Brussels, 27/05/2013 (Agence Europe) - The new regulation for the Copernicus programme, the former Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) is expected to be adopted by the European Commission on Wednesday 29 May. It will then be formally presented at the Competitiveness Council the following day by the European commissioner for industry, Antonio Tajani, who is expected to call on European ministers to proceed to the rapid adoption of the regulation to make the programme operational.
The Council has proposed a budget line of €3,786 billion for Copernicus in its political agreement on the multiannual financial framework for 2014-2020, which is still being negotiated.
The Competitiveness Council on Thursday 30 May is expected to adopt conclusions on industrial space policy, on the basis of a Commission communication presented last February, which indicates five objectives in this field: a stable legislative framework, a solid industrial base in Europe and support for SMEs, a cost/benefits balance throughout the value creation chain, development of a market for space applications and services, independent access to space and related technologies.
European ministers will also examine the progress achieved in the area of European monitoring of spatial debris, on the basis of a follow-up report to the Commission's proposal related to a European organisational framework in this field. Currently, information on the follow up of spatial debris and the threat of satellite collisions, are only provided by US services, on which European operators are dependent. Commissioner Tajani will set out the progress that has been made in bringing the EU and European Space Agency closer together, since the conclusions adopted by the Council last February (see EUROPE 10790). (MD/transl.fl)