Germany, which had been very insistent on New Space and the need to introduce competition in the future ‘Secure Connectivity’ constellation programme during the last EU ‘Space’ Council (see EUROPE 12969/4), reportedly returned to the technical level with new requests for clarification, notably budgetary, during the last meeting of the EU Council’s Working Party on Space, on Tuesday 21 June.
For example, in the working party, reacting to a new compromise of the French Presidency of the EU Council, Germany is said to have insisted on the separation of the provision of governmental and commercial services in relation to Article 15 on the implementation of the programme. It also reportedly raised questions again about the contribution of the European Space Agency (ESA) in relation to Article 13 on ESA’s contribution.
As for Article 11, the key article devoted to the budget for financing the future constellation, Germany is said to have insisted that the margins, notably within the Horizon Europe framework programme, should not be used. This request is echoed by the national delegations of the so-called “frugal” Member States and is also reflected in the opinion of the Committee on the Budget (see EUROPE 12970/8).
The French Presidency of the EU Council had indicated that Member States could still react to the new compromise until Thursday 23 June at noon, but only if they had red lines to put forward. Some speculate that a compromise for a political agreement (‘general approach’) could be presented by the French Presidency next week to the Member States’ ambassadors to the EU (see EUROPE 12972/17).
To consult the new French compromise dated 20 June: https://aeur.eu/f/29s (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)