Space also contributes to European identity, cohesion and security, and it provides inspiration for future human potential, bringing young people to scientific and technical education.

ESA Ministers, gathering at Council in The Hague, can seize on this opportunity to capitalise on this new status of Europe in space, to translate this political impetus into new programmes able to deliver knowledge, services and competitiveness and to shape ESA to assert itself as a global space agency, indispensable to Europe and the world in contributing to global policies.

These are the result of decisions and investments made by European ministers years, or even decades, ago. So, with renewed commitments and vision, our future must therefore be constructed today.