(Rule 52)

A3-0287/94

Resolution on the Community and space

The European Parliament,

-having regard to Titles XV, XVI and XVII of the Treaty on European Union,

-having regard to the Green Paper on a common approach in the field of satellite communications in Europe (COM(90)0490),

-having regard to the Commission Communication to Parliament and the Council entitled 'The European Community and Space - Challenges, