Brussels, 09/01/2012 (Agence Europe) - European Space Agency (ESA) Director General Jean-Jacques Dordain has given an upbeat assessment of all that was achieved in 2011, but makes no secret of the fact that the EU budget will be the big challenge for ESA in 2012. The key event for the Agency in the coming year will be the ministerial council meeting in Italy in the autumn, the previous such meeting having taken place four years ago.
2011 was marked by the accession of the 19th member state, Romania (with Poland shortly to further swell the ranks), the partnership agreement with Malta and the start of negotiations with Bulgaria on a similar agreement. All the member states of the EU will, then, soon, enjoy close relations with ESA. The successful launch of the first two operational satellites of the Galileo European satellite navigation project; sending three ESA astronauts into space; and the simulation of a flight to Mars are all achievements of which ESA can justly feel proud, says Dordain, also hailing 2011 as a year when a number of important partnerships, including with Russia, were sealed.
The year just begun, however, has brought with it more significant challenges, particularly in terms of the budget, ESA, too, being at the mercy of the European Union's multiannual financial planning. Dordain made it clear that he would continue to grant “fairer” payment appropriations to members and would continue to bring down internal costs (€175 million less by 2015). He said he wanted to re-forge the Agency's relations with the industry, which possesses the expertise and stated that, as space industry activities cannot be relocated, the ESA budgets should be maintained. (MD/transl.rt)