WHEN?: 28 & 29 January 2014
WHERE?: European Commission, Charlemagne Building, Brussels (Belgium)
WHAT?: 6th Edition of the high-level Conference on EU Space Policy
At the beginning of next year, the overall framework should be established, including the long-term budgets that are to be allocated to current EU space programmes, along with the legal instruments that are to guide them. The negotiations are not closed yet, of course. Nevertheless, the time will soon come to implement these new means that are to be placed at the disposal of the European space sector. It is therefore necessary to also examine the technological, industrial and political challenges that will arise as we head towards 2020, in light of the increasingly sophisticated and critical services that are expected to be developed in the space sector, as well as the many questions raised by their joint civil and security dual-use, and to begin to debate the delicate and important choices that will no doubt need to be made to meet those challenges.
There is no lack of new medium- and long-term issues that need to be addressed:
European space industry: facing the challenge of competitiveness
Adoption and practical implementation of the proposals tabled in the European Commission Communication on EU Space Industrial Policy, and its links with other EU initiatives such as Horizon 2020 in order to foster commercial markets, and ensure a level playing field in the global marketplace and with others stakeholders, including agencies and industry bodies.
International dimension of EU space policy: partnerships and cooperation
EGNSS cooperation agreements, GEOSS, programmatic agreements with third countries, etc.
The growing role for satellite telecommunications, and new challenges for operators
Participation in e-society, links with EU regional policy, increasing role in security and defence, contribution of the ‘Connecting Europe Facility’ and the ‘Horizon 2020’ programme, growing competition internationally for frequencies and markets, etc
Civil/security & defence: the dual dimension of space services and activities
Outcome of the December 2013 European Council dedicated to Common Security and Defence Policy and the specific sectoral industrial policy.
New challenges for space
SST, space debris removal, space sciences, exploration, societal challenges, etc.
EU space programmes: prospective state-of-play
• Galileo: completion of the constellation, technological choices for the next generation of satellites, etc.;
• Copernicus/GMES: development of the space and in-situ components, management of data policy, etc.;
• Operational Space Infrastructure Operators: dividing up management tasks;
• Launchers: development of policy, etc.
WHO?
This event will offer a unique opportunity for an informative debate between the main political and industry decision-makers, bringing together representatives of national and European institutions, bodies, agencies, industry, research centres and civil society.
ORGANISED IN COLLABORATION WITH:
The European Commission, the European Parliament and its Sky and Space Intergroup, the European Council, the European Space Agency, Eurospace, and key actors from the space industry and space-user sectors.