RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN EU SPACE POLICY AND LAW

This paper starts with a brief overview of the history of the European Space Agency and recalls some of its main features. Next, the gradual process of cooperation between ESA and the EU is outlined, leading to the creation of the Framework Agreement in 2004 and the adoption of the European Space Policy in 2007. The entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty in 2009 codified the space competence of the EU, and its implications are addressed. Lastly, some attention is paid to the issue of space security in Europe, through ESA's new SSA programme adopted in 2008, and to the relevance of the EU Council initiative for a Code of Conduct for Outer Space Activities in 2008. The paper ends with some conclusions.