Brussels, 15 May 2003
Motions for resolutions on the ministerial meeting of the European Space Agency of May 2003
Doc.: B5-0246/2003, B5-0250/2003, B5-0251/2003, B5-0259/2003, B5-0260/2003
Debate: 14.05.2003
Vote: 15.05.2003
Given the unprecedented crisis in the EU's space industry, arising variously from increased international demand for launchers, stagnation in commercial launching requirements and the structural weakness of the European institutional market, in this resolution MEPs underline the need to guarantee that the EU has independent access to space via the mastery and development of the appropriate technologies.
Secondly, MEPs are concerned about the financing of Galileo - the European Satellite system, indeed, the House urges the Member States concerned to overcome their differences and put the common interest first, to ensure that a final decision is reached on the financing and management of the GALILEO programme, enabling it to be rapidly implemented in tandem with the relaunch of the European launcher Ariane 5G.
Finally, as far as the powers of the Union are concerned, MEPs welcome the presence of the European space objective in the present text of Article 3 of the draft constitutional treaty drawn up by the Convention on the Future of Europe, and believe that the European space policy should be included among the competences shared by the Union and the Member States.
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European Parliament Daily Notebook 0515