Czech Presidency reaches agreement on ambitious text on development of European space policy
On 28 May Brussels hosted the sixth “Space Council” which dealt with the relations between innovation and space research and their influence on European competitiveness.
The EU-ESA Framework Agreement from 2004 established that the joint meeting of the Space Council should regularly coordinate the European space policy and make recommendations which both institutions should then approve in accordance with their own procedural rules. Today’s Council meeting focused on three main issues: stimulating economic growth through the European Space Programme, implementation of the programme Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) and the role of space research in the development of innovation and competitiveness in the context of the European Economic Recovery Plan. The meeting between the Ministers of the Member States responsible for space policy and the Council of the European Space Agency (ESA) agreed on further political initiatives to implement all three items.
"I wish to emphasise, in particular, the potential of space policy for innovation, development of new technologies and thus for strengthening European economy. Space research brings many innovations and modern technologies that are reflected in other sectors of the economy almost instantly, thus stimulating economic growth, competitiveness and, ultimately, employment. One could say that each euro invested in space policy will yield fantastic returns", said Minister Kopicová at the press conference of the Space Council.
The Czech Republic has further expressed that Prague is interested in organising and ready to host a high-level conference in autumn 2009 that will focus on furthers steps to be taken by the European states in the area of human intervention in space.
In December 2008, the European Commission adopted a recovery plan for the European economy and called upon the Member States to support innovation, which includes the development of space technologies and associated services that require the development of research infrastructures to allow for further space research. In the words of Vice-President of the European Commission and Commissioner for Enterprise and Industry Günter Verheugen, the Commission has today presented a proposal for funding the initial period of the GMES system operation.
The meeting of the Council was chaired by Miroslava Kopicová, Chairwoman of the Competitiveness Council of Ministers, along with Italian Education Minister and Chairwoman of the ESA Council at the ministerial level Mariastella Gelmini.
Contact:
- Tomáš Bouška, Spokesman of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports for czech presidency
- tel.: +420 257 193 426, GSM: +420 724 374 245; e-mail: tomas.bouska@msmt.cz
Last update: 16.8.2011 15:20
