Sittings · Document

RECOMMENDATION (05367/2026 – C100098/2026 – 2025/0352(NLE)) 2026-07-16

On the draft Council decision on the conclusion of the Agreement between the European Union and the Kingdom of Norway laying down the rules for participation of the Kingdom of Norway in the GOVSATCOM component of the Union Space Programme and in the Union Secure Connectivity Programme, and for access to GOVSATCOM services and to the governmental services of the Union Secure Connectivity Programme

Committee on Industry, Research and Energy · Rapporteur: Paolo Borchia

Official HTML ↗ PDF DOCX
✦ In shortFull textProcedure & committee votes
✦ In short · AI summary of this text, generated 16 Sept 2026

Parliament's committee report asks Parliament to give its consent to the conclusion of an agreement between the European Union and Norway on Norway's participation in the GOVSATCOM component of the Union Space Programme and in the Union Secure Connectivity Programme. The agreement covers Norway's access to GOVSATCOM services and to the governmental services of the Union Secure Connectivity Programme. The rapporteur states that the agreements keep exclusive EU ownership of assets, give partner countries no decision-making authority or veto rights, and require compliance with EU security standards under national supervision. The rapporteur says the agreements cost the Union budget nothing and generate assigned revenue, with Norway financing its participation through GDP-based contributions, including a retroactive contribution for costs since 2021 under the Space Programme and since 2023 for secure connectivity. The rapporteur recommends a favourable opinion, citing secure communications for governments and security services and support for commercial broadband connectivity.

Committee position. The Committee on Industry, Research and Energy recommends a favourable opinion on the conclusion of the agreements, and the rapporteur stresses compliance with Article 218(10) TFEU on informing Parliament at every stage.

Key points

  1. Parliament gives its consent to the conclusion of the agreement between the European Union and Norway.
  2. The agreement sets the rules for Norway's participation in the GOVSATCOM component of the Union Space Programme and in the Union Secure Connectivity Programme.
  3. It also covers Norway's access to GOVSATCOM services and to the governmental services of the Union Secure Connectivity Programme.
  4. The rapporteur describes GOVSATCOM as providing secure, resilient and protected satellite communications for authorised governmental users and critical infrastructures.
  5. The rapporteur states that IRIS² sets targets for a European satellite constellation providing ultra-fast, secure and low-latency access to communication and internet services by 2027.
  6. The rapporteur notes that Iceland and Norway are long-standing partners in the space sector and that their involvement as users and through satellite capacities, ground segment facilities and technical infrastructure extends secure communications beyond the Union's borders.
  7. The rapporteur states that the partner countries' location close to the Arctic gives secure connectivity particular importance for sectors such as telecommunications and transport.
  8. The rapporteur states that the European Union retains exclusive ownership of all tangible and intangible assets linked to the infrastructures developed.
  9. The rapporteur states that the partner countries acquire neither decision-making authority nor veto rights over the management and future development of the programmes.
  10. The rapporteur states that access to the services depends on compliance with the EU's security standards and on supervision by designated competent national authorities.
  11. The rapporteur states that the agreements entail no expenditure for the Union budget and generate assigned revenue, with Norway financing its participation through GDP-based contributions, including a retroactive contribution for costs incurred since 2021 under the Space Programme and since 2023 for secure connectivity.
  12. The rapporteur stresses compliance with Article 218(10) TFEU, which guarantees that Parliament is fully and promptly informed at every stage of the procedure, and recommends a favourable opinion on the conclusion of the agreements.

Who is affected

  • Norway: participates in GOVSATCOM and the Union Secure Connectivity Programme, with access to services and no decision-making authority or veto rights.
  • The European Union: keeps exclusive ownership of assets linked to the infrastructures developed and receives assigned revenue.
  • Authorised governmental users and critical infrastructures: receive secure, resilient and protected satellite communications under GOVSATCOM.
  • Telecommunications and transport sectors: gain importance from secure connectivity given the partner countries' location close to the Arctic.

Figures and deadlines

  • 2027: target year for the European satellite constellation to provide ultra-fast, secure and low-latency access to communication and internet services.
  • 2021: start of costs effectively incurred by the Union under the Space Programme covered by the retroactive contribution.
  • 2023: start of costs for secure connectivity covered by the retroactive contribution.

Legal basis: Article 186 and Article 218(6), second subparagraph, point (a)(v), of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.

Written by a language model from the full text only; every figure comes from the text and ¶ links to the paragraph it rests on. Check the text itself before relying on it.