ESA - About ESA - Estonia becomes fifth ESA European Cooperating State

All about ESA

ESA's Purpose Space for Europe A European Vision Establishments
and facilities Funding Security at ESA Publications

A European agency...

ESA and the EU European milestones European Space Policy New Member States European Cooperating States

Download

ESA Annual Report 2010 ESA Annual Report 2009 ESA Annual Report 2008 ESA Annual Report 2007 ESA 'e-book' presentation (pdf)ESA Convention DG's Agenda 2011 (pdf)

News


Estonia becomes fifth ESA European Cooperating State

Estonia becomes fifth ESA European Cooperating State

12 November 2009
Estonia becomes the fifth European country to sign the European Cooperating State Agreement with ESA.

ESA’s Director of Legal Affairs and External Relations, Peter Hulsroj, and Estonian Minister of Economic Affairs and Communications, Juhan Parts, signed the Cooperation Agreement on 10 November in Tallinn.

The signed agreement strengthens Estonia’s relations with ESA and defines the legal basis for developing a Plan for European Cooperating State (PECS) Charter, describing activities, projects and budget for Estonia's cooperation with ESA.

Hungary was the first country to gain this status in April 2003, followed by the Czech Republic in November of the same year. Romania and Poland joined in 2006 and 2007 respectively. Estonia's cooperation with ESA started with the signature of a Cooperation Agreement in the field of the peaceful use of outer space on 20 June 2007.

During the coming months, ESA and Estonia will have to complete the list of projects that will be presented for approval to the relevant ESA Committees and Programme Boards. The PECS Charter should be signed before the end of November 2010. Some projects with the Observatory of Tartu, dealing with forest monitoring, will be discussed and envisaged for implementation. Investing in educational projects is also among the priorities expressed by the Minister of Economic Affairs and Communications.

Estonia, through ESA Member States, already participates in ESA’s Planck and Gaia missions and also contributed to a ground receiver antenna for Mars Express based in Perth in Australia.

For more information

ESA International Relations Department
Anabelle Fonseca Colomb
Tel. +33 1 53 69 72 38

Bernard Zufferey
Head of PECS Office
Tel. +31 71 565 3498

Send this page to a friend

PECS web site

European Cooperating States Hungary and the Czech Republic sign Cooperating State agreements with ESA Israel signs Cooperation Agreement Cyprus signs Cooperation Agreement Latvia signs Cooperation Agreement Lithuania signs Cooperation Agreement Slovak Republic signs Cooperation Agreement Estonia signs Cooperation Agreement with ESA Romania becomes third ESA European Cooperating State Poland becomes fourth ESA European Cooperating State Slovenia becomes sixth ESA European Cooperating State