(*) Source: STM_factsheet.
Rationale and design of the programme
The European Space Programme implements space activities in the fields of Earth Observation, Satellite Navigation, Connectivity, Space Research and Innovation. It encourages and supports innovation and competitiveness through investments in critical infrastructures and disruptive technologies.
While striving to strengthen European space assets and services, it also drives space entrepreneurship and innovative solutions based on space technologies, data and services with targeted investments towards European start-ups and SMEs via the development of initiatives such as CASSINI.
The EU Space Programme is backing the European space industry and research by bringing together existing stakeholders and contributing to the emergence of a European ‘New Space’ eco-system.
Furthermore, EU action for space research under Horizon Europe supports technological development, innovation and the competitiveness of European upstream and downstream space sectors, including support for space entrepreneurship.
Space technology, data and services are indispensable in the daily lives of Europeans, and key for Europe to reinforce autonomy in areas of strategic importance and for implementing the EU's political priorities such as the Green Deal and the digital strategies to tackle climate change, sustainability, safety and security. Thanks to major investment, the EU has a strong edge in space activities and the European space industry is one of the most competitive on the global stage. However, there are many new challenges and actors across the world.
The EU space programme brings together the financial and technical capacities of Member States and yields economies of scale for the public spending involved. Furthermore, the provision of data and services throughout the Member States requires coordination at the EU level. Given the requirements in terms of security, all Member States must be involved.
The EU space programme provides, maintains and promotes the use of space data, information and services to support the EU’s political priorities. It also fosters the development of European space industry, enhances the security of the EU and its Member States, reinforces autonomy in areas of strategic importance and promotes the role of the EU as a strong global space actor.
The EU space programme pursues the following objectives:
- to provide state-of-the-art, robust and secure positioning, navigation and timing services;
- to deliver accurate and reliable Earth observation data, information and services;
- to enhance space surveillance and tracking (SST) capabilities for purposes such as monitoring space objects and space debris and providing space weather services;
- to ensure the long-term availability of reliable, secure and cost-effective satellite communications services;
- to support an autonomous, secure and cost-efficient capability to access space;
- to foster the development of a strong EU space economy by reinforcing competitiveness, innovation, entrepreneurship, skills and capacity building in all Member States, and in particular for small and medium-sized enterprises and start-ups.
The EU space programme brings all existing and new space activities together under a single programme. The existing flagship programmes – Galileo, the EU’s state-of-the-art global navigation satellite system, and the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) for satellite navigation and Copernicus for Earth observation – are fully operational and deliver free and open data and services that benefit EU citizens, businesses and public authorities.
The new initiatives include the governmental satellite communications component (GOVSATCOM), which will provide reliable and secure satellite communication and the space situational awareness component (SSA) that will help to preserve assets of the EU space programme and to reinforce links and synergies between space, security and defence.
DG Defence Industry and Space is the lead DG for the programme, which is implemented mainly through indirect management with the European Union Agency for the Space Programme, the European Space Agency and the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites as well as other entrusted entities. A small part of the budget is implemented through direct management by the Commission.
The legal basis of the Regulation establishing the EU Space Programme is Article 189 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. The EU space programme can support and transform many areas of EU legislation, including in the fields of environment, civil protection, security, climate change, internal market, transport, energy, agriculture, cooperation with non-EU countries and humanitarian aid.
The EU space programme builds on the success of its predecessor programmes, namely Copernicus and EGNOS- Galileo, which will all continue with a greater focus on synergies with other EU policy areas. The EU space programme for 2021-2027 introduces a number of new features, including a strong emphasis on fostering a strong and innovative space industry in Europe and on maintaining Europe's autonomous access to space as well as a unified system of governance.
Programme website:
- The EU space programme (europa.eu)
Impact assessment:
- The impact assessment of the EU space programme and the European Union Agency for the Space Programme was adopted in 2018. For further information please consult: SWD(2018)327
Relevant regulation:
Evaluations:
- The interim evaluation of Copernicus was carried out in 2017. For further information please consult: http://europa.eu/!GJ34Xr
- The assessment of Copernicus’s ex ante benefits was adopted in 2017. Please consult: https://www.copernicus.eu/sites/default/files/2018-10/Copernicus-Ex-Ante-Final-Report_0_0.pdf
- The EGNOS and Galileo midterm review was carried out in 2017. For further information please consult: http://europa.eu/!KF39Uq
Budget
Budget programming (million EUR):
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Financial programming:
- EUR 490 million (- 3%)
compared to the legal basis*
* Top-ups pursuant to Article 5 of the multiannual financial framework regulation are excluded from financial programming in this comparison.
