ESA and Commission 'link up'
A joint venture between the Commission and the European Space Agency (ESA) has been proposed in a joint Commission and ESA communication entitled 'Europe and space: turning to a new chapter'. Collaboration has been possible on account of the long-standing co-operation between Member States and the ESA, said Philippe Busquin, EU Commissioner for Research. 'But we need to better exploit these strengths to respond to market needs and to serve a range of Community policies in such fields as environment, agriculture, foreign policy and security,' he continued. Mr Busquin added that one of the aims of the communication is to 'define a role for the EU in the field of space, and to give a political and Community dimension to space'. The ability to develop and manage space-based infrastructures, and to collect and use the information derived from such systems is an extremely valuable asset in the further integration of Europe, and will grant the EU a greater political weight on the global stage. The communication is a further step in the development of a coherent approach to space in Europe, centred around three pillars: strengthening the foundation for space so that Europe preserves an independent and affordable access to space, enhancing scientific knowledge, and exploiting the benefits of space-based tools for markets and society. The role of the Commission is to create the right political and regulatory conditions for space activities, to channel research and development efforts in line with the objectives of a European Research Area, and to bring together all actors around common political objectives in projects relevant to the whole of Europe. In order to define arrangements for co-operation between the ESA and the Commission, to further develop the space strategy and to propose a setting for EU and ESA Member States to jointly review space developments, a joint task force will be set up, and will deliver its proposals before December 2001.