A conference about A new Space Policy for Europe takes place in European Parliament in Brussels.

Brussels

TAJANI, Antonio (EPP, IT)

conference

European space industry (T)

VAN ROMPUY, Herman (BE)

PRODI, Vittorio (S&D, IT)

DORDAIN, Jean-Jacques (FR)

A new Space Policy for Europe: extracts from the Conference

SOUNDBITE (English), Vittorio PRODI (S&amp;D, IT), Chairman of the Sky &amp; Space Intergroup in the European Parliament. "Let us remember that our budget for space policy is relatively limited; The USA spends the equivalent of six times the combined budget of EU countries. Only by working together we can maximize the collective impact of Europe.

SOUNDBITE (English), Vittorio PRODI (S&amp;D, IT), Eugene Cernan who was an American astronaut on Apollo 17 once said, that when we went to explore moon and in fact discovered the Earth. The spin offs from space research and technology have enormous replication in the real economy. NASA developed the pathal recognition algorithm for star mapping which is today helping ecologist to track endangered animals. The device which was invented to study cell grows in simulate weaknesses now enable medical research to inter-treatment for heart disease and diabetes. Space technology can impact every segment of our economy and not just medicine and computer science.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Antonio TAJANI, Vice-president of the EC, Which are the main axes that we need to work on and identify. I think we need to look at Galileo and GMES, so that we can contribute to environment and security. And we also need to look at long-term of our projects and activities. Yesterday evening an important contract was signed linked to the Galileo.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Antonio TAJANI, Vice-president of the EC, Galileo can help us on giving more safety on the roads. It helps banking sector, public sector, it can provide energy, it also allows providing services to people with disabilities or with reduced mobility. It could even help our farmer in rearing animals and we should not underestimate the importance that Galileo can have especially on food stocks across the world.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Antonio TAJANI, Vice-president of the EC, GMES will allow us to manage natural disasters better and will allow us to intervene the case of fire, floods and earthquakes. So GMES will also allow us to deploy civil protection capabilities better. We have seen what has happened in Pakistan and in India and therefore there is some added value to be found there as well.

SOUNDBITE (English), Herman VAN ROMPUY, President of European Council, With our help and in 2011 I am intended to put on the agenda on the European Council a point dealing space governance in Europe. A governance very closely linked to the missions and budget required for an ambitious space policy. Obviously I will only do this if I notice convergences which are sufficiently strong between the Member states in order to move forward with more coherence and more ambition.

SOUNDBITE (French), Jean-Jacques DORDAIN, General Director European Space Agency, So what is lacking, what is missing today. In my opinion, what is lacking is extending this European leadership when it comes to space to a leadership in terms of policy. If we do use this European leadership in the field of science and technology, it can allow Europe to take leadership in all areas: environment, climate change, crisis management, air traffic management, maritime watching; development and so on.