- The linearity of the financial programming of the space programme was defined when establishing the objectives of the space regulation. It is in accordance with the status of the two flagship programmes (Galileo and EGNOS for Space Navigation and Copernicus for Earth Observation) and with the planned enhancement of the capabilities of the new programmes SSA and Govsatcom. This linearity is key to provide a constant, state-of-the art quality of services together with the fostering of a strong union Space economy.
- The decrease of EUR 490 million compared to the legal basis is the result of two different factors. On the one hand, the global navigation satellite system programme contributed EUR 260 million to the new proposal of the IRIS2 (secure connectivity) programme. The financial programming of IRIS2 is not included in the above table figures. On the other hand, the space programme also contributed EUR 230 million to the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) in order to support and finance the additional tasks delegated to the agency in the frame of the new multiannual financial framework.
- The above financial programming includes also amounts received from third party countries (Norway, Iceland, United Kingdom, and Switzerland) in the form of assigned revenues.
Budget performance – implementation
Cumulative implementation rate at the end of 2023 (million EUR):
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Voted budget implementation (million EUR)(*):
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- The adoption of the EU space programme regulation in April 2021 was followed by a financial framework partnership agreement and contribution agreements concluded in June between the Commission, the European Space Agency and the European Union Agency for the Space Programme. Based on these agreements the Commission delegated the implementation of a wide range of tasks under the programme’s components to these agencies and other entrusted entities.
- All of the components of the EU space programme are expected to fully consume the 2023 commitment appropriations.
- EU satellite navigation component – Galileo and EGNOS. In 2023, key priorities were 1) to ensure the continuity of Galileo and EGNOS services, 2) to continue preparations for the full operational capability of Galileo services, 3) to develop and test new innovative Galileo services, and 4) to promote the market uptake of Galileo and EGNOS services. Good progress was made on all these key priorities and services are being provided with excellent quality and continuity, despite the delays in the infrastructure deployment. The budget execution in terms of commitment and payment appropriations was excellent and close to 100%.
- Galileo. Activities focused on ensuring the continuity of provision of the Open Service, Public Regulated Service, Search and Rescue and High Accuracy Service and their related operations, while developing and testing new innovative services, such as the Galileo Emergency Warning Satellite Service, the Galileo Authentication Services (for the Navigation Message Data and the Signal encryption), the remote beacon activation and two-way communication functionalities of the Search and Rescue and the Galileo Timing Service. The Galileo High Accuracy Service was declared in January 2023 and excellent performance has been provided in 2023. New and improved features of the Galileo Open Service 'Signal in Space' were completed in 2023 with an update of the service commitments in November 2023. The Russian invasion of Ukraine led to severe disruptions in the planned launch schedule resulting in delays of key milestones, such as the Open Service's full operational capability and the improved Public Regulated Service's initial operational capability. In 2023, two alternative launches for 2024 were prepared. Notwithstanding these constraints, Galileo remains on track as the existing key services are being delivered according to expectations and measures have been identified to mitigate the impact of the delays on the end users.
- EGNOS. To guarantee the continuity of services, the EGNOS services were provided seamlessly, first with V2.4.2-A and then from November 2023 with the new evolution EGNOS V2.4.2-B which includes a station in Kuusamo (Finland) and adds robustness to the current demanding ionosphere conditions, improving the overall performance of EGNOS services, notably in the North of Europe. The development of a new EGNOS V3 generation continued with a Critical Design Review for the performance part of V3.1. EGNOS V3.1 will extend the current EGNOS services to all EU territories, have built-in security from the design phase and include the latest hardware and software technologies. An important contract change was signed in December 2023 to significantly reduce the EGNOS V3 risks.
