France is calling for a stronger preference for European-made space assets linked to defence, arguing that the bloc must rapidly reduce reliance on foreign equipment as global security dynamics shift, French and German ministers said on Tuesday.
“Time is of the essence” for Europe to develop a space policy that relies far more heavily on European equipment and services, Philippe Baptiste, France’s minister for higher education, research and space, said at the European Space Conference. “The world is changing very fast,” he added, pointing to growing geopolitical uncertainty and strains in transatlantic relations.
Baptiste said unpredictability in relations with the United States has implications for Europe’s defence and security programmes, including space. “This means that, in practice, we do have to change the way we see space,” he said, citing the need for European launchers, satellites and defence-related space systems that are not vulnerable to external constraints.
The push comes as the European Union steps up efforts to coordinate space assets after falling behind the United States and China, and as the war in Ukraine has highlighted space as a critical enabler for defence and an emerging theatre of conflict. The European Commission’s Defence Readiness Roadmap 2030 has identified space assets as strategic enablers alongside air defence, ammunition and drones.
Baptiste said the EU should implement a “100% European preference” for space and defence, extending principles already applied in some defence funding schemes. “How can we imagine that we would use European money only to buy and to develop from foreign partners?” he said. Using European launch services and suppliers would also reduce the risk that third countries could block launches or restrict the operation of systems, he added.
Germany echoed the call for urgency. “We can all see what is happening in the world, so waiting is not an option,” said Dorothee Bär, Germany’s minister for space, urging faster progress toward a common European space policy. Germany has said it plans to invest €35 billion in military space capabilities before 2030 and is the largest contributor to the European Space Agency.
Bär said Europe should ensure interoperability across national space assets and systems. “Everything that comes from Europe in the space sector … should interlock,” she said, adding that Europe faces an “epochal shift” requiring stronger collective action to safeguard security and freedom.
While some EU member states may be cautious about restricting procurement choices given the need to rapidly expand space capacity, Baptiste warned that progress will depend on all 27 countries coalescing around a shared vision. He said the EU should lead in shaping the political future of space, from long-term programmes to strategic autonomy.
Euronews
