N° 20–2007: A giant leap for space activities in Europe: ministers to adopt European Space Policy in Brussels

The meeting will be chaired jointly by Parliamentary State Secretary and Federal Government Coordinator of Aerospace Policy, Peter Hintze, for the Competitiveness Council, and Maria van der Hoeven, the Netherlands' Minister of Economic Affairs and current chair of the ESA Council at ministerial level. It will take place in the Justus Lipsius building (the Headquarters of the Council of the European Union, Rue de la Loi, Brussels) from 09.30 to 10.45 hrs.

The outcome of this fourth meeting of the Space Council (**) will be presented at a press conference at the Justus Lipsius press centre, starting at about 11.15 hrs, in the presence of the two chairpersons. Günter Verheugen, Vice President of the European Commission and Commissioner for Enterprise and Industry, and Jean-Jacques Dordain, the ESA Director General, will also be taking part.

Media representatives wishing to attend the press conference are kindly requested to fill in the attached accreditation form.

On 19 May, ESA TV will transmit B-roll with pre-event footage covering the adoption of the European Space Policy. On 22 May, "Europe by Satellite" will cover the press conference. For details, see http://television.esa.int.

(*)The European Space Policy (ESP) is a joint document of the European Commission and the Director General of the European Space Agency (ESA). It outlines the strategic guidelines for Europe’s future activities in space, defining priorities and key actions. It will enable the European Union and ESA and their Member States to step up coordination of their activities and programmes and organise their respective space-related roles.

The ESP is accompanied by the preliminary elements of a European Space Programme. The European Space Programme, associated with the European Space Policy, is a planning and strategic tool that covers all of Europe's major space activities. It moreover supports the optimisation of public resources and skills in deciding and implementing the Space Policy.

(**)The "Space Council" is the joint and concomitant meeting of the EU Council and of the ESA Council at ministerial level, as defined in the Framework Agreement between the European Community and ESA which entered into force in May 2004. It met for the first time in November 2004 and twice in 2005.

For further information:

Franco Bonacina

Spokesman for the Director General and Head of the Media Relations Office

ESA Communication Department

+ 33 (0)1 53 69 72 99

Franco.Bonacina1@esa.int

Queries: media@esa.int

Further information on ESA: http://www.esa.int

 

Adoption of the European Space Policy

Press conference on the occasion of the 4th Space Council

Venue: Council of the European Union, Press Centre of the Justus Lipsius building,Rue de la Loi, Brussels

Time: approximately 11.15 hrs

Conditions for obtaining access to the EU Council press centre

Journalists wishing to attend the press conference are required to show at the entrance:

•an inter-institutional accreditation card, if they are already registered as permanent Brussels-based journalists in the EU institutions; or

•a national press card and their national identity card; or

•a letter authorising attendance at the press conference delivered by the management of the media they are working for and their national identity card.

[ ] I will be attending the press conference.

First name:___________ Last name:__________________________

Media: _____________________________________________________

Address: ___________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

Passport no./ID no. _______________________________________

Delivered by: _______________ Expiry date: ________________

Tel:______________________ Fax:____________________________

Mobile: __________________ email:__________________________

Please complete and return by 21 May to:

Brigitte Kolmsee

ESA Media Relations Office, Communication Department

Tel:+33 1 5369 7299

Fax : + 33 1 5369 7690

Brigitte.Kolmsee@esa.int

Videostreaming

The press conference can also be followed in real time via the internet:

http://www.consilium.europa.eu/videostreaming

 

For further information:

ESA - Media Relations Service

Tel: +33.(0)1.5369.7299