The dual use, civil and military, of the European Union space programmes: The link between the European Space Policy (ESP) and the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP)

• Author: Jan Pomés López
• Pages: 163-179

163

The dual use, civil and military,

of the European Union space programmes:

The link between the European Space Policy (ESP)

and the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP)

J P L

Graduate in Political Science and Public Management

from the Autonomous University of Barcelona

Abstract: This article will focus on the relationship between the

European Space Policy (ESP) and the Common Security and Defence Policy

(CSDP). We will have a look at the main civilian space programs led by the

European Union within the framework of the ESP: Copernicus, Galileo and

EGNOS. We will deal with the security and defence structure of the de facto

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Security and Defence of the European Union or,

as it is officially called, the European External Action Service (EEAS).

Resumen: Este capítulo tratará sobre cuáles son los vínculos entre

la Política Espacial Europea (PEE) y la Política Común de Seguridad

y Defensa (PCSD). En el caso de la PEE trataremos de los principales

programas espaciales de carácter civil liderados por la Unión Europea:

Copérnico, Galileo y EGNOS. En cuanto a la PCSD trabajaremos con

la estructura de Seguridad y defensa del de facto Ministerio de Asuntos

Exteriores, Seguridad y Defensa de la Unión Europea o, como se denomina

oficialmente, el Servicio Europeo de Acción Exterior (SEAE).

Summary: 1. Introduction; 2. The European Union and outer space;

3. EGNOS satellite navigation system; 4. Copernicus

observation system; 4.1. Copernicus Programme Security

Service; 5. Galileo satellite navigation system; 5.1. Public

Regulated Service (PRS); 6. Space Surveillance and Tracking

service (SST); 7. Links between the European Space Policy

and the European External Action Service; 8. Conclusions;

9. Bibliography.

Jan Pomés López

164

1. INTRODUCTION

In the following chapter we will try to find out using an

analytical-descriptive method what, if any, are the links between

the European Space Policy (ESP) and the Common Security

and Defence Policy (CSDP) on the basis of their tangible

implementations. In the case of the ESP, we will target the main

EU-led space programmes, which are civilian in nature and, in

the case of the CSDP, we will work with the security and defence

structure of the de facto “Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Security and

Defence of the European Union” or, as it is officially called, the

European External Action Service (EEAS).

Having stated our main objective for this paper, we will now

formulate the research question that will guide us throughout the

analysis. That question is: Is there a link between the European

Space Policy and the Common Security and Defence Policy that

would allow the use of European civilian space programmes

for military purposes applied to the security and defence of the

European Union?

Based on this research question, we hypothesised the following:

The European External Action Service uses assets provided by

European civilian space programmes for military purposes to

protect the security and defence of the Union and its Member

States. Having posed our research question and hypothesis, and

before going on to develop our analytical corpus, let us stop to

explain the methodology we will follow during the research.

We will follow the methodology below. First, we will try to break

down and explain the main space programmes that the European

Union is leading within the framework of the ESP. Second, we will

identify the links between European space programmes and the

EEAS. Third, having outlined the space programmes and their

possible linkage to the EEAS, we will now turn to the relevant

conclusions to which our analysis will have led us.