The European Parliament adopted a resolution on EU space industrial policy: Releasing the Potential for Growth in the Space Sector, following the Commission’s communication on the same subject.

Building upon it resolution of 9 January 2012 , Parliament invites the Commission to take a horizontal approach with a view to mainstreaming space policy and its objectives into the various fields of policy of the Union, such as telecommunications, transport, environment, agriculture safety or culture.

In view of increasing competition from newly emerging space-faring nations, such as China and India, Members point out that the political weight of the EU Member States in national terms may no longer suffice to address the challenges ahead in this sector.

In order to give space policy a European approach , Parliament invited the Commission to prioritise the following areas:

1) Institutional questions: Members recommended that the EU, in very close cooperation with the ESA, should coordinate the space policies and programmes of the Member States more than hitherto in order to adopt a genuine European approach.

The Commission, the Member States and the ESA were called upon to establish a form of coordination group whose members should coordinate strategies and measures in the field of space at regular meetings in order to avoid duplication of structures and develop a common approach to international issues and forums.

2) Galileo and Copernicus: the resolution stressed that the completion of Galileo and the continuation of Copernicus should be assigned the highest priority as the flagships of European space policy, so that the first Galileo services can in practice be opened to the public in 2014. This is why the Commission should present, as soon as possible, a clear roadmap for the GMES/Copernicus programme.

Members regretted that not all of the EU is currently covered by the EGNOS system. They called for that system to be extended to southern, eastern and south-eastern Europe , hence enabling its use throughout Europe. They also wanted to promote the use of EGNOS in various areas, such as transport.

3) The role of the space industry in driving growth and creating employment: Parliament recalled that the European space industry has a consolidated turnover of EUR 6.5 billion and employed over 34 500 highly skilled people. The resolution:

underlined the importance of an action plan for the European GNSS Agency in order to expand the GNSS market; called on the Commission, and the Member States to create incentives for European industry to develop space components at European level in order to reduce dependence on imports from third countries. The Commission, the ESA, the EDA and the Member States were urged to identify critical technologies in the context; pointed out the importance of the efficient use of European funding from Horizon 2020, particularly for operations close to the market, especially in the context of autonomous and intelligent robotic systems ; called on all parties concerned to step up cooperation between universities and industry and to encourage young talent, in particular female talent, to commit to this sector, and to ensure the availability of a suitable pool of highly skilled employees.

4) Access to space: Parliament stressed the importance of access to space for all Member States and of commercial sales for the European space industry. It called on the Commission and the Member States, jointly with the ESA, to maintain and expand a European launcher system and a rocket-launching service in the long term.

5) The role of research and development: Members urged the EU, the ESA and the Member States to develop a joint ‘research roadmap’ for the period ending in 2020, and to define priorities and objectives for space policy which should be attained jointly, in order to provide consistency of planning for the actors involved.

The resolution welcomed the fact that under the new Framework Programme for Research (Horizon 2020) the sum of EUR 1.5 billion is to be invested in space research and innovation. It stressed the need to ensure that the appropriate funding is provided for research and development in respect of GNSS and urged the Commission to introduce arrangements enabling SMEs to access funding more easily.

6) Satellite communication: Members noted that that satellite communication played an important role within the European space industry. It was an efficient way of providing multimedia services , with a view to achieving total broadband internet coverage in the EU. It was also taking on an increasingly important logistical function in crises such as natural disasters or in maintaining internal security.

In this context, the Commission was called upon to:

ensure that, with reference to technological neutrality, the satellite internet is appropriately taken into account in the technology mix to be used to expand broadband, for example in the EU’s cohesion policy; ensure at the next ITU World Radio Communications Conference that the EU’s interests and those of the satellite communication industry in the field of global and regional spectrum allocation.

7) Space debris: space-based infrastructure constitutes the backbone of many services used by industry and society in everyday life. Accordingly, Parliament asked the Commission and Member States to: (i) work towards global governance for space; (ii) encourage third countries to sign the Code of Conduct for Outer Space Activities drawn up by the EU; (iii) support the establishment at European level of the programme to support observation and tracking of objects in space.

