The EESC is calling for immediate structural measures in space investment and recommends increasing this to at least 0.2% of the EU’s GDP by 2030.

In the opinion drawn up by Angelo Pagliara and adopted during its December plenary session, the Committee points out that this boost would allow Europe to gradually close the gap with the US and China, making the EU a world leader in the space sector.

Europe’s investment in space is significantly smaller than that of its main competitors. The EU currently allocates only 0.07% of its GDP to space activities, compared to an average of 0.25% in the US, and higher levels still in China, India and Japan.

‘This structural imbalance undermines Europe’s ability to foster autonomous innovation, maintain strategic critical infrastructure and combat dependency on technologies, data and services from third countries,’ said Mr Pagliara, adding ‘We need to increase European public investment in the space sector’.

The EESC opinion assesses the European Commission’s EU Space Act and endorses its intention to enhance the space single market.

In order to make space activities sustainable, safe and resilient, the EU needs an immediate structural boost to its public investment in space activities. This means that the Union must take urgent action and adopt ambitious industrial policies, otherwise the objectives of the Commission’s proposal will not be met.

At the same time, the EESC underlines that it is important to have a clear regulatory framework in place to attract private investment. This must go hand in hand with an industrial and technological strategy that maximises economic and social returns for Europeans, defines tools to reduce dependency on critical supplies from outside Europe and supports the development of European launch capabilities. (mp)