- EU Earth observation component – Copernicus. Key priorities of the Copernicus programme components (space, services, in situ) were 1) to ensure the continuity of Copernicus satellite data and information services, 2) to continue the timely development of the additional satellite missions and 3) to promote the market uptake of Copernicus data and service information. Overall operations and service continued throughout 2023. All contribution agreements between the European Union and the various partners are in place and signed in 2023. The use of a new Dynamic Purchasing System has proven to successfully increase the agility of the contribution missions’ scheme and reduce possible barriers for new European market entrants, in particular new space companies. To further increase the uptake of Copernicus data and products and their use in machine learning and artificial intelligence applications the Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem was rolled out in 2023 bringing data access and exploitation to a new level. In 2023 we have concluded cooperation arrangements with Argentina, Japan and the Philippines. In 2024, the use of cooperation arrangements will be intensified for the benefit of the programme, such as with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Meteorological Organization.
- Space situational awareness component. This new component of the EU space programme adopts a holistic approach, including comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the main space hazards, such as collision between space objects and fragmentation and re-entry of space objects into the Earth's atmosphere. It covers three subcomponents: 1) space surveillance and tracking (SST), 2) space weather events, 3) near-Earth objects.
- The implementation of the EU approach on space traffic management (STM) (2) is actively pursued along ten actions in four areas : 1) specifying STM requirements of civil and military space operators; 2) enhancing STM operational capabilities, in particular SST services and assets in particular through the ‘EU industry and start-ups forum on STM’ bringing together big players, small and medium-sized enterprises and start-ups; 3) developing regulatory aspects (such as standards, rules, and best practices, minimum legal requirements and a legislative proposal); and 4) enhancing the international dimension of STM to foster a common STM approach with regional and global partners.
- Governmental satellite communications component. The implementation of the GOVSATCOM component is conducted through: 1) a timely and appropriate level of adoption of the GOVSATCOM services, and 2) procurement of the GOVSATCOM ground segment infrastructure. These objectives are implemented through own resources and actions in direct and indirect management. The provision of initial GOVSATCOM services is expected by end 2024, following the deployment of the GOVSATCOM ground segment. These services will complement and become an integral part of the EU’s new secure connectivity programme, IRIS2.
- Cassini. Continuing its efforts to bolster the competitiveness of the EU's space sector, all Cassini actions were fully deployed in 2023. 1) Cassini Investment Facility: the European Investment Fund expanded its support by signing agreements with three new venture capital funds, bringing the total number of Cassini-backed funds to nine. 2) Eight Cassini matchmaking events were organized by the Commission, attracting over 200 start-ups, corporates, and investors. 3) The winners of the Cassini Maritime Prize were announced in November, with each of the winning projects receiving EUR 0.95 million. 4) Two Cassini hackathons were held in 2023, focusing on ‘Space for Defence and Security’, and ‘International Development and Humanitarian Aid’. These events drew participation from over 600 individuals across 17 countries, with Ukraine serving as a guest local organiser for the final edition of the Cassini hackathons. 5) The Cassini Business Accelerator service was launched with the goal of boosting the commercial growth of space start-ups and scale-ups, and has already supported 40 companies. 6) The Commission continued to enable space technologies to be tested in orbit for free through the In Orbit Demonstration and Validation (IOD/IOV) programme. Notably, on October 9th, 2023, seven IOD/IOV experiments were successfully launched aboard a Vega VV23 rocket from the European Space Port in Kourou. 7) The Commission stepped up its role as an anchor customer. On the one hand, it launched the Flight Ticket Initiative together with ESA with the objective of stimulating new European launchers systems through open competition and access to procurement of launch services for European missions. On the other, it awarded contracts of EUR 5 million each to 9 New Space companies to act as suppliers of Earth Observation data for Copernicus contributing missions..
Contribution to horizontal priorities
Green budgeting
Contribution to green budgeting priorities (million EUR):
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- The EU space programme (and the EU secure connectivity programme) place great emphasis on the green transition and have a key role to play. On one hand, EU space data and services enable other sectors to achieve the ambitious Green Deal objectives and the green transition; on the other hand, the EU space industry sector itself must transform and adapt to comply with the Green Deal policies and legislation and hence improve its practices throughout its full value chain.
