French President, European Commission chief call for strengthening Europe’s space sector amid growing threats
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French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called on Europe to strengthen its space sector during an international summit on space jointly organised by France and Germany, Euronews reported.
Macron described the European space sector as “vulnerable” and stressed the need to strengthen its capabilities, calling for joint governance of the sector.
“Space remains the only common resource of global importance that is still not governed by rules commensurate with the scale of the challenges we face. Addressing those challenges requires joint governance,” Macron said.
The French President added that more than 51 agreements worth around €20 billion were expected to be signed during the summit and outlined a number of key future milestones for Europe.
Meanwhile, Ursula von der Leyen stressed the importance of stepping up Europe’s efforts, highlighting the important role of space not only in scientific research but also in defence, citing Russia’s war against Ukraine as an example.
“The ability to operate in space is not only fundamental to our prosperity, but increasingly determines our security and independence. Nowhere is this more evident than in Ukraine,” von der Leyen said.
Europe’s drive to expand its military capabilities in the space sector is driven by Russia’s war against Ukraine, as well as a desire to gradually move away from its longstanding dependence on the United States in the space sector.