Council Resolution of 22 June 1998 on the reinforcement of the synergy between the European Space Agency and the European Community
Date: 1998-06-22
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: EU policy, European Communities, European Space Agency, cooperation policy, space technology

17.7.98

EN

Official  Journal  of  the  European  Communities

C  224/1

I

(Information)

COUNCIL

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  impli(cid:220)
cations  remain  a  dominant  factor;

RECOGNISING  that  such  space  technologies  are  under(cid:220)
pinning  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  coop(cid:220)
eration  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’),
industry,  the  research
the  national  space  authorities, 
community  and  operators,  and  the  benefits  attached  to
such  progress  in  cooperation  for  European  users  and
European  industry;

for 

particular 

elaborating 

responsible 
long(cid:220)term  European 

RECOGNISING  that  such  cooperation  should  be  based
on  the  complementarity  of  the  interests  of  ESA  (which  is
in 
and
implementing  a 
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(cid:220)related  markets)  with 
to  Community
policies  in  environment,  transport  and  the  information
society,  the  implementation  of  which  will  benefit  from
the  use  of  space  systems;

respect 

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

the 

and 

NOTING  the  European  Commission  Communication  on
Space 
associated  European  Parliament’s
Resolution  of  13  January  1998(cid:216)(cid:216)(˛),  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(cid:216)(ˇ),  concerning  the  Fifth  Framework
Programme  which  provides  for  the  coordination  of  space
technology(cid:220)related 
specific
programmes;

applications  within 

the 

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

(˛)(cid:217)OJ  C  34,  2.2.1998,  p.  27.
(ˇ)(cid:217)OJ  C  178,  10.6.1998,  p.  49.

C  224/2

EN

Official  Journal  of  the  European  Communities

17.7.98

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(cid:220)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, 
their
respective  competences,  so  as  to  enhance  the  effi(cid:220)
ciency  of  government  investments  in  space  systems
and  technologies  for  the  benefit  of  the  users,  industry
and  related  European  policies;

respect  of 

in 

2. STRESSES  that  the  above(cid:220)mentioned  objective  will  be
pursued  actively, 
fields  of
in  particular 
applications  benefiting  from  space  technologies  and
systems  where  the  Commission  has  produced,  or
intends  to  produce,  an  Action  Plan  i.e.  telecommuni(cid:220)
cations,  navigation  and  Earth  observation;

the 

in 

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
interests  of  the  States  which  are
account  of  the 
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
in  the  space
dialogue  with  the  other  participants 
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, 
the  specific
fields  of  applications  referred  to  above;

focusing  on 

6. CALLS  ON 

the  Commission 

take  appropriate
initiatives  with  a  view  to  obtaining  necessary  decisions
from  the  Council.

to