- Copernicus contributes significantly to the conception, implementation and monitoring of the EU’s climate policy, both in terms of climate mitigation and climate adaptation. This includes the support of DG Climate Action in honouring the EU’s international obligations, such as those under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Copernicus’ land monitoring, marine environment monitoring and atmosphere monitoring services notably contribute to this, and the climate change service is fully dedicated to supporting climate change policies and the transition to a carbon neutral society and economy.
- Remote sensing and the services offered by the Copernicus programme, in particular the land monitoring service, the climate change service and the marine environment monitoring service, have come to play an increasingly important role in supporting biodiversity conservation and restoration. Today, products and tools offered by these services contribute to monitoring changes in ecosystems and biodiversity loss, and are used in the context of the EU biodiversity strategy, the Convention on Biological Diversity and reporting on sustainable development goals.
- The ambient air directive encourages Member States to exploit, for monitoring purposes, information products and supplementary tools (e.g. regular evaluation and quality assessment reports, policy online applications) provided by the Earth observation component of the EU space programme, in particular the Copernicus atmosphere monitoring service.
Gender
Contribution to gender equality (million EUR) (*):
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| Gender disaggregated information: |
|---|
Source: Eurospace, 2022 (3) (3) https://eurospace.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/facts-figures-report-2022-web-release.pdf. |
On gender equality, no dedicated budget expenditure occurred in 2023. The activities that were relevant to the promotion of gender equality were the following.
- Barriers to women’s equal participation exist in the space sector, where women remain a minority. As part of the Pact for Skills, in April 2023 a large-scale skills partnership for the space sector was launched. The partnership will also pursue equal and inclusive access to training, in order to attract more people to the space sector labour market, in particular women and young people.
- In 2023, the Cassini space entrepreneurship programme, continued addressing gender equality and diversity in space by implementing various strategies such as inclusive communication, partnering with diverse stakeholders and ensuring balanced representation in events. Data from 2023 show that in its first year of activities with Cassini matchmaking, 18% of participants were female, a figure that will hopefully improve in the following years.
- In January 2023, middle and senior management at DG Defence Industry and Space signed the ‘DEFIS ED&I Charter’.
- The participation of DG Defence Industry and Space in the UNOOSA Space 4 Women Expert Meeting in Montreal, Canada, co-organised with the Canadian Space Agency. This event aimed at addressing gender bias and uplifting women and girls in the space sector and science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
- At the EU Space Week held in Seville, Spain in early November, a special session on ‘EU Space for Skills and Inclusion’ gathered relevant figures from many EU organisations, businesses and academic entities to encourage strategic initiatives shaping a skilled but more gender diverse and inclusive EU workforce within the space sector.
Digital
Contribution to digital transition (million EUR):
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- Copernicus provides a wide range of Earth observation data and related model products, ‘reanalyses’, that generate a seamless data product without gaps in spatial or temporal coverage. These models also allow for forecasts and predictions in certain thematic areas. These data are valuable content for a vast range of commercial applications, both in the professional and the consumer domains. The integrated data management of Copernicus covers, inter alia, harmonisation and interoperability with other EU programmes such as Digital Europe or other international organisations such as the European Space Agency and the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites. Some initial activities on complementing numerical modelling with artificial intelligence have been undertaken.
- The services that will be provided under the governmental satellite communications component of the EU space programme are expected to boost the digital transition in Europe and worldwide. Programme activities are aimed to facilitate the further development of high-speed broadband and seamless connectivity and secure and cost-effective satellite communications services for governmental satellite communications users.
- The programme’s contribution to the digital transition was estimated on the basis of the Recovery and Resilience Facility’s intervention fields methodology.
