The future Director General of the European Space Agency (ESA), Josef Aschbacher, announced on Thursday 14 January at a press briefing that he would like to develop a strategic “common vision” up to 2040 with the European Commission.
“All of you have seen Thierry Breton’s speech on Tuesday (see EUROPE 12634/8, 12634/9). I found very encouraging the statement he made for ESA (...) And I really would like to make ESA the main agency for the European Commission for all its flagship programmes”, said the elected Director General, who is expected to take office on 1 March. “And I would like to work on a vision which goes beyond this strategy finishing in 2025”, he added, citing the 2035-2040 time-frame to “build up this joint vision”.
Mr Aschbacher reiterated that he would publish a document outlining his objectives for 2025 shortly after taking office. “It will be an inclusive process with my team, with Member States, with the European Commission and with other key players in Europe. It will be a question of developing a vision, an agenda for the direction we want to take in space over the next few years”.
Among the “immediate” priorities, he cited launchers, which, according to the Commissioner for the Internal Market, Thierry Breton, should be the subject of a new European alliance. According to him, this announcement does not constitute a shift in the centre of gravity in terms of political decision-making on space issues. But it is “very clear” that the ESA and the EU must find a solution together, Mr Aschbacher said, and he would like to discuss this with Mr Breton “at the next possible opportunity”.
On this subject, responding to EUROPE, the current ESA Director General, Jan Wörner, assured that the negotiations on the Financial Framework Partnership Agreement (FFPA) between the European Commission and ESA were progressing. An agreement should be reached in the coming weeks, he added. The question of the contracting authority remains to be negotiated (see EUROPE 12610/26, 12606/6). On this point, Mr Wörner indicated that ESA was preparing a compromise on governance. “I am optimistic that we will find a solution as long as people are looking for the goals”, he said, leaving aside their “vanity”.
Mr Wörner also explained why he proposed to speed up the transfer of power between him and Mr Aschbacher (see EUROPE 12634/31). “If the President of the United States does it within two months, ESA should do it within a shorter period. I believe it’s better for Josef not to be on the waiting seat for six months. It’s better for ESA not to have two DGs: one DG in the seat, and one DG waiting impatiently to get the seat”. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)