The European Commission has proposed the EU Space Act, a new set of measures to make Europe’s space sector cleaner, safer and more competitive in Europe and its export markets.
“Europe’s leadership in space must be rooted in sovereignty, security, and strategic foresight,” said EC vice-president Henna Virkkunen: “With the EU Space Act we are taking a bold step to ensure that our space infrastructure is resilient, our innovation ecosystem is empowered, and our autonomy in critical technologies is secured for generations to come.”
Europe’s space rules are currently fragmented, says the Commission, with different national approaches. The result is holding back innovation, reduceing the European market share and creating extra costs.
The EU Space Act intends to cut red tape, protect space assets, and create a fair, predictable playing field for businesses. The proposal focuses on safety, resilience and sustainability.
Better safety is needed as space is becoming increasingly congested. 11,000 satellites are currently in orbit, with another 50,000 expected to launch over the next decade. At the same time, more than 128 million pieces of debris are already circulating in space, sharply increasing the risk of collisions. In a worst-case scenario, this could trigger cascading crashes that render key orbits unusable and cut off access to vital satellite services. To prevent this, the EU Space Act introduces measures to improve the tracking of space objects and limit new debris – including requirements for safe satellite disposal at the end of their operational life.
Resilience is essential as space becomes more contested. Space infrastructures face growing threats from cyberattacks and electronic interference targeting satellites, ground stations, and communication links. These attacks can lead to the loss of satellites or disruption of critical services. The EU Space Act will require all space operators to conduct thorough risk assessments throughout a satellite’s lifecycle, applying cybersecurity rules and incident reporting tailored to the space sector.
As space activities grow, managing resources, CO2 emissions and debris becomes vital. Measuring environmental impacts allows the industry to cut its footprint and support EU sustainability. The EU Space Act will set common rules to measure these impacts. These rules will ensure consistent verified data and encourage innovation in areas such as in-space servicing to extend satellite life and reduce debris.
The new rules would apply to both EU and national space assets, as well as to non-EU operators offering services in Europe. Regulatory requirements will be adapted to company size and level of maturity, and measured against the risks involved.
Support will be offered to mitigate potential costs for the industry. This included capacity building, access to testing facilities, and helping space operators to prepare their applications for authorisation. This will in particular support start-ups and SMEs.
Alongside the EU Space Act, the Commission has also presented today a Vision for the European Space Economy to tackle the evolving global space economy and the challenges posed by international competition and geopolitical tensions. Space is a high growth market sector contributing to the EU’s competitiveness. The sector encompasses European space industry (manufacturing and services), space services in numerous market sectors – from climate and environment, agriculture to energy, transport, insurance and banking or security and defence.
The legislative proposal is now to be subject to negotiations in the European Parliament and in the Council, under the ordinary legislative procedure.