Budget performance – outcomes
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Link to file with complete set of EU core performance indicators
EU satellite navigation component
- Galileo. No Galileo service disruptions occurred in 2023. The positioning and timing performance of the Galileo services is better than that of any other global navigation satellite system. The services are fully interoperable with the US Global Positioning System, and their combined use provides more accurate and reliable positioning for end users. The Galileo open service commitments have been updated in 2023 to improve the quality and availability of the service. Galileo also delivered excellent ‘search and rescue’ services, including the ‘Return link’ service. The Galileo High Accuracy Service was declared operational in 2023 and is delivering excellent performance, while the Galileo Open Service Navigation Message Authentication Initial Operational Capability was also declared operational in 2023. Galileo faces delays on key milestones relating to 1) the full operational capability of the Open Service, and 2) the improved Public Regulated Service. This is mainly due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent non-availability of two launch services with Soyuz launchers (two satellites per launch). The four satellites concerned are now planned to be launched in 2024. Nevertheless, Galileo continues to deliver high-quality services and very accurate signals through its operational satellites in orbit. In view of the improved Public Regulated Service milestone set for 2024, the Commission continued leading the dedicated work force with the institutional and industrial actors concerned to closely monitor and control the execution of the workplan, and is engaging with Member States on possible risks. The manufacturing of additional satellites to complete the constellation and provide spares continued. The production of Galileo-enabled receivers has further increased to ensure the provision of long-term, state-of-the-art and secure positioning, navigation and timing services. In 2023, Galileo adoption by receiver models worldwide continued to increase, with the key market segment being consumer devices (smartphones and tablets) continuing the rapid market uptake since 2016. The estimated number of Galileo-enabled devices in use worldwide was around 3.5 billion by the end of 2023.
- EGNOS. EGNOS is fully operational to monitor and correct open signals emitted by the Global Positioning System and, in the future, Galileo. By improving the accuracy to around 1 metre and the reliability of the Global Positioning System signal over Europe, EGNOS allows users in Europe to use Global Positioning System signals for safety-critical applications such as aircraft operations. EGNOS system evolutions are being prepared to solve major obsolescence issues and improve the coverage of Member State territories. EGNOS is used by an ever-increasing number of airports in Europe (more than 930 procedures in 2023 compared to 373 in 2019), also due to the introduction of the mandatory publication of EGNOS procedures in all instrument runway ends before January 2024 (Regulation (EU) 2018/1048). EGNOS’ market share has stabilised at around 63% of the total number of receiver models worldwide, because consumer solutions (e.g. mobile phones) are far less likely to be enabled for satellite-based augmentation systems, as such systems consume more energy due to continuous signal-in-space data reception. However, the low adoption rate in consumer solutions is compensated for by an almost 100% uptake in high-precision applications (such as agriculture and geomatics), while newer technologies such as drones also have a high level of uptake of satellite-based augmentation systems. Safety-of-life applications benefit the most from EGNOS implementation in other segments, such as the aviation, maritime, rail and road markets.
EU Earth observation component
- In 2021, a European Court of Auditors special report assessed the measures taken by the Commission since 2014 to promote the uptake of services derived from Galileo and Copernicus, aimed at achieving the expected economic and societal benefits. The Commission is working towards delivering on the court’s four recommendations within the set timeline – the first one by 2023 and the rest by 2024.
- Copernicus. In 2023, Copernicus continued to successfully deliver on its general and specific objectives. Robust and reliable Earth observation and monitoring data and information were provided on a full, free and open basis. The lack of radar data, due to the unavailability of a launch service for the Sentinel-1C satellite, was partly compensated by adjusting the observation plan for Sentinel-1A and reinforcing the use of contributing missions, including from our international partners. The six Copernicus services (land, marine, atmosphere, climate change, emergency and security) continued their activities to provide continuous and reliable geo-information, as demonstrated by the respective key performance indicators. Copernicus reaches more than 1 200 000 registered users and achieves a high level of user satisfaction. The total amount of Copernicus Sentinel data products available by the end of Q3 2023 was 8 petabytes. Users can choose from a service portfolio of over 500 information products. Copernicus successfully embraced the big-data revolution by setting up the Copernicus data space ecosystem for data and information access, making Copernicus data and information available online, ready to be processed on demand, enabling machine learning or artificial intelligence. EUSPA's 2022 Earth observation and global navigation satellite system market report estimates that over the next decade, revenue is set to double from roughly EUR 2.8 billion to over EUR 5.5 billion, as the market for Earth observation applications is boosted by a large pool of added-value services. DG Defence Industry and Space worked closely with the Joint Research Centre to set up the knowledge centre for Earth observation. Both the centre and EUSPA ensure Copernicus’ uptake by policy users within 17 Commission user services, cross-sectoral policy areas and the commercial markets, and by other users.
