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DRAFT OPINION (COM(2025)0335 – C100128/2025 – 2025/0335(COD))

On the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the safety, resilience and sustainability of space activities in the Union.

IMCO-PA-779484

Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection · Rapporteur: François Kalfon

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The Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee's draft opinion proposes amendments to the Commission's proposed regulation on the safety, resilience and sustainability of space activities in the Union. It seeks a harmonised European space market where all operators selling services in the EU follow the same rules, with derogations and exemptions limited to fundamental research, crises and essential-resource shortages. It asks the Commission to support small and medium-sized enterprises through a one-stop shop and to fund the EU space programme through the European Competitiveness Fund. It proposes limiting equivalence decisions for third-country operators to a transitional period, tied to negotiating mutual recognition agreements and opening markets for EU operators. The amendments also add rules on space situational awareness certification, critical dependencies, foreign investment screening, and a Union space label.

Committee position. The rapporteur proposes amendments to harmonise the regulation, remove most derogations and exemptions, support small and medium-sized enterprises through a one-stop shop, limit equivalence for third-country operators to a transitional period, and add rules on space situational awareness, critical dependencies and foreign investment screening.

Key points

  1. The rapporteur proposes harmonising the regulation's content so that all operators selling services on the EU market abide by the same rules.
  2. Derogations and exemptions should be used only for fundamental research and clearly identifiable situations such as a crisis or a shortage of an essential resource.
  3. The Commission is asked to provide financial support to small and medium-sized enterprises through a one-stop shop.
  4. The regulation's objectives require sustained long-term investment in the EU space programme under the European Competitiveness Fund.
  5. Recognition of equivalence for third-country operators should be limited to a transitional period for negotiating bilateral agreements on cooperation and mutual recognition of standards.
  6. Importing space services into the EU market should be contingent on opening new markets for EU operators.
  7. The EU should recognise its liability for its space operations under the 1974 Convention on international liability for damage caused by space objects.
  8. Launch derogations for third-country operators should be granted only where no operational alternative exists, for a single launch attempt, and only for government or EU missions.
  9. The Commission should establish a certification framework for space situational awareness and collision avoidance service providers, and operators should have access to certified European providers.
  10. EU space operators should inventory critical assets of non-European origin, assess dependencies and report them to national authorities.
  11. EU space operators should inform national authorities and the Agency of foreign investments, and the Agency should assist in investment screening.
  12. The Union space label should be developed with Member States, the ESA and stakeholder groups, and used as an incentive for access to Union funding.

Who is affected

  • Space operators selling services in the EU, including third-country operators, who must follow the same rules.
  • Small and medium-sized enterprises, which would receive support services through a one-stop shop.
  • Third-country launch operators, who could receive derogations only for a single launch attempt where no EU alternative exists.
  • Member States, which would notify qualified technical bodies and could refer equivalence concerns to the Commission.
  • EU space operators, which must inventory critical non-European assets and report foreign investments.

Figures and deadlines

  • Equivalence decisions valid for a period not exceeding three years, during which the Commission shall endeavour to negotiate a mutual recognition agreement.
  • Equivalence decisions valid for a period not exceeding one year, renewable twice.
  • Withdrawal of registration no later than 12 months from the date of adoption of the withdrawal decision.
  • Research spacecraft exemption for orbits below 400 km.
  • Commission shall repeal an equivalence decision within two months if a Member State reports an imbalance or risk to technological sovereignty.
  • Delegated powers conferred on the Commission from 1 January 2027.
  • Commission report on constellation thresholds no later than 1 January 2032, and every two years thereafter.

Legal basis: Article 311 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union