The legislation would benefit start-ups and smaller firms through cost mitigation.  

The European Commission is proposing new legislation to improve competition and resilience in the European space sector, a 25 June announcement from the commission has revealed.

Dubbed the ‘EU Space Act’, this legislation would lessen administrative burdens by cutting red tape and help to create a “fair, predictable playing field for businesses”, the commission said.

It will mitigate costs for industry through capacity building and access to testing facilities, as well as assist space operators in preparing their systems for authorisation. The commission said this will benefit start-ups and smaller firms in particular.

The act consists of three key pillars: sustainability, safety, and resilience. From the sustainability perspective, the act will better manage the emissions of space resources and ensure environmental impact is better measured. To fulfil the safety pillar, the act will introduce measures to track space objects and mitigate against space debris.

In terms of resilience, the commission noted the growing threats faced by space infrastructure from cyberattacks or electronic interference. To counter such threats, the act will require all space operators conduct risk assessments throughout satellite lifecycles and apply cybersecurity rules.

These new rules would apply to EU space assets, national space assets, and non-EU operators offering services in Europe, the commission added, with regulatory requirements adapted to company size and maturity level.  

The new space act must now await negotiations and approval from the European Parliament and the European Council, though ahead of that the commission will establish a forum to bring together stakeholders in the European space ecosystem called ‘Space Team Europe’.

This will federate European “space-related excellence and capacities in a coherent and efficient manner”, the commission noted, while additional steps will be taken to create a methodology for monitoring EU competitiveness in the space sector.

“Europe's space rules are currently fragmented, with many different national approaches. This patchwork holds back innovation, reduces the European market share, and creates extra costs”, the commission said, commenting on the act as a whole.

“A clear and harmonised framework at European level will ensure safety, resilience, and environmental responsibility across the Union, while helping companies grow and scale up across borders”.

DSEI Gateway News is part of DSEI UK and the broader Clarion Defence portfolio. 
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