The European Union needs a common approach to defending its interests in space, says an own-initiative report by Security and Defence Subcommittee Chair Karl von Wogau (EPP-ED, DE), adopted by a large majority in the Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday. The report underlines “the need for space assets in order that the political and diplomatic activities of the European Union may be based on independent, reliable and complete information”.
With an eye to debate over the civilian or military nature of the Galileo satellite navigation project, the report underlines “the necessity of Galileo for autonomous European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) operations, for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and for Europe’s own security”. The committee also urges EU Member States to ensure the interoperability of their various observation and reconnaissance systems, and “recommends the urgent conclusion of agreements between the EU Satellite Centre and EU Member States to provide imagery to ESDP operation and force commanders”.
Weaponisation and security of space
The committee “is concerned by the possible future weaponisation of space”, and “expresses particular concern about the use of destructive force against satellites”, such as the January 2007 test of the Chinese anti-satellite system. The report urges “that under no circumstances should European space policy contribute to the overall militarisation and weaponisation of space”. The committee also calls on EU institutions to “promote a conference to review the Outer Space Treaty, with the aim of strengthening it and expanding its scope to prohibit all weapons in space”, and calls on “all international actors to refrain from using offensive equipment in space”.
On security, the report “deplores the fact that EU Member States do not have access to instant data on ballistic missile launches around the world”, and supports projects for early-warning systems to be established. It also “underscores the vulnerability of strategic space assets”, and therefore “stresses the need for them to be adequately protected by ground-based theatre missile defence, planes and space surveillance systems”.
A space assets budget?
The report also advocates setting up “an operational budget for space assets”, and strongly favours putting space operations under the Community budget. “As experience has shown, large-scale common projects cannot be properly managed when 27 different national budget authorities applying the principle of ‘fair return’ are involved”, the committee says, and it “therefore strongly recommends that these projects and programmes be financed from the EU budget”. It also “recommends that European non-commercial satellites be carried into orbit by European launchers, preferably from the territory of the European Union”.
The von Wogau report was adopted in committee with 43 votes in favour, 6 against and 1 abstention.
