The Member States certainly may have shown political interest in the European Commission’s project to create a new space-based constellation for secure European connectivity, but they raised some questions about its modalities during a first exchange in a working group in the Council of the EU on Tuesday 19 January.
The European Commission presented, for the first time, to the national delegations its constellation project promoted by the Commissioner for the Internal Market, Thierry Breton (see EUROPE 12634/9).
During the exchanges, several Member States, such as the Czech Republic, Spain, Italy, France and Germany, in particular, reportedly questioned the legal basis of the project (the European Commission is said to be considering basing it on the GovSatCom and quantum initiatives), the nature of the initiative, its governance and its method of financing.
No budget line is foreseen in the 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework for this project estimated at €6 billion. This is prompting the Commission to look for sources of funding through the Next Generation EU Recovery Plan. The problem is that some Member States are on the verge of finalising their national recovery plans, without integrating elements dedicated to the spatial issue, we are told.
In addition, the European Commission is considering what format the initiative could take. Its legal services are looking into the matter, we are told, but a regulation would certainly be the most logical format. A workshop between the Commission and the Member States is expected to be organised in early April.
The timetable set by Commissioner Breton is tight: the Commission intends to present its initiative at the end of the year so that the first satellites can be launched in 2024!
‘New Space for People’ conclusions
In addition, during this working group, the national delegations were invited to express themselves for the first time on the backbone of the draft conclusions of the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the EU on the concept of ‘New Space’. It calls on the Commission to develop an innovation strategy for this emerging sector.
This was the first debate on the conclusions. Some Member States, while welcoming the structure and objectives of the conclusions, stressed that ‘New Space’ should not be pitted against ‘old industry’. Others insisted on the need to keep this economic sector open.
The conclusions should be adopted at the Competitiveness Council on 28 May, which will be dedicated to the space issue. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)