# Global Power Dynamics in the Contemporary Space System
## 4 System Actors--Space Powers
### Major Space Actors
#### 4.2.5 Europe  
European countries have historically been trailblazers in the field of space industry since the dawn of space activities in the 1930s and 1940s. Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and Italy have consistently regarded outer space as a strategic domain and have prioritized space activities at the national level. Concurrently, since the origins of the European Union in 1957, outer space has also played a pivotal role in European cooperation. Since that time, two approaches have been used to manage space policy, programs, and activities. At the national level, each country has developed its own space policy. At the regional level, some countries within the European Union process have been able to cooperate in space activities. The initial step in this direction was the establishment of the European Launcher Development Organization (ELDO) and the European Space Research Organization (ESRO) in 1964. The European Space Agency (ESA) was formally established in 1975 through the amalgamation of the European Space Research Organization (ESRO) and the European Launcher Development Organization (ELDO). The agency officially came into being in 1980, with a total of ten founding member countries. Since its creation, the European Space Agency (ESA) has served as a model for scientific, technological, and political cooperation in space at the regional level. Nevertheless, given its intergovernmental nature, the ESA did not alter the structure of the European space industry, which remained focused on the national scale and concentrated in three countries: Germany, France, and Italy [58]. ESA was created as an independent intergovernmental space agency that is not officially under the jurisdiction of the European Union. Norway, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom are ESA full members but not part of the EU, and Canada is also an ESA cooperating state. The European Union has recently demonstrated a desire to assume a more prominent role in the international system, engaging in competition with other predominant stakeholders [59]. As part of this strategy, space activities have emerged as a critical factor. Despite the complex mechanisms of global governance within the European Union (27 member states) and the European Space Agency (ESA) (22 members, not all of them EU), there is a clear interest in making key investments in space activities, as it is considered one of the critical sectors for future international competition. In recent years, the European Union (EU) has been developing and updating new strategic policies in space, coinciding with the increasing geopolitical tension in the international system. In 2016, the European Union published the 'Space Strategy for Europe', which delineates its primary objectives as follows: (i) the maximization of benefits derived from space for society and the EU economy; (ii) the encouragement of a globally competitive and innovative European space sector; (iii) the strengthening of Europe's autonomy in accessing and utilizing space in a secure and safe environment; and (iv) the fortification of Europe's role as a global actor and the promotion of international cooperation [60]. In April 2021, the Council and the European Parliament adopted a regulation establishing the new EU Space Program for the years 2021 to 2027. The program formally took effect on 1 January 2021, and is designed to bolster the security and autonomy of the European Union. It also serves to strengthen the EU's standing as a dominant player in the global space sector [61]. Finally, in 2022, the first-ever EU Space Strategy for Security and Defence was developed. In the contemporary geopolitical context, marked by escalating power competition and the intensification of threats, the European Union (EU) is undertaking measures to safeguard its space assets, defend its interests, deter hostile activities in space, and fortify its strategic posture and autonomy [62].