Hello everyone,
If you trust us to produce your corporate videos (site presentation, construction monitoring, aerial footage of your premises...), you may have heard about a "major change" in drone regulations in 2026. Don't panic: we'll explain everything in plain language, no jargon!
Drone is included in all our services
At JPG VIDEO, all our video services include drone footage, at no extra cost. Whether it's for a site presentation, construction monitoring, a corporate video or an event film, drones are an integral part of our offering. You don't have to worry about regulations: we handle everything for you, from A to Z.
Before 2026: we used French rules (S1, S2, S3)
Until December 31, 2025, we flew with the old French scenarios: S1 (outside cities), S2 (a bit closer to people), S3 (in cities with authorizations).
It was practical because we had our habits, our drones were declared under these scenarios and we knew the procedures by heart. These national scenarios accompanied us for years and helped frame the professional use of drones on French territory.
From January 1, 2026: everyone switches to 100% European rules
The old French scenarios disappear completely. We move to a unified system across all of Europe, with two main categories that concern us for your corporate films:
"Open" Category
The simplest, for 80-90% of your needs
- Ideal for filming your buildings, factories, parks, outdoor events.
- We can fly up to 120m altitude, keeping the drone in sight.
- Big advantage: with new lightweight drones (class C1 or C2), we can fly more easily in cities or near people (without flying directly over them of course).
- The pilot just takes a small free online training + a small A2 exam for flights a bit closer to buildings.
"Specific" Category
When it's a bit more complex: night flight, above small crowds, very close to a sensitive site...
- We replace the old S1/S2/S3 with the new European scenarios STS-01 and STS-02.
- The drone must have a special label (class C5 or C6).
- The pilot takes more comprehensive training (theory + practice) recognized throughout Europe.
What if you fly your own drone?
Perhaps you own your own drone to take footage of your premises, construction sites or internal events. In that case, the new European regulation concerns you directly.
What changes for you as a remote pilot: from January 1, 2026, you will need to comply with the new European categories. If you fly in the "Open" category (which will be the case for most standard professional uses), you will need to have completed the online training and obtained the corresponding certificate. For flights closer to people or buildings, the A2 exam will be required.
If your needs lead you to fly in more complex conditions (night flight, proximity to crowds, sensitive areas), you will switch to the "Specific" category and will need to follow more advanced training, with theoretical and practical components, to obtain STS-01 or STS-02 authorizations.
Our advice: if you're not sure which category you fall into, or if the administrative procedures seem complex, don't hesitate to entrust your aerial shots to us. At JPG VIDEO, we are already trained and certified according to the new European standards, and drone is included in all our services!
We saw it coming!
Geoffrey, Guillaume and I, the three directors of JPG Video, are already following the European training programs, our drones are ready, and the authorizations are signed. Nothing to worry about for your upcoming shoots.
Concretely, for you clients, what changes?
Whether you call on us for your videos or you take your own aerial shots, here's what this transition means in practice:
The good news
Nothing on the quality of your videos
They will always be just as beautiful (or even more so, as the new drones are even better). Technology is advancing, and the sensors on the latest generation drones offer exceptional image quality, even in difficult lighting conditions.
Deadlines and prices: virtually identical
For the majority of missions, nothing changes budget-wise. We've already updated our training and certifications, so there are no additional costs to pass on to our clients.
More simplicity
The rules are the same whether you're filming in France, Germany or Spain. This European harmonization greatly facilitates cross-border projects and multi-site shoots across the continent.
A bit more flexibility in cities
Thanks to new lightweight drone classes (C1 and C2), it becomes easier to shoot in urban environments, near buildings and people, while respecting safety rules.
In short, you don't have to do anything on your end: we take care of everything to ensure your project remains 100% legal and without surprises. Our team ensures that every shoot complies with current regulations, whether for a simple mission in the open category or for a more complex project requiring specific authorizations.
If you have an aerial video planned for 2026 or after
Contact us as usual, we'll tell you in 2 minutes if it's in the open category (super simple) or specific (we handle the paperwork).
Questions? Reply to this email or call us, we love explaining this over a coffee (virtual or real 😉).
See you soon for your next films!
The JPG Video team