EU space programme [EU Legislation in Progress]

Written by Alex Wilson (3rd edition, updated on 12.5.2021),

In June 2018, the European Commission proposed a budget of €16 billion to finance EU space activities during the 2021-2027 period. The majority of this would be allocated to Galileo and EGNOS, the EU’s global and regional satellite navigation systems; around a third would be allocated to Copernicus, the EU’s Earth Observation programme; and the remainder would be earmarked for security, such as the Space and Situational Awareness (SSA) programme and the new Governmental Satellite Communication initiative (GOVSATCOM) to support border protection, civil protection and humanitarian interventions. The main aims of the new space programme are to secure EU leadership in space activities, foster innovative industries, safeguard autonomous access to space and simplify governance. The European Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) Agency will be transformed into a new EU Agency for the Space Programme. In April 2019, after trilogue meetings, Parliament and Council reached a partial agreement on the programme, which was later incorporated by the Parliament in its first-reading position. The agreement covered most of the programme content but not the budget, relations with third countries, or operational security. Further trilogue negotiations, alongside the conclusion of MFF negotiations, helped to secure a comprehensive political agreement on 16 December 2020. The EU space programme will have a total budget of €14.8 billion. The agreed text was then adopted by the Council and Parliament in April 2021.

Versions

• May 2021: ‘EU space programme‘ (3rd edition)

Please accept YouTube cookies to play this video. By accepting you will be accessing content from YouTube, a service provided by an external third party.

YouTube privacy policy

If you accept this notice, your choice will be saved and the page will refresh.

Accept YouTube Content