Space

Space Green Paper

3. Towards a more efficient and ambitious organisation and framework

In Europe, a number of public agencies are pursuing space activities, to varying degrees and on the basis of various policies and instruments.

This diversity is characteristic of Europe. However, it calls in question the optimum use of resources and the various types of instruments available in order to achieve greater efficiency.

3.1 Union, ESA and Member States: roles and relationships

The fact that no space policy can be formulated in Europe in a purely national context was first addressed some 30 years ago.

The ESA, set up in 1975, met the initial objective to bring together the necessary resources and skills required for developing an integrated space science programme and producing a European launcher. The national agencies of certain Member States, operational bodies and Community space initiatives complete the European space (see box).

This diversity in the space sector has evolved pragmatically over the years. Today it poses the question of an optimised organisation complying with the subsidiarity principle permitting Europe to fix new objectives and new ambitions.

ESA and national space agencies: ESA programmes function in liaison with national agencies. In order to avoid gaps or redundancies between ESA's and national technical centres, the Agency has undertaken to organise the whole in a coherent network of European and national centres. An optimisation of the competencies and means must permanently be sought in permanence, in the spirit of the European Research Area.

European Union and ESA: Space is the reason for the existence of ESA, a strong priority being given to the scientific and industrial mastery of the technology and systems ("technology push"). The Union, however, has recourse to space as a generic tool when it provides useful support for various Community policies ("demand pull").

The combining of the two approaches in a common vision of European space can be particularly fruitful. The efforts of co-operation and closer working relations already undertaken underline however, differences and the absence of certain links between the two organisations on the institutional and procedural plan complicates relations and decisions. As for the question raised - of which certain can not be resolved under existing conditions - one can note the following examples concerning:

• the membership (for example, the case of the two States of the Union which are not members of ESA, for which it is necessary to consider if they intend to join it, ESA countries which are not members of the Union and the possible welcome in the ESA framework for enlargement countries);
• working principles (for example, the principle of "juste retour");
• the decision (notably, in the absence of a common decision-making body).

Q9: What is the most efficient manner to exploit the space "acquis" in Europe for the benefit of Union policies?