Abstract

Despite political and industrial divergences between EU member states, space will play an indispensable role in the Strategic Compass. Space is a strategic enabler that can enrich the EU’s approach to crisis management, resilience, capabilities and partnerships, and the Compass is an opportunity to upgrade the status of space and defence within the context of the EU’s broader space policy.

In line with the EU’s Threat Analysis presented in November 2020*, any response to geopolitical rivalry, military threats, crisis management, climate change, failed states, globalisation and critical supply and communications requires robust space imaging, surveillance, tracking, communication, positioning and navigation capacities.

The Strategic Compass could lead to initiatives such as the development of a dedicated EU Space and Defence Strategy, investing in existing EU space bodies, financing counter anti-satellite weapon technologies, deploying space attachés in EU delegations, capitalising on the EU Government Satellite Communications programme (GovSatCom) and the Galileo Public Regulated Service (PRS) and more.

EUISS Policy Brief, 2021, No. 9

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