The Committee on Industry, Research and Energy adopted the own-initiative report by Angelika NIEBLER (EPP, DE) on EU Space Industrial Policy, releasing the Potential for Growth in the Space Sector.

The report asked the Commission to take a horizontal approach with a view to mainstreaming space policy and its objectives into the various fields of policy of the Union, such as telecommunications, transport, environment, agriculture safety or culture.

In order to give space policy an European approach , Members invited the Commission to prioritise the following areas:

1) Institutional questions : all the actors involved in the governance of future EU space policies, including the Commission, the European GNSS Agency, the ESA, the national agencies and the specialised agencies such as EUMETSAT, must be interlinked and must operate on a long-term basis.

The Commission, the Member States and the ESA were asked to establish a form of coordination group whose members should coordinate strategies and measures in the field of space at regular meetings in order to avoid duplication of structures and develop a common approach to international issues and forums.

2) Galileo and Copernicus : the report stressed that the completion of Galileo and the continuation of Copernicus should be assigned the highest priority as the flagships of European space policy, so that the first Galileo services can in practice be opened to the public in 2014.

The Commission must present, as soon as possible, a clear roadmap for GMES/Copernicus and for the development and deployment of the various Satellite Sentinels, as well as the legal and operational framework proposed for this complex system.

Members regretted that not all of the EU is currently covered by the EGNOS system. They called for that system to be extended to southern, eastern and south-eastern Europe, hence enabling its use throughout Europe. They also wanted to promote the use of EGNOS in various areas, such as transport.

3) The role of the space industry in driving growth and creating employment : the report called on the Commission, and the Member States to create incentives for European industry to develop space components at European level in order to reduce dependence on imports from third countries. The Commission, the ESA, the EDA and the Member States were urged to identify critical technologies in the context.

Stressing that a suitable pool of highly skilled employees is key to a competitive European space industry, Members called on all parties concerned to step up cooperation between universities and industry and to encourage young talent, in particular female talent, to commit to this sector.

4) Access to space : the report stressed the importance of access to space for all Member States and of commercial sales for the European space industry. It called on the Commission and the Member States, jointly with the ESA, to maintain and expand a European launcher system and a rocket-launching service in the long term.

5 ) The role of research and development : Members urged the EU, the ESA and the Member States to develop a joint ‘ research roadmap’ for the period ending in 2020, and to define priorities and objectives for space policy which should be attained jointly, in order to provide consistency of planning for the actors involved.

The report welcomed the fact that under the new Framework Programme for Research (Horizon 2020) the sum of EUR 1.5 billion is to be invested in space research and innovation. It stressed the need to ensure that the appropriate funding is provided for research and development in respect of GNSS and urged the Commission to introduce arrangements enabling SMEs to access funding more easily.

6) Satellite communication : Members noted that that satellite communication played an important role within the European space industry. It was an efficient way of providing multimedia services , with a view to achieving total broadband internet coverage in the EU. It was also taking on an increasingly important logistical function in crises such as natural disasters or in maintaining internal security.

In this context, the Commission was called upon to:

ensure that, with reference to technological neutrality, the satellite internet is appropriately taken into account in the technology mix to be used to expand broadband, for example in the EU’s cohesion policy; ensure at the next ITU World Radio Communications Conference that the EU’s interests and those of the satellite communication industry in the field of global and regional spectrum allocation.

7) Space debris : space-based infrastructure constitutes the backbone of many services used by industry and society in everyday life. Accordingly, Members asked the Commission and Member States to: (i) work towards global governance for space; (ii) encourage third countries to sign the Code of Conduct for Outer Space Activities drawn up by the EU; (iii) support the establishment at European level of the programme to support observation and tracking of objects in space.

PURPOSE: to improve the competitiveness of the European space industry.

