The European Commission has presented on the 11th September a Report about the European Space policy progress COM(2008)561 final. The Report provides an overview on the main progress achieved in the first year of the implementation of the European Space Policy (ESP), as elaborated jointly by the European Commission and the Director General of the European Space Agency.

What is the European Space Policy

The European Space Policy respond to global challenges and to play a global role, the strategic mission of space activities in Europe must be to seek:

• To develop and exploit space applications serving Europe's public policy objectives and the needs of European enterprises and citizens, including in the field of environment, development and global climate change;
• To meet Europe's security and defence needs as regards space;
• To ensure a strong and competitive space industry which fosters innovation, growth and the development and delivery of sustainable, high quality, cost-effective services;
• To contribute to the knowledge-based society by investing strongly in space-based science, and playing a significant role in the international exploration endeavour; and
• To secure unrestricted access to new and critical technologies, systems and capabilities in order to ensure independent European space applications.

Main policy progress

Satellite radio navigation programmes: GALILEO / EGNOS

GALILEO and EGNOS are European investments in essential European infrastructure for crucial applications such as border control, transport management and logistics, financial operations and the surveillance of critical energy and communications infrastructures. In late 2007, the Council of the EU reached conclusions on the re-profiling and on the future development of the European satellite radio navigation programmes, including governance and procurement aspects, based on a full public, EU funding of the deployment phase.

Key issues ahead:

• Completion of the in-orbit validation phase through the preparation and launch of the first four operational GALILEO satellites in 2010;
• Implementation of the 2007 Council conclusions on the GALILEO re-profiling, including the governance arrangements and the relevant agreements with ESA;
• Completion of the tender for the procurement of the remaining 26 GALILEO operational satellites and associated ground control infrastructure;
• Accompanying regulatory and policy measures in view of factors such as third party liability and export control, Public Regulated Service access, and the handling of the programme exploitation phase.
• Continue to promote applications that take full advantage of EGNOS and, in the future, of GALILEO services including in intelligent transport systems. Commission to propose a relevant Action Plan and European Radio Navigation Plan, following the publication in December 2006 of the Green Paper on satellite navigation applications.

Earth Observation: GMES

GMES - the European initiative for Global Monitoring for Environment and Security - is being built up in a phased approach, aiming at targeted Earth observation services to cover the needs of European citizens in the areas of environment, security, emergency response and climate change.

Key issues ahead:

• Maintain a firm link between establishing user requirements and securing the further development of services and infrastructure, in a cost-efficient manner;
• Strengthen coordination and the joint commitment by all stakeholders, especially that of Member States to the in-situ infrastructure;
• Obtain the commitment of ESA Member States and European Community to the funding of the GSC ‘Segment 2’;
• Further develop the future programmatic, financial and institutional framework (governance) for GMES as a whole and for its services, space and in-situ components. This framework will provide a basis for its operational sustainability.

Security and Defence

European space capacities have become critical information tools in addressing a diversity of environmental, economic and security challenges of a global or regional scale. Autonomous access to information derived from space is thus a strategic EU asset. The EU will need to further strengthen its ability to respond to these challenges, including in the security and defence domains, both through improved coordination and through the development of own capacities.

Key issues ahead:

• Pursue the structured dialogue between relevant EU services and agencies in view of creating synergies between the various actors' activities and programmes;
• Continue identification of user requirements for GMES security services, involving potential users, policy makers, providers of data and system developers, accompanied by further test and pilot projects under the relevant programmes.