Study - EU space policy and involvement of civil society

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is planning to launch a procurement procedure for a study on"'EU space policy and involvement of civil society".

This announcement is made pursuant to Annex I.14 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 July 2018 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union, to award a low value contract as a result of a negotiated procedure. It is published ahead of the procurement procedure with basic information on the subject matter of the contract to give interested economic operators the possibility to express their interest in participating as tenderers in the subsequent procurement procedure.

All economic operators established in the European Union, European Economic Area and countries with a Stabilisation and Association Agreement, with proven experience in conducting studies on related topics, may express their interest in participating.

DESCRIPTION

Shared with the Member States under Article 189 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), the EU space policy has achieved real, but underestimated success. The year 2021 marked the adoption of the first comprehensive European Space Programme. However, the space sector, which accounts for nearly 10% of GDP, is still relatively unknown, particularly amongst the European public, and this may explain why the civil society is not generally associated with it. The most striking example is Galileo: while this satellite navigation system is the most accurate in the world, most Europeans are not even aware of its existence, and they use its American GPS competitor, which is to a large extent relayed by industrial firms, especially in the field of transport.

The study will concentrate on the civil society involvement and its potential role in space issues and programmes. For example, the issue of space-based secure connectivity is not only a technical, military and economic one, but it is also an essential tool for the functioning of participatory democracy and the implementation of fundamental rights, and to increase citizen empowerment. It is necessary to highlight the benefits that space policies and programmes bring to citizens also as a service of general public interest. The economic impact on growth and jobs and the actual overall benefits of the programmes are not known. The study will also consider the roles of the main players responsible for the sector, including the European Commission and its Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space (DG DEFIS), the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), and the European Space Agency (ESA) and look at how civil society can be constructively involved in the current and future EU Space Programmes.

The recently approved EESC opinion on Space package (TEN/775) and the supplementary opinion on Space-based secure connectivity and new space: a European industrial path towards sovereignty and innovation (CCMI/196), as well as the European Parliament ITRE Committee study on "Space Market" of November 2021, can be considered as starting points for the analysis requested.

Languages/geographical area

The study should be carried out in English, and cover the European Union.

Indicative timeline

  1. Launch of the invitation to tender: Fourth quarter 2022.
  2. Contract award: Fourth quarter 2022.
  3. The final study report is expected within 6 months following the signature of the contract.
  4. Deadline for submission of tenders: approximately Fourth quarter 2022.

DATA PROTECTION

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DISCLAIMER

Please note that this announcement does not create any obligation for the EESC to launch a procurement procedure. The EESC will take the submitted information into account only to identify potential candidates. Expressing interest to participate in a negotiated procedure of this type does not create any legal right or legitimate expectation on the part of any economic operator, and the EESC has the right to cancel the procedure at any time. The procurement documents will only be provided to the identified candidates, and any tender received from a legal or natural person not invited to tender will be rejected.

Contact

Expressions of interest in participating or requests for further information should be sent via the following contact form:

Deadline

Thursday, October 20, 2022 - 15:00