At the first discussion between the European Commission and ministers on the space strategy for Europe on Tuesday 29 November, Internal Market and Industry Commissioner Elzbieta Bienkowska assured the member states that the EU should not be seen as a competitor of the European Space Agency (ESA) but rather as a partner, each having its own separate responsibilities and roles. Also discussed by ministers and member state representatives was the place of the defence and security strand and the sustainability of the programmes.
The ESA, as a distinct intergovernmental organisation from the EU and a major player in European space policy, is of great importance in the European strategy presented in October (see EUROPE 11655). The question of the role it is to play and the cooperation it is to engage in was on the lips of all who spoke in the meeting on Tuesday morning, in particular Germany’s, which wants clarification on this partnership.
Most speakers welcomed the joint declaration of cooperation signed by the Commission and the ESA on the sidelines of the strategy (see EUROPE 11647) and the desire of the Commission to strengthen cooperation between the two bodies, a position shared by Portugal, Belgium, Poland, Ireland and Luxembourg. This latter state, which happens to be the joint ESA president (until Friday) and is a pioneer in space mining (see EUROPE 11482), was insistent that the EU should focus on areas where the ESA has no locus, such as promoting space data or implementing the “first client approach” that takes its inspiration from the American system.
What does space strategy say about cooperation? In the fifth section of the space strategy, “Ensuring Effective Delivery”, cooperation between the EU and the ESA is considered to be one of the cornerstones for the success of the strategy. In the light of the mid-term evaluation of the EU space programmes in 2017, the Commission will examine potential improvements in governance and simplification measures, for example, through a single financial framework partnership agreement with the ESA, which would streamline the applicable rules and reinforce transparency and accountability requirements.
Long-standing debate. The issue of the mid- to long-term role of the ESA in the future of space policy has been debated at length among the member states and within the European institutions. In a communication dating from 2012, the Commission set out three scenarios for the development of cooperation with the ESA: enhancing cooperation within the current framework, bringing the ESA under the authority of the European Union or making the ESA a European agency. The preferred option was for the enhanced status quo.
The ESA is at the forefront of member states’ attention this week, as it is holding its triennial ministerial meeting on 1 and 2 December to set the principal space objectives and the budget for the coming years.
Defence in the space strategy and sustainability of European programmes. The encrypted communication programme GovSatcom that forms part of the strategy (see EUROPE 11655) was raised several times by member states. Most welcomed the project but some insisted that European space policy must remain a civil matter. The United Kingdom, in particular, believes that the private sector can address these specific needs. Several states expressed their concern at the ageing of the infrastructure of European space programmes and underlined the need to guarantee its long-term future in order to reassure investors and the private sector. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)