Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

[**Avis juridique important**](../../../editorial/legal_notice.htm)

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# 91998E3939

**WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3939/98 by Carlos ROBLES PIQUER to the Council. Assessing the various consequences of abandoning the International Space Station** 
  
*Official Journal C 207 , 21/07/1999 P. 0148*

  

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3939/98

by Carlos Robles Piquer (PPE) to the Council

(4 January 1999)

Subject: Assessing the various consequences of abandoning the International Space Station

The first section of the International Space Station was launched successfully from Baikonur (Kazakhstan) on 20 November 1998. It is designed to turn into reality things that have for decades been science-fiction dreams. On 3 December the module Zarya (Sunrise) will be joined by the connecting module Unity launched from the United States. There have already been delays owing to economic problems in Russia, but the most serious problem is that there is a new timetable for Russia's launching of the service module, now scheduled for July 1999. In the meantime there is growing criticism. A significant example is the editorial in the 14 November issue of The Economist, which says "With Russia's contribution to the project fast dwindling to nothing, the station is now losing even symbolic value ..., should it be going ahead at all? The answer is no." Nothing is said about assessing the consequences of abandoning the project.

All this is symptomatic of the growing difficulties of international cooperation in various fields of megascience, space, nuclear fusion, etc. Can the Council say what the European position is and what is at stake for the European Space Agency and its members?

Reply

(15 March 1999)

The Council is not in a position to answer this question which would appear to be a matter for the European Space Agency (of which, moreover, not all Member States are members).

It is recalled that Community RTD space-related activities are limited to coordination of activities in those fields of applications (telecommunications, navigation and earth observation) which benefit from space technologies and systems, whilst ensuring synergy with ESA activities.

The Fifth Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstration (1998 to 2002) does not include a "space" activity as such.

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