BACKGROUND: space is a driver for growth and innovation , and contributes directly to the objectives of the European 2020 Strategy. The European space industry has to face increasing competition from new emerging space powers such as China and India. An EU space policy could reinforce the European identity at international political level . At the same time, EU intervention could give space a stronger political impetus, for example by putting in place the right framework conditions to maintain and foster space activities in Europe and its industry's competitiveness at global level. This is where article 189 TFEU, which gives the EU a clear mandate to intervene in space matters, could make a difference.

The Commission underlined its intention to pursue a space industrial policy developed in cooperation with ESA and the EU Member States in its Communication on EU industrial policy adopted in October 2010. In April 2011, the Communication entitled “ Towards a space strategy for the European Union that benefits its citizens ” gave further orientations of a potential European space industrial policy. Member States supported this approach in the Council conclusions adopted in May and December 2011.

This Communication builds also on the Commission's Industrial Policy Communication for A Stronger European Industry for Growth and Economic Recovery .

CONTENT: considering the strategic importance of the space industry, its dependence on public funding and the increasing global competition on the commercial market, the EU will draw up a space industrial policy to support the development of the sector, thereby fostering economic growth.

Against this background, the EU space industrial policy could be centred on five specific objectives:

1. Establish a coherent regulatory framework : as space activities expand, the appropriateness of the existing regulatory framework needs to be examined to ensure the security, safety and sustainability of such activities and their economic development. The Commission suggests the following actions and measures:

· examine the possibility of a legislative initiative on certain aspects that have an impact on the emergence of a single market for space products and services ;

· consider proposing a legislative initiative on production and dissemination of private satellite data ;

· monitor and improve the export control and intra-EU transfer frameworks ;

· ensure the availability of a radio spectrum for space operations that is immune from interference, to enable economies of scale and optimise operational costs for pan-European systems;

· explore whether commercial spaceflights activities need to be embedded in a legal framework;

· pursue the standardisation process , notably by decreasing the prices, and in helping SMEs enter certain segments of the space market;

· ensure the availability of necessary skills to satisfy the need of emerging sectors and to attract talent from third countries;

· support access of European industry to the global market by ensuring that specific factors of the European spatial industry are taken into consideration in trade negotiations.

2. Supporting Research and Innovation : the proposed budget for Space under Horizon 2020 (the successor of FP7) is proposed to be EUR 1737 million in current price (EUR 1548 million in constant 2011 prices) for 7 years.

Space in Horizon 2020 will cover R&D and innovation with the objectives to: (i) enable European competitiveness in space, non-dependence and innovation in space activities, focussed on industrial R&I, emphasizing SMEs; (ii) enable advances in space technologies ; (iii) full exploitation of space data, including data from scientific missions and commercial applications of space data.

3. Expanding the array and the use of available financial instruments : in this respect, it is necessary to: (i) e xplore possibilities to facilitate access to finance, especially by SMEs, by promoting the further development of innovative financial instruments and the use of the existing instruments; (ii) encourage Member States and regions to increase the use of structural funds and innovative financial instruments to promote the development of innovative satellite-based services by SMEs; (iii) ensure the rapid extension of the scope of the EU project bond initiative to space infrastructures.

4. Making a better use of procurement policy : the EU should develop and provide to industry a long term and clear planning of the institutional market . In addition, for programmes which involve joint funding by both the Commission and ESA, early coordination should take place to ensure a smooth transition between the development phase and the operational phase.

5. Establish and implement a real European launcher policy : EU autonomy in strategic sectors like launch services is of fundamental importance. In view of this, the EU space industrial policy should pursue the following objectives: (i) ensure a reliable, secure, available and cost efficient launcher system; (ii) create the conditions, and in particular the financial conditions, which are necessary to maintain and strengthen independent European access to space in line with institutional needs while proposing an evolved governance of the exploitation of the European launchers.

6. Ensure the sustainability of space activities in Europe : space infrastructures are increasingly threatened by collision risks due to the growing population of satellites or the increasing amount of space debris in the most commercially exploited orbits.

In order to mitigate the risk of collision , the Commission intends to come forward with a proposal setting out the organisational framework for the setting up and operation of a European space surveillance and tracking (SST) service in partnership with Member States building on their existing assets and expertise.