Check against delivery! 

Thank you, Madam President.

Monsieur le rapporteur [Arnaud Danjean], mesdames et messieurs les députés, je me présente devant vous pour tenter de remplacer le haut représentant/vice-président de la Commission [européenne], Josep Borrell, et mon collègue le commissaire [au marché intérieur] Thierry Breton qui ne peuvent malheureusement pas participer à ce débat ce soir. 

Today’s debate is a timely opportunity to discuss the change of paradigm brought by our new strategy when it comes to Space Security and Defence.  

Space has become increasingly contested. The geopolitical competition we see on Earth is now increasingly projected in space and we cannot afford to remain idle. As stated in the Strategic Compass, Space is a strategic domain.  

The Russian aggression against Ukraine was a wake-up call for all of us. Not just for Ukraine. Not just for European and international security. But also, specifically in terms of space, and the threats we face and urgent need for a common European action. 

We observed very concretely how space assets and services are crucial in support of policy makers, as well as military actors. Of the around 5,500 satellites in orbit today, 450 are owned or operated by the world’s military; many more are dual or are civilian commercial and support security and defence. 

Space services are essential for understanding an evolving crisis or conflict on the ground. Satellite imagery and communications, for instance, can be game changers for the Ukrainian Armed Forces and for the entire population, providing access to information and situational awareness to help resist the attack, and by keeping Ukrainians connected to their country and the outside world.  

Demand for analysis by the EU Satellite Centre (SatCen), our key geospatial intelligence provider, is growing: last year, SatCen provided us with over 4,500 geospatial intelligence products – a tenfold increase over the last decade. We must capitalise this success and further develop space services to support to EU decision-making in the area of security and defence. In this context, we will reinforce SatCen and consider a new Earth observation governmental service. 

We also witnessed how the ability to deny the use of space to an adversary, whether temporarily or permanently, can be part of warfare. 

The night before the invasion started, a simple, unsophisticated malicious code managed to bring down entire parts of a large space communications network. It also revealed our own vulnerabilities linked to space services and raised some key strategic questions. How many critical infrastructures in the European Union depend on space services? How well are these services protected against the many forms of attacks against satellites or ground stations they connect to?  

Just like in other sectors, we have also become more aware of dependencies – as you said, Mr Rapporteur - on foreign suppliers. Such as when the Russian Soyuz teams suddenly left the Space Port of Kourou, and jeopardised European launch capabilities and capacities.  

Finally, prior to the invasion, in November 2021, the Russian Federation tested a kinetic anti-satellite weapon. This irresponsible act not only generated dangerous debris, but also sent a worrying signal to all space-faring nations: the Russian Federation is prepared to hold satellites at risk. 

This is why the European Union will reinforce its Space Threat Response Architecture to better understand and better detect the various space threats, and to use the various tools at our disposal in a more efficient way. 

To this end, the Commission will propose a new EU Space Law, to provide a stable and predictable legal framework for the safety, resilience and sustainability of space activities.  

Our strategy is not only setting a high-level of ambition for the Europea Union. It is also a diplomatic tool, a transparency and confidence building measure. The European Union promotes responsible behaviour in space at a multilateral level. In addition, we will continue to engage with all Member States, as well as third countries, because space is, by essence, a global matter. 

Allow me to thank you again for the opportunity to discuss your excellent report, which captures the essence of the new strategy.   

Et monsieur le rapporteur, comme vous, je vais évidemment être attentif au débat qui va maintenant être tenu dans cette assemblée.  

Je vous remercie. 

Link to the video (starting from 5:23): https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-249463 

Closing remarks  

Thank you, Madam President, Monsieur le rapporteur, Honourable Members, 

The debate of today in the Plenary, testifies to the growing interest and development of a strategic culture of space and security across the European Union. It also echoes the Council Conclusions, which also welcomed very favourably the strategy, demonstrating the relevance of our approach. 

As you correctly pointed out, there are several main issues at stake that we need to address: detection of threats, protection and resilience of space systems and services, responsiveness, but also cooperation and partnership. 

And you also pointed notably to two challenges: the need to invest and to maintain a competitive space industry to sustain our ambitions, and the need to design a clear, flexible and responsive governance respecting the specificities of the component of the Space Programme and not duplicate existing means or circumvent Member States responsibilities. 

We have a lot of work ahead of us, in order to implement this new strategy. Allow me to conclude by reassuring you that the European External Action Service and the Commission will continue engaging with you and will keep the European Parliament informed of the progress achieved and I am sure that the High Representative and Vice-President, Josep Borrell, and the Commissioner [for Internal Market] Thierry Breton will come to continue the discussions with you. 

Thank you.  

Link to the video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-249672