- Copernicus plays an important role in advancing both the green and digital priorities of the European Union. By harnessing satellite technology and Earth observation data, Copernicus contributes to environmental sustainability efforts by monitoring climate change, deforestation, air quality and natural disasters. Furthermore, Copernicus fosters digital innovation by providing access to vast datasets, empowering businesses, researchers and policymakers to develop digital solutions for a wide range of societal challenges, driving forward the EU’s digital agenda.
Space situational awareness component
- In 2023, the Commission continued the implementation of actions to support the EU approach to STM in all four areas under this strategy. The STM stakeholder mechanism pursued the development of a comprehensive set of STM requirements, the development and promotion of STM standards, rules and best practices, all while seeking to enable an exchange of ideas on a common STM approach on the regional and global levels. The STM stakeholder mechanism (the main group and its four subgroups) met on a regular basis to gather input, ideas and contributions. A feasibility study on an EU safe space label from 2022 progressed well, with final results expected in the first quarter of 2024.
- SST subcomponent. In 2023, the EU SST partnership was created, setting in place a new governance structure and organisational framework. The EU SST partnership includes 15 Member States that joined forces and networked their national assets in the EU SST capability to improve EU SST’s performance and autonomy in the SSA domain and to deliver operational public SST services to users. The first activities started on 1 July 2023 when the EU SST Partnership took over the provision of SST services from its forerunner, the EU SST consortium (whose grant was extended until 30 June 2023). At the same time, the operation of the SST Front Desk, managing the SST Portal and acting as the user interface for the provision of EU SST services, was formally transferred from the European Union Satellite Centre to EUSPA. The initial data on the related performance indicators were made available. More specifically, data on the number of users were set out for each of the three services which are provided, i.e. collision avoidance, re-entry and fragmentation services, along with data on the availability of these services, showing excellent services performance in line with technical expectations.
- Space weather subcomponent. To deliver an EU operational space weather service by 2025, preparatory activities focused on assessing space-weather user needs. In 2023, a socioeconomic study was continued to provide an analysis on the impacts of the potential services and their technological readiness.
- Near-Earth objects subcomponent. Member States' capacities to detect and monitor near-Earth objects were mapped. To increase preparedness and responsiveness, the most likely deflection missions are being studied. A European catalogue for the physical properties of near-Earth objects is being prepared and should be ready in 2024.
Governmental satellite communications component.
- In 2023, the priority for consolidating the programmatic framework for governmental satellite communications was largely completed through the adoption of implementing acts, notably to define the governmental satellite communications service portfolio and the operational and general security requirements. Work was also initiated to determine the location of the ground segment infrastructure, subject to the final adoption of a Commission decision in 2024. The second priority involved the supervision of the public procurement of the governmental satellite communications hubs, run by EUSPA and finalised by the end of 2023. The provision of initial governmental satellite communications services is expected by the end of 2024, as planned, and will complement the EU secure connectivity programme. Data for the performance on the number and type of governmental satellite communications users, and on the availability of services should be available in 2024. In parallel, downstream research for governmental satellite communications service uptake and upstream technology continue to be carried out by EUSPA and the European Space Agency.
Cassini
- All Cassini actions were successfully launched in accordance with the plans and budgetary limits. A review of the qualitative impact on the space industry and the ecosystem shows that the Cassini initiative’s contributions exceeded expectations in 2021, 2022 and 2023. This can be explained by a positive reception by many stakeholders and a very good coordination of activities between the Commission, the European Investment Bank, the European Investment Fund, the European Union Agency for the Space Programme, the European Space Agency and national authorities. The collaborative efforts have not only facilitated the smooth execution of Cassini initiatives, but also fostered a synergistic environment conducive to innovation and growth within the European space sector, with significant growth in private space investment and a record number of deals.
Green budgeting priorities
- To reduce the environmental impact of space activities, DG Defence Industry and Space worked on the preparation of a European Parliament-backed pilot project that will be rolled out in 2024, aimed at developing a sector-specific life cycle assessment method – product environmental footprint category rules – for the space sector. Also, preparations for launching a call for tender were undertaken in 2023, which is expected to be launched in 2024. The contract will support the formulation of environmental strategic and policy aspects for the future development of the EU space programmes and the greenhouse gas emission reporting activities.
