
It must be highlighted that if you buy a Mavic 3 today, it can still receive a retroactive CE class identification label. DJI says that this process will require a hardware and/or firmware upgrade, which will have to be performed by DJI or certain authorized dealers.
It’s possible that drone operators would be able to do this upgrade themselves but DJI would first need to set up a controlled process with verification through a notified body, which as pointed out above, has not yet been appointed in any EU state. But once the upgrade process is complete, all current drones will legally get transformed into a “new” product.
In any case, with a starting price of $2,199, it’s clear that the Mavic 3 is aimed at prosumers and professional content creators. It’s likely these users would have licenses and authorizations in place for their operations and may not be too concerned about CE class regulations.
Read more: What Mavic 3 can do in the hands of a real pro
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