Press Release: Commission calls for enhanced cooperation in space

At the 'Winning through co-operation: sharing the benefits of space' conference in Brussels on 17 February 2005, over 40 nations and around 20 international organisations came together to discuss international cooperation in space. Space is already an international endeavour, as demonstrated by a large variety of science projects. The conference provided a forum between those States capable of providing space technology - the supply side - and those willing to make use of it - the demand side. European space industry had become a key actor in the world-wide commercial market of satellite manufacturing, launch services, and satellite operators. It was concluded that in order to sustain a competitive industry (including manufacturers, service providers and operators) new research and technologies were required.