Brussels, 12/11/2003 (Agence Europe) - If Europe does not have a space policy, it throws itself open to two risks: - that of decline as a space power and that of a definitive loss of competence and precious know-how. This, in substance, is what the European Commissioner for Research, Philippe Busquin, explained to the press on Tuesday when presenting the White Paper entitled "Space: a New European Frontier for an Expanding Union", adopted that same morning by the Commission. Developed in close collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA), this action plan recommends substantial additional spending on space based on the fact that space technology will play an essential role in pursuing the main goals that the EU has set itself: - accelerated economic growth, job creation, industrial competitiveness, enlargement, cohesion, sustainable development, security and defence. It also recommends that measures be taken to guarantee that Europe has independent access to space, space technologies are enhanced, space exploration promoted, and that young people be encouraged to take up scientific careers with reinforced European excellency in space sciences. EU space policy will be implemented in the context of a new multiannual European space programme. Applications may include the use of satellite broadband telecommunications to tackle the "digital divide" and earth observation, communication and positioning systems.
The policy paper recommends putting additional effort into a variety of space infrastructures and applications which will make a crucial contribution towards satisfying the needs of citizens and in response to the Union's political objectives. Also, the Commission argues, it is necessary to consolidate the scientific and technical base of space activities, and update the institutional structure to give the Union new responsibilities for driving, funding and coordinating activities within an enlarged Space Policy (reference to including space policy as a European policy in the new constitutional treaty). The Commission believes such effort is needed because, with 30,000 persons employed in about 2,000 companies, the European space sector remains of major industrial importance, and its future survival must be ensured. Furthermore, the space industry has substantial concrete contributions to make in a wide range of areas such as the environment, transport, telecommunications and security. Also, in addition to operational communication systems, the EU has adopted ambitious programmes for satellite navigation, timing and positioning (Galileo) as well as for global monitoring and earth observation (GMES). The Commission also stresses that space technologies may provide the source of considerable commercial advantages. For example, the market for satellite navigation services and derived products around the world is growing at the rate of 25% per year, and could reach EUR 100 billion in 2010, creating 40,000 qualified jobs in Europe. Furthermore, the world market for space applications is rapidly expanding and could, according to estimates, total a turnover of EUR 350 billion by 2010. According to Mr Busquin, "each euro invested in space applications generates a turnover of 7 to 8 euros thanks to the development of added value services".
The White Paper proposes that European space policy should be implemented in the context of a multiannual European space programme renewable after review and updating, which would cover R&D, the development of infrastructures, services and technology. The first phase of the programme would cover the period 2004-2007 and would mainly consist in setting up the activities foreseen in the framework agreement recently signed between the EU and ESA. The second phase would begin in 2007 after entry into force of the European constitutional treaty, which should make space a field of shared competence between the EU and its Member States.
The Commission proposes three budgetary scenarios for funding the action plan. The first (and that preferred by Philippe Busquin) would consist in supporting the needs identified during the consultation on the European Commission's space policy and would involve an annual expenditure growth rate of 4.6%, with respect to the overall public level of funding in 2003 (EUR 5.380 billion). The second scenario presents an annual growth rate of 3.4%, a higher rate than the global growth rate of the EU economy. The third is more modest and is based on the current level of EU expenditures with a growth rate of 2.3%, which, it is argued, would not be sufficient to guarantee EU independence with respect to technology and access to space.
At the same occasion, ESA Director General Jean-Jacques Dordain stressed that all European citizens are dependent upon space systems but that the public budgets in this respect are "stable, if not decreasing". He said he dreams about launching a European Space Day during which all satellites would be switched off in order to show how important space is in daily life. (We recall that the ESA has 15 members - 13 of the EU except Luxembourg and Greece, as well as Norway and Switzerland, and that it will soon have 16 members, once Greece joins).