EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 84/246

(2004/C 84 E/0292)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3533/03

by Christine De Veyrac (PPE-DE) to the Council

(28 November 2003)

Subject: European Space Policy — budget

On 27 November 2003 the Competitiveness Council will meet to consider the Commission's White Paper on European space policy.

At a time when our space industry is going through a difficult period, when the United States is stepping up its investment in civil and military research, when several emerging countries (China, Brazil and India) are gradually joining the ranks of the space powers and when discussions are beginning on the Union's financial perspective for 2007-2013, the European Union must assert its ambitions.

The development of space technologies will have major implications: it will strengthen our economic competitiveness, provide the necessary resources for an independent defence and security policy, improve our environmental control capacity, reduce the digital divide, etc. To these practical applications should be added a clear financial benefit: all the relevant surveys show that one euro invested in space applications generates a turnover of EUR 7 to EUR 8.

These factors would justify an unprecedented investment in the field of space technology, an investment which has consistently been supported by Europe's political representatives.

Given the above, does the Council intend to support the commitment to space technology called for jointly by Parliament and the Commission?

Will it accept the White Paper's recommendation that EU spending in the field of space policy be increased by 4,6 %, starting in 2004?

Reply

(11 March 2004)

1. The importance which the Council attaches to the development of a European space policy is reflected in a number of recent initiatives taken in this area, in particular: — the Council Resolution of 27 November 2003 on the contribution of industrial policy to European competitiveness, which ‘inter alia’ stresses the need for a consolidated industrial and institutional approach to maintain and develop the European space industry and foster co-operation between the European Space Agency and the European Union (1); — the signature of the EC-ESA Framework Agreement on 25 November 2003 (2) as well as the Council Resolution of 13 May 2003 on European Space Policy, foreshadowing this agreement (3).

2. Following the EC-ESA Framework Agreement, the first concrete steps towards the implementation of an overall space policy are currently being undertaken and the necessary administrative arrangements are being worked out to develop close cooperation between the services of the Commission and ESA.

3. The Honourable Member's attention is further drawn to the Commission's Legislative and Work Programme 2004 (4) and the Commission communication on a European initiative for Growth (5), which list the Galileo and GMES initiatives among their key priorities. These initiatives, as well as other aspects of space policy, will be further pursued during the coming months with the holding of the first meeting of the ‘Space Council’, which brings decision makers on space matters together at the European political level.

4. The Honourable Member will be aware that the Commission's White Paper entitled ‘Space: a new European frontier for an expanding Union — An action plan for implementing the European Space policy’ (6) was presented to the Council by the Commission on 27 November 2003. Discussion of the Commission's White Paper has therefore only been of a preliminary character; further in-depth discussions will take place during the first semester of 2004. The financial implications of the White Paper will need to be closely examined and it is therefore not possible, at the present juncture, for the Council to take a position on the 4,6 % increase or on the alternative financial scenarios.

(1) Doc. 15472/03 Compet 77 IND 175 MI 305 RECH 243 Ecofin 393 RC 23 WTO 139 TEXT 25 TRANS 330 SOC 507 SAN 256.

(2) Doc. 12858/03 RECH 152 OC 589.

(3) Doc. 9341/03 Compet 26 IND 73 MI 104 RECH 87 Polarm 13 Telecom 76.

(4) Doc. 14510/03 INST 190.

(5) Doc. 14893/03 Ecofin 340 FIN 498 ECO 237 TRANS 294 ENER 308 RECH 212 SOC 473.

(6) Doc. 14893/03 RECH 211 Compet 62 IND 164 TRANS 293 Polarm 36.