The ministers responsible for space policy from the Member States of the European Union (EU) and the European Space Agency (ESA) will meet in Toulouse on Wednesday 16 February, to give new impetus to the European Space Policy. They will discuss secure connectivity, space traffic management, the role of space in the fight against climate change, but also space exploration and European human spaceflight.
As mentioned by Director General Josef Aschbacher in a post on his LinkedIn account on Monday 14 February, this is a key summit for the future of the European Space Policy. While the US and China are rushing headlong into space exploration and economic activities, Mr Aschbacher regrets the EU’s lack of ambition - saying it is “too comfortable with its own status quo” - characterised by cooperation between the EU and ESA, “which has reached a historically low level”.
The day will be divided into three parts (see EUROPE 12817/24): an informal meeting of EU ministers in the morning in ‘Competitiveness’ format, followed by a working lunch with ministers from ESA Member States (i.e. the EU Ministers will be joined by those from the UK, Norway, Switzerland, and also Canada) and the ESA Ministerial Council meeting in the afternoon.
The Competitiveness Council will focus on issues presented the day before by the European Commission (see other news), namely: space traffic management and the European connectivity constellation project. This will be an initial exchange that will allow the first steps to be taken in the negotiations on the regulation.
During this meeting, ESA will present its ambitions for the protection of space assets and a rapid response to crisis situations. During the joint lunch, the ministers will be invited to discuss the climate issue, inter alia with stakeholders from the private sector.
In the afternoon, the ESA Ministerial Council will discuss the space programme “for a green future” and the ambitions set out by the ESA Director General in his Agenda 2025 and supported in the ‘Matosinhos Manifesto’ (see EUROPE 12837/28), including the development of an icy moon sample return programme and a European manned space flight programme (see EUROPE 12872/12).
At 14:30 on Wednesday, the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, will make a speech on the future of the European Space Policy. At the end of the day, the French Minister for the Economy, Bruno Le Maire, will close the Summit.
On Thursday 17 February, a conference on the future of the Copernicus programme until 2035 (see EUROPE 12885/19) will be held in Toulouse, with the presence of the European Commission, ESA and the EU Member States. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)