- Under Cassini, all four Cassini hackathons so far have partially focused on green technology and green solutions. The Cassini Maritime Challenge aims at solving plastic pollution, in line with the green deal. Many start-ups in Cassini Matchmaking have products aimed at improving sustainability or reducing the consumption of raw materials, although the ratio is hard to measure due to methodological challenges. The Cassini Investment Facility (implemented by the European Investment Fund) also considers sustainability when selecting venture capital funds.
Digital transition
- All Cassini actions are fully in line with the objectives of the digital transition and will support companies, institutions and citizens to adopt new digital solutions.
Equality, diversity and inclusion
- Efforts are continuously made to seize all relevant opportunities identified. For instance, by organising side events/workshops or including gender equality aspects in communication activities and events on various matters related to the EU space components, when promoting the competitiveness and innovation of the EU space industry or when promoting the market uptake of relevant space-based applications.
- One major event, the EU Space Week (5), which took place in Seville, Spain during the first week of November 2023, had a dedicated session covering skills and diversity in the space sector. This session attracted many participants.
- Cassini is actively promoting gender equality and diversity of backgrounds and skills. All Cassini activities aim at increasing female participation in entrepreneurship and investments, which historically has been very low in this sector. For the first year of activities with Cassini Matchmaking, 18% of entrepreneur participants were females, a figure that will hopefully improve in the following years. The Cassini Investment Facility (implemented by the European Investment Fund) will feature metrics on gender when the ex post reporting is delivered in 2023-2027.
Sustainable development goals
Contribution to the sustainable development goals
| SDGs the programme contributes to | Example |
|---|---|
| SDG2 End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture | The EU space programme is providing innovative solutions with huge potential of making agriculture more productive and sustainable. For example, Earth Observation data provided by the Copernicus Land Monitoring Service (CLMS) help national institutions in monitoring crop conditions, providing early warnings on failing crops and predicting crop yields. This enables a considerable improvement in the use of fertilizers, fuel and pesticides resulting in healthier food and a reduced environmental impact. Galileo and EGNOS, in turn link data to specific geographical coordinates and provide geolocation, tracking and positioning. |
| SDG3 Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages | EU space services provided by Galileo and Copernicus are key for the development of smart health apps benefiting users worldwide. For example, there are numerous consumer apps for checking daily sport and fitness activity and performance levels, encouraging a healthy lifestyle. There are apps used for patients monitoring like for instance for localising patients with Alzheimer’s disease, to oversee patients with cardiac conditions and help with issuing emergency call warnings if needed, or apps used for guidance to support for instance the visually impaired. The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service issues daily air quality forecasts at global scale accounting for pollutants’ emissions or the consequences of events such as large wildfires or volcanic eruptions. This is valuable and reliable information for assessing health impacts. The eCall initiative helps to save lifes by speeding up the emergency response times in case of a road accident. This initiative requires all new car types sold in the European Union to be fitted with eCall devices that are using space data from Galileo and EGNOS. eCall devices automatically dial the European emergency number 112 to alert rescue services in the event of an accident while also communicating their accurate and exact location. It is estimated that eCall, in its first 10 years of operation, will save more than 2 000 lives in Europe, avoid almost 20 000 severe injuries and significantly reduce the severity of injuries in 15% of all accidents involving damage to health. |
| SDG5 Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls | During the EU Space Week in Seville (November 2023), a dedicate session on skills & diversity in the space sector was organised, which attracted a lot of attention. |
| SDG6 Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all | EU space technologies play a crucial role in optimizing potable water processing operations to achieve higher quality. For example, the Copernicus Land Monitoring Service (CLMS) systematically provides real time information on the state of global inland water bodies and their seasonal replenishment, lake and river water levels, temperature, turbidity and trophic state, including potential water availability from snow and ice cover. Better information and forecasts help a broad range of water managers adapt their strategies when dealing with water allocation, flood management, ecological status and industrial water use to mitigate the effects of climate change. |
