COUNCIL RESOLUTION of 22 June 1998 on the reinforcement of the synergy between the European Space Agency and the European Community (98/C 224/01)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

HAVING REGARD to the evolution of space research and technology and their applications;

STRESSING that space technologies are opening new markets, thereby increasing the economic value of space activities, while their political, cultural and social implications remain a dominant factor;

RECOGNISING that such space technologies are underpinning public policies towards the environment, the information society and transport and are contributing to the creation of new job opportunities and to a better quality of life;

CONSIDERING the increasing international competition and the need to place European industry on an equal footing with international competitors;

STRESSING the achievements already made in the fields of science, launchers, satellite applications and human spaceflight;

RECOGNISING the progress already made in the cooperation between a number of different participant in the European space sector, in particular the European Space Agency (hereinafter referred to as 'ESA`), the European Community (hereinafter referred to as the 'Community`), the national space authorities, industry, the research community and operators, and the benefits attached to such progress in cooperation for European users and European industry;

RECOGNISING that such cooperation should be based on the complementarity of the interests of ESA (which is in particular responsible for elaborating and implementing a long-term European space policy, activities and programmes in the space field and the industrial policy appropriate to its programme) and those of the Community (which has competences in legal, economic and social fields which affect the regulation of space-related markets) with respect to Community policies in environment, transport and the information society, the implementation of which will benefit from the use of space systems;

BELIEVING that this cooperation will be a factor of encouragement to European industry to invest in space endeavours with a commercial potential;

NOTING the European Commission Communication on Space and the associated European Parliament's Resolution of 13 January 1998 (1), the Commission's initiative to elaborate concrete Action Plans in certain space sectors, and the related conclusions of the Council of the European Union of September 1997, 27 June 1997 and 17 March 1998;

HAVING REGARD to Common Position (EC) No 31/98 of the Council (2), concerning the Fifth Framework Programme which provides for the coordination of space technology-related applications within the specific programmes;

RECALLING the fruitful cooperation developed over the years between ESA and the Community;

CONVINCED OF the need to provide Europe with a common vision and framework of reference on the basis of which the different participants involved in the space sector referred to above will be able to coordinate their actions;

NOTING that on the occasion of the celebration of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the 1973 European Space Conference to be held on 23 June 1998, Ministers of ESA Member States responsible for space activities will stress the importance of reinforcing the synergy between ESA and the European Community;

1. AGREES on the need to strengthen further the synergy and increase the complementarity between the Community and ESA, in respect of their respective competences, so as to enhance the efficiency of government investments in space systems and technologies for the benefit of the users, industry and related European policies;

2. STRESSES that the above-mentioned objective will be pursued actively, in particular in the fields of applications benefiting from space technologies and systems where the Commission has produced, or intends to produce, an Action Plan i.e. telecommunications, navigation and Earth observation;

3. AGREES to take into account in these areas to the maximum extent possible the interests of the States which are Members of ESA but not Members of the Community and to invite ESA to take reciprocal account of the interests of the States which are Members of Community but not Members of ESA and to make every effort to ensure that such States are not disadvantaged as compared to States which are Members of both organisations;

4. CALLS ON the Commission to involve ESA, in the space applications referred to above, in the definition, revision and implementation of action plans and in its dialogue with the other participants in the space sector, so as to maximise the benefits of ESA and Community activities in support of the objectives of all Member States in the space field;

5. ENCOURAGES the Commission to start implementing practical measures to promote synergy between the activities of ESA and the Community while avoiding unnecessary duplication, focusing on the specific fields of applications referred to above;

6. CALLS ON the Commission to take appropriate initiatives with a view to obtaining necessary decisions from the Council.

(1) OJ C 34, 2.2.1998, p. 27.

(2) OJ C 178, 10.6.1998, p. 49.