Mr Stephen Gosden
European Commission – Research DG
+322.29.60079
stephen.gosden@cec.eu.int

The EC -ESA Joint Task Force, whose purpose is to implement the European Strategy for Space, met for the first time in Brussels today. The main items on the agenda were establishing a work plan for the coming year, analysing the present situation of the Galileo project and discussing the concept of Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES). The EU Research Commissioner, Philippe Busquin, declared the meeting ëa concrete step in building a European Research Area, in a field that is of strategic interest for Europe,” a sentiment echoed by Antonio Rodotý, Director-General of ESA, who called it ëanother step into a new phase in which space systems become an integral part of the overall political and economic efforts of Europe.”

Today, the European Commission and ESA set up a joint task force following the proposals in September 2000 in the Communication on the European Strategy for Space and in the ESA Council document, which were endorsed by the resolutions of the EU and ESA Councils of 16 November 2000.

The objectives of the European Strategy for Space ” jointly developed by the Commission and ESA ” are:

1) to strengthen the foundation for space activities in Europe,
2) to enhance scientific knowledge for a better understanding of our planet, the solar system and the universe, and
3) to reap the benefits for markets and society through exploitation of technical space capabilities.

The task force’s main missions are to further develop and implement this strategy, to propose a framework enabling ESA to act as the implementing agency in support of EU policies, and to prepare the first report on European space activities for the EU and ESA Councils and European Parliament by the end of 2001.

The European Commissioner for Research, Philippe Busquin, said: “The inauguration and work of this Joint Task Force illustrates the role that I see for the Commission in developing a true space policy for Europe and in getting everyone to work together around common goals. It is a concrete step in building a European Research Area, in a field that is of strategic interest for Europe and that can bring concrete benefits for citizens, for example in better monitoring of our environment and making our transport system more efficient.”

For ESA, Antonio Rodotý, Director-General of ESA, stated: “The Joint Task Force represents the continuation and concretisation of the common work that was performed in 2000 and that has led to the joint endorsement of the European Strategy for Space by the ESA and EU Councils. With the Joint Task Force, Europe takes another step into a new phase in which space systems become an integral part of the overall political and economic efforts of Europe to promote the interests of its citizens.”

Notes for Editors

ESA contact:
Geraldine Naja, Directorate of Strategy, ESA
Tel: +33-1-53 69 75 32 Fax: +33-1-53 69 73 82
E-mail: geraldine.naja@esa.int

Communication on EU space strategy at:
http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/en/com/cnc/2000/com2000_0597en02.pdf

Related magazine articles on space and the Galileo project: http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/rtdinfo/en/25/02.html