Delegations from EU Member States still do not seem to want to commit to a European legislative proposal by 2024 in the field of Space Traffic Management (STM), according to provisional conclusions seen by EUROPE on Monday 2 May.
Indeed, as in previous versions seen by EUROPE (see EUROPE 12910/24), the conclusions still do not mention the draft legislative act for 2024 (see EUROPE 12891/4).
The conclusions welcome the Presidency’s report of last November (see EUROPE 12841/9) and stress the need to develop a European approach to STM “while respecting Member States’ competence and their intention to remain in charge of the development, supervision and enforcement of STM rules”.
A few lines further on, the conclusions state that the challenges “can be better tackled through enhanced dialogue and concerted actions between Member States with a view to sharing capacities, information and best practices”, without mentioning a possible European binding framework.
As for the Commission, national delegations recognise the role it “could play” in facilitating coordination between Member States’ national efforts in STM legislation and standardisation regulation, but always “without prejudice” to national competences.
For example, there is no mention of a binding framework, or even a precise timetable, suggesting that Member States are for the moment sticking to their national competences.
“The text lacks the ambition and impetus to turn an STM approach into a truly European one”, confirmed the Secretary General of Eurospace, Olivier Lemaître, contacted by EUROPE. “The main reason is of course the total lack of willingness of the Member States to imagine any coordination at EU level, which in practice means that the current position of most Member States seriously threatens the idea of an EU role in the field of STM”, he regretted. He also deplored that no specification was made on the extent of the budget available for the STM.
But for him, it is not all doom and gloom. While regretting the cautiousness of Member States, Mr Lemaitre welcomed the recognition of the role of industry in the development of effective STM regulation, as well as the opening of the EUSST partnership to the private sector.
National delegations will meet in the EU Council’s Space Working Party on Wednesday 4 May to discuss, among other things, the draft conclusions.
For the provisional conclusions: https://aeur.eu/f/1ga (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)