EU Statement on
Agenda item 4: General exchange of views

68^th Session of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) 

Vienna, 25 June – 2 July 2025

Chair,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union. The following countries align themselves with this statement: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republic of Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, and Ukraine. 

Chair,

I would like to assure you of our full support and cooperation, and thank UNOOSA for its excellent work and its Director Aarti Holla-Maini for her able leadership.

COPUOS and its Subcommittees remain unique platforms for international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space, as well as for the development of international space law, international norms, guidelines, best practices and measures to enhance transparency and build confidence. We must all make sure that COPUOS remains able to deliver. 

The UN Pact for the Futurerecognises the need for urgent action to ensure the safe and sustainable use of space for the benefit of all humankind. World leaders reaffirmed the Outer Space Treaty as the cornerstone of the international legal regime on outer space and decided to discuss the establishment of new frameworks for space traffic, space debris and space resources activities through COPUOS, and involve relevant stakeholders. They also encouraged COPUOS to consult on a proposal to hold a Fourth UN Conference on the Peaceful Exploration of Outer Space (UNISPACE IV) in 2027.

In this context, the EU supports convening UNISPACE IV in Vienna and stresses the importance of UNOOSA having the necessary resources for its realisation. As concluded in the recent Strategic Review, essential reforms are urgently required to address the growing gap between UNOOSA's expanding mandates and its limited financial and human resources.

Chair,

The EU and its Member States remain committed to promoting the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Space 2030 Agenda. The EU recognises that space technologies support the achievement of the SDGs. The EU has contributed to the mid-term review of the Space2030 Agenda by reporting on its capacity-building and other activities, under the EU’s Global Gateway Strategy. For example COPERNICUS, the Earth Observation component of the EU Space Programme, plays a crucial role in strengthening resilience and reducing vulnerabilities to natural disasters and supporting climate adaptation, food security and environmental protection, in third countries.

The EU Space Programme continues to focus on space activities in the fields of Earth Observation, Satellite Navigation, Connectivity, Space Research and Innovation. Its components such as GALILEO, EGNOS, and COPERNICUS, benefit millions of users not only within the EU, but also in third countries, and IRIS² aims to provide secure telecommunications services. They provide reliable monitoring data and information. 

Space traffic and the mitigation of space debris remain among the key issues for COPUOS to ensure long-term orbital sustainability. We encourage the Working Group on the Long-Term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities to advance its discussions on the implementation of the existing 21 LTS Guidelines, as well as the Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines, capacity-building, and new challenges. We believe this work should continue beyond 2026, with the aim to enhance the safety, and sustainability of outer space activities relevant for COPUOS’ mandate. 

The EU aims to contribute to space traffic management as a global endeavour, pairing existing capabilities and tools with an overall ambition for global cooperation and coordination with international partners, to share information and experience. On the operational side, since 2016, EU Space Surveillance & Tracking has been providing, inter alia, collision avoidance services to protect satellites, and re-entry prediction services to help protect populations and critical infrastructure on Earth, and is now open to non-European users.

The EU takes note of the proposal to establish a Space Situational Awareness (SSA) Expert Group at the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee (STSC) as well as the proposal to establish a Study Group on Legal and Policy Aspects of Space Traffic at the Legal Subcommittee (LSC) and welcomes further discussions on the possible role and mandate of such Groups with a view to taking a decision on the establishment at the present session.

We also welcome the progress made with the work of the Action Team on Lunar Activities Consultation (ATLAC) under the able co-chairmanship of Romania and Pakistan and support the adoption of its work programme for 2025-27.

Chair,

The EU remains gravely concerned about the current international context affecting multilateral work, including cooperation on outer space issues. We call on all parties to fully comply with their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law, in all circumstances. Violations of the UN Charter undermine the whole UN system. We strongly condemn Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, as well as the DPRK’s illegal actions in violation of multiple Security Council Resolutions, including its satellite launches using ballistic missile technology. 

The EU and its Member States strongly support the rules-based international order, with the United Nations at its core, and the work of the United Nations and a multilateral approach to international affairs. All EU initiatives are developed in the spirit of international cooperation for the peaceful use of outer space. We remain committed to collaborating with all stakeholders to advance outer space issues relevant to COPUOS.

Thank you for your attention.