Ministers who are responsible for space policy will be invited to hold a policy debate on sustainable development and the financing of Europe’s ‘New Space’ sector at the Competitiveness Council to be held on Friday 26 November and which is dedicated to Space.
In its framework note, the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU on the one hand expresses concern about the phenomenon linked to the growing number of satellites put into orbit, in connection with the proliferation of space debris (a phenomenon that is particularly topical with the recent destruction by the Russians of a 1980s satellite – see other news), while on the other hand, notes concern over the conditions for public intervention, notably in the framework of the CASSINI initiative aimed at supporting the emergence of a European ‘New Space’ (see EUROPE 12818/19).
The Presidency of the EU Council will therefore sound out Member States over ways in which this growing sector can be developed in a sustainable way, on how the Member States can support this sector, and also on the accessibility of financing for companies.
In connection with the issue of space debris, the Slovenian Presidency will present its report on space traffic management after the July conference and as part of the Portuguese roadmap (see EUROPE 12729/4). Progress remains slow, to say the least (see EUROPE 12789/8).
Regulations to support the exploitation of European space data
On this occasion, Ministers are expected to adopt conclusions (entitled ‘Space for everyone’ – see EUROPE 12792/32), which set out a series of priority actions for: - strengthening governance between the EU Space Programme Agency (EUSPA), Member States and the European Commission; - developing a new approach to Space that will support the European ‘New Space’ sector; - strengthening synergies between the CASSINI initiative, the European Defence Fund, the Digital Europe Programme and the European Innovation Council, while working within the framework of the Recovery and Resilience Plan.
Finally, the European Commission has been invited to address regulatory and standardisation issues in order to ensure better exploitation of EU space services and to create a favourable legal framework for the exploitation of European space data, in conjunction with EUSPA.
The agenda and documents presented by the Slovenian Presidency received broad support from the Member States at the meeting of the Committee of Permanent Representatives I held on Wednesday 10 November.
Click here to read the Slovenian report on space traffic management: https://bit.ly/30vAV9g
Read the Slovenian Presidency’s framework note for the debate: https://bit.ly/3CwRsak
Click here to access the conclusions: https://bit.ly/2Z0Tcec (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)