| SDG7 Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all | EU space data is improving the production of renewable energies while providing valuable insights about the energy potential of natural resources like sun and wind. Galileo supports the implementation of smart grids to improve overall energy efficiency through its precise timing synchronization services that are essential for adjusting demand to distribution across a wide geographical area. In addition, Galileo authentication services trigger the concept of authenticated timing, eliminating the danger of using inaccurate signals in such critical infrastructure. Copernicus, the EU’s Earth observation system, supports the implementation and operation of renewable energy infrastructure by ensuring efficient placement and predicting energy generation through weather forecasting and monitoring. The Copernicus Climate Change Service provides climate indicators of electricity consumption, alongside estimates of the combined production from all renewable sources at national and sub-national level in Europe. These two sets of indicators help planners and policy makers identify the pros and cons of different energy mix options and optimise investment decisions accordingly. Copernicus supports the International M ethane Emissions Observatory (IMEO) in order to curb methane emissions of the energy sector and make it cleaner. |
| SDG9 Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation | The EU space-based technologies are key enablers for smart and sustainable transport and in particular for the connected and autonomous driving. In road transport, using navigation and positioning services by Galileo lead to a range of innovative applications that enable smart mobility and multi-mode transport digitalisation with optimised travel routes, in turn allowing for a reduction of CO2 emissions. In air transport, using EGNOS for efficient definition of flight routes permits reduced fuel burn and reduced CO2 emissions. Copernicus data and information will be used to assess the energy efficiency of residential areas and to monitor the impact of the energy efficiency policies. |
| SDG11 Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable | EU space services provided under the EU space programme are key enablers for smart cities, making urban planning more efficient. By using Galileo and EGNOS for navigation, positioning and timing, city services that are essential for instance for operating and managing public transportation, power supply, connectivity, waste management, and much more, can be considerably improved and at a lower cost. Copernicus provides valuable satellite images and insights about urban areas. These include information about land use and land cover classification, urban growth and urban green areas that policymakers use to improve life in cities. The Copernicus Climate Change Service provides information on city-scale climate helping city planners to mitigate the effect of heat waves for their citizens. The Copernicus Emergency Management Service (CEMS) provides information for emergency response in relation to different types of disasters, including floods, as well as related prevention, preparedness, response and recovery activities. |
| SDG13 Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts | The Copernicus Climate Change Service routinely monitors the Earth’s climate and its evolution. It provides routine access to key indicators on a number of Essential Climate Variables (temperature, sea-ice, CO2, etc.) and is therefore a powerful tool to monitor the success of the implementation of the Paris Agreement. The Copernicus Atmosphere Service provides already today information on greenhouse gas concentrations and on sources. Both services contributed to the preparation of UN Framework Convention on Climate Change first global stocktake in 2023. |
| SDG14 Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development | Copernicus is helping governments in identifying the sources of oil pollution. It is also a powerful tool used by fisheries control administrations from across the EU, for making maritime surveillance more effective. The combined use of Copernicus satellite images with vessel positioning information provided by Galileo reinforce the monitoring activities and help authorities to detect and track movement and activity in restricted fishing grounds. The Copernicus Marine Service reported to EUROSTAT on Sustainable Development Goal 14 (‘Life below water’) on the impact of climate on waters acidification and eutrophication of direct impact on marine ecosystems. |
| SDG15 Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss | The EU space programme provides reliable services and reports supporting the formulation, implementation and monitoring of policies to protect natural environments and biodiversity (EU biodiversity strategy for 2030). Benefiting users worldwide, the Copernicus Climate Change Service develops tailored information products on key indicators such as temperature, sea ice and CO2 levels. In addition, the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service uses near-real-time observations of the location and intensity of active wildfires to estimate the emissions of pollutants that may impact biodiversity in the affected areas. |
| SDG17 Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development | The EU space programme provides reliable services and reports supporting the formulation, implementation and monitoring of policies to protect biodiversity (EU biodiversity strategy for 2030). Benefiting users worldwide, the Copernicus Climate Change Service develops tailored information products on key indicators such as temperature, sea ice and CO2 levels. In addition, the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service uses near-real-time observations of the location and intensity of active wildfires to estimate the emissions of pollutants that may impact biodiversity in the affected areas. |