On 10 March 2023 Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President for a Europe Fit for the Digital Age welcomed the new strategy like this: “A lot of the things we do in space are crucial for the functioning of our society and economy. It keeps essential services running for public administrations, private companies and citizens. With this joint communication we take action to protect our assets in space with a view to increasing the common understanding among Member States for a more coherent Europe in space.”
Space systems and services in the European Union are crucial for the functioning of our society and economy, as well as for security and defence. In the current geopolitical context of increasing power competition and intensification of threats, the EU is taking action to protect its space assets, defend its interests, deter hostile activities in space and strengthen its strategic posture and autonomy.
The Strategy is a direct implementation of the EU Strategic Compass adopted less than a year ago and which defined space, together with cyber and maritime, as contested strategic domains, the security of which must be ensured. It provides for a set of actions covering the following strands.