Luxembourg, 08/06/2005 (Agence Europe) - On the basis of the Commission's communication of 24 May (EUROPE 8954), the research ministers of the Council of the EU and the ministers of the Council of the European Space Agency (ESA) examined the first elements of the future European space policy at the second Space Council, which was held in Luxembourg on 7 May as part of the Competitiveness Council. The Council discussed the priorities of the European space programme and estimated the costs and finer details of its funding, the roles and responsibilities of the EU, the ESA and the other parties, and of the principles of the industrial policy as they relate to the implementation of the programme.
At the final press conference, the Luxembourg research minister and President of the EU Council, François Biltgen, stressed the essential conclusions of the meeting: -(1) there was "a unanimous agreement on the strategic dimension that space must have for Europe (...). The use of space must be at the service of the interests of the European citizens". The Council also welcomed the role the European space policy has to play in the revitalisation of the Lisbon Strategy; (2) both institutions of the Space Council reached a definitive agreement on defining their respective roles in the future European space policy. For its part, the EU will be tasked with listing the needs of space users and uniting the political will to respond to these needs. The EU will target the availability and continuity of operational support services to these policies as part of the dual priorities of the European space policy, the Galileo and GMES programmes. The EU will also work to guarantee the best possible regulatory framework and access to international markets. The ESA, on the other hand, will seek excellence in the field of space scientific research, but will mainly focus its activities on space exploration and the instruments needed for this (the development of rockets and launchers, space access, scientific knowledge and space technologies). The member states of the ESA will also be able to work together to implement space systems which will have an important positive impact on EU policies.
There are, however, issues which need to be dealt with in greater detail: -the need to identify costs related to the future programme and possible sources of funding and the details thereof; -the need to define the governance aspects of the future programme. A main priority will be to guarantee the compatibility of the systems of the various European actors; -the need to find an adequate formula to ensure that States which are not members of both organisations are involved fairly; the better distinction between short- and medium-term objectives and longer term strategic elements. These points will be discussed by those taking part in the European space policy ahead of the forthcoming Space Council, which is planned for next November. This Council is likely to see the 29 ministers (25 for the EU, plus Bulgaria, Romania, Switzerland and Norway) adopt the European space programme, once they have dealt with outstanding issues in terms of financing and implementation, according to the German research Minister and President of the Council of the ESA, Eldegard Buhlman.
The budgetary outlines of the space programme remain fairly vague for the time being. Günter Verheugen, the European Commissioner for Industry, told the press that although space activities were "in large part the ESA's business", the EU budget to be devoted to the space programme would come from the 7th Framework Programme for Research and Development (FPRD)-or 4 billion EUR over the period 2007-2013 for space research and security (protection of information networks). But this budget will depend on the forthcoming financial perspectives and "if they are reduced, the EU will have to review its ambitions", Mr Verheugen admitted.
All those taking part in this second Space Council nonetheless welcomed its success and the opportunities which the European space policy will offer Europe and its citizens, be they in terms of space discovery, or the development of technological innovations which will have a positive impact on the economy and the everyday life of all Europeans. Ms Buhlman recalled the assets of "ever-increasing use of space technologies, particularly in terms of Earth observation", which will help with the early detection of natural disasters (and thus help to speed up reaction times), and to reduce atmospheric pollution. The Space Council also stressed the advantages of the space policy in terms of job creation. "During these times, when Europe no longer inspires dreams, European space policy can and will inspire dreams in the citizens", said Mr Biltgen. The ESA director, Jacques Dordain, welcomed the symbolism of holding the second Space Council in Luxembourg just a few days before the Grand Duchy joins the ESA as its 17th member. He also paid tribute to 10 years of collaboration between the ESA and the EU, which have "brought the world of space closer to the world of the citizens ". Mr Dordain announced that the next ministerial-level Council of the ESA would be held in Berlin next December.