Brussels, 27/09/2000 (Agence Europe) - In response to requests expressed in May 1999 by the IESA Council and, on 2 December 1999, by the EU Research Council, the European Commission and the European Space Agency (ESA) developed a common approach for the space sector in Europe. This strategy is the subject of a communication that the Commission recently adopted entitled: "Europe and Space: turning to a new chapter". The Commission and ESA propose adopting a coherent approach embracing five areas to: (1) strengthen the base for space activities so that Europe keeps an independent access to space at an affordable price; (2) increase scientific knowledge (including on the functioning of the solar system and climatic phenomena) and research, in the aim of developing industrial applications; (3) preserve an adequate ground infrastructure; (4) develop a regulatory framework to guarantee the harmonious development of the information society, including aspects relating to frequency management and orbital slots; (5) organise market access and set in place an export control regime. The communication stresses the need to maintain the competitiveness of Ariane 5, mainly by improving the luancher aimed at reducing luanching costs. In the medium term, the launching services should be completed by a new series of small and medium sized launch vehicles. The Commission and ESA also consider it indispensable to maintain the European spaceport in Kourou at an appropriate standard.
In this context, the role of the Commission would mainly consist in setting in place the political and regulatory conditions required for space activities, to catalyse joint research and development efforts in the respect of the objectives of the future "European Research Area" and gather all the players around common policy objectives in projects in Europe's interest. This approach, geared to users, should be firmly based on two Community initiatives aimed at developing a civil navigation and positioning system by satellite (Galileo) and a coherent capacity in Europe for a global monitoring for environment and security (GMES). The last initiative will also provide means to meet the new needs arising from the development of European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP). The success of these initiatives depends on the effectiveness of cooperation between the Commission and ESA which plan to set up a task force responsible for proposing before the end of next year framework agreements for the management of common projects and the establishment of a coherent strategy. The follow-up to implementation will be carried out in common and will be the subject of an annual report on space.
Furthermore, the communication stresses that the dual purpose (civil and military) aspects of satellite systems have not as yet appeared among the European priorities but that Europe has a certain amount of experience in this field through the WEU satellite centre. It considers that the transfer of this WEU body to the European Union, during next year, should open up new roads to shared use of these technologies and systems.
Stressing that this communication offers "a political and Community dimension to space", Commissioner Philippe Busquin insisted on the need for Europe to use its space capabilities to the full to meet the different needs in sectors as varied as the environment, agriculture, communications and the information society, and also security and defence policy. He concluded: "an endorsement of this approach by the EU and ESA Councils before the end of this year will provide the necessary political basis for turning to a new and promising chapter in space".