The French MEP, Christophe Grudler (Renew Europe), was appointed, on Wednesday 6 April, rapporteur for the regulation establishing a new constellation to ensure Secure Connectivity in the European Union, at a coordinators’ meeting of the European Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE).
The MEP has been advocating for the creation of such a constellation since the beginning of the mandate and is very committed to space issues, especially those related to the Union’s autonomy (see EUROPE 12383/11). Among the shadow rapporteurs, two names are currently known: Massimiliano Salini (EPP, Italy, rapporteur for the regulation on the EU space programme - see EUROPE 12204/4) and Niklas Nienass (Greens/EFA, Germany, particularly committed to space issues and initiator of the booklet - see EUROPE 12744/14).
Thus, the three key Member States of the space sector (France, Germany and Italy) have taken a position on the text, with an accentuated French dimension, if one takes into account the nationality of the Commissioner for the Internal Market, Thierry Breton. The timetable for the legislative work is not yet known.
Germany’s ambiguous position
On the EU Council side, negotiations are progressing at technical level in working groups. Discussions are said to remain rather evasive and to be somewhat stalled for the time being. Germany is reportedly insisting on strengthening the commercial dimension of the proposal presented by the European Commission and to avoid that the European Commission distorts competition in the European satellite communications market.
In other words, one source explained, where the European Commission is proposing a public system on which the private sector is encouraged to piggyback, Germany would prefer a private system that delivers commercial services on which government services could enter into an “anchor contract”. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)