The European Commission intends to present an ‘EU Space Strategy for Security and Defence’ in 2023, according to the letter of intent published in the wake of the European Commission President’s State of the Union address to the European Parliament on Wednesday 14 September in Strasbourg.
This strategy could help to integrate defence and security needs into the design phases of the future constellation for connectivity (currently under negotiation - see EUROPE 12998/21) and the evolution of the Galileo and Copernicus programmes, we were told.
The issue of governance to meet defence and security infrastructure needs for military operations and the rationalisation of national and European programmes to avoid duplication are likely to be addressed.
On the budgetary front, the strategy will reportedly seek to create new synergies between the EU space programme, the European Defence Fund, Horizon Europe and InvestEU, among others.
The issue of cooperation with NATO will also be addressed in this framework, as will cooperation between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Union on space security, given that the ESA member states are not the same as those of the EU (e.g. the UK).
The initiative was announced in the ‘Strategic Compass’ presented by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell (see EUROPE 13014/3). It is the subject of joint work between the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space (DG DEFIS) and the European External Action Service (EEAS).
According to our information, strategy is reportedly a bone of contention in discussions between DG DEFIS and the EEAS, notably for reasons of competence. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)