Lithuanian MEP Liudas Mažylis (PPE) has asked the European Commission to detail specific actions to strengthen detection and neutralisation of drones along the EU's eastern flank, citing a 20 May 2026 incident in which a drone violated Lithuanian airspace, triggering the NATO air policing mission and a temporary suspension of air traffic at Vilnius airport. The written question, submitted on 4 June 2026, highlights similar incidents in Estonia, Latvia, Poland, and Romania, and points to what Mažylis calls the weakest areas: insufficient detection of small objects, fragmented coordination, and inadequate anti-drone capabilities at the border.
what specific actions the Commission is taking to boost detection and neutralisation capabilities for small and other drones in Lithuania and other eastern flank states; how EU anti-drone initiatives, SAFE funding, and the Eastern Flank Monitoring System will be translated into real border capabilities; and whether the Commission envisages closer coordination among the EU, NATO, and Ukraine to develop a common European anti-drone protection system. The question does not set numerical targets or deadlines but presses for a clear implementation pathway.
The MEP's intervention signals concern among eastern flank lawmakers that existing EU programmes may not deliver operational capacity quickly enough. The Commission is expected to reply within approximately six weeks; its answer will indicate whether it plans to scale up funding, accelerate deployment of counter-drone technology, or formalise trilateral coordination with NATO and Ukraine. The issue affects residents near border areas, critical infrastructure operators, national border and air traffic authorities, and EU defence industry firms developing counter-drone systems.