Brussels, 25/05/2005 (Agence Europe) - Taking into account all the economic repercussions of space applications (surveillance of the environment, navigation systems, weather forecasts, toll gates, early flood warning systems etc), on 24 May the European Commission published a communication “European Space Policy - Preliminary Elements” defining the first elements in a European space policy, which is expected to be adopted before the end of the year. In keeping with the orientations provided by the first Space Council on 25 November 2004 (EUROPE 8836), this communication, elaborated by the common European Commission European Space Agency (ESA) secretariat and discussed by Member States in the framework of the high-level Space Policy Group identifies: 1) the roles and responsibilities in space policy for the EU, Member States, ESA and other actors from the European Space Programme, as well as sources and instruments for appropriate funding; 2) the priorities of the European Space Programme including an estimate of possible costs; principles of industrial policy and funding linked to the implementation of the European Space Programme. In this context, the Commission communication underlines the fact that the EU's industrial policy will consist of 1) regulation and normalisation activities and the setting up of an appropriate legal framework for facilitating the use of space services in all area by ensuring inter-operability of space and ground systems; 2) a purchasing policy that is cost effective and adapted to the new EU industrial environment and coherent with Community legislation; 3) measures for improving international markets to be on an equal level to the USA, Russia and China, countries where the space industry had benefited from significant institutional and protected markets. The Commission communication also underlines the fact that EU space policy should take into account both civilian and security obligations.
The Commission communication highlights the following elements:
- Priorities 1) Galileo remains a priority for the EU and Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) is proposed to become the second EU flagship; 2) In the context of the “i2010” (European Information Society in 2010) initiative, long term research into satellite communications technologies will remain significant; 3) ESA will focus on exploration of space and on the basic tools on which exploitation and exploration of space depend: access to space, scientific knowledge and space technologies; 4) Member States in the 'Space Council' have been invited to introduce their national programme priorities in order to contribute to the preparation of the European Space Programme;
- The costs of these priorities for the EU, ESA and Member State national programmes will be identified in the coming months and be subject to normal budgetary and programmatic approval procedures;
- International Cooperation - Europe should further build up its space partnership with Russia; maintain and develop its longstanding cooperation with the United States and continue cooperation actions in Eastern and Southern neighbour countries and developing countries, as well as the big countries now emerging like India and Brazil;
- EU Instruments. The EU will contribute to the financing of space-related activities through different sources: funding for Galileo primarily from the trans-European networks (TEN) programme; funding for GMES from the 7th Framework Programme (FP 7), particularly the Security and Space, theme but also the Information and Communication Technologies theme; the latter also will support satellite communications research, horizontal FP7 Specific Programmes and the Competitiveness and Innovation Programme will be applicable in several areas, a range of user policies which require space-based services will make provision for operational budgets.
The preliminary elements will be discussed at the 2nd Space Council planned for 7 June and the full space policy and space programme will be presented to Member States at the 3rd Space Council meeting anticipated at the end of November.
More information: (http: //europa.eu.int/comm/space/index_en.html).