Press Release: EU needs powerful space policy to face global challenges

Emergency services and communications, navigation systems, live sports, news and weather coverage and financial transactions: day-to-day life in Europe depends more and more on space applications. To ensure a leading European role in these socially and economically important fields EU countries are to join hands to successfully develop powerful space systems and technologies. Therefore a comprehensive political framework for the development of a viable and strong space sector has been tabled jointly by the European Commission and the Director General of the- European Space Agency (ESA). The proposal focuses in particular on making more effective use of resources by combining efforts, as single Member States would not be able to face global challenges. Space is a strategic and high value-added growth sector on which the economy relies. The communication of the Commission and the General Director of ESA will be sent for endorsement to the European Space Council, a joint meeting of Competitiveness ministers and ESA-representatives from Member States, which will discuss the new policy on 22 May 2007.

European Commission: DG Communication: MEMO/07/154 http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/07/154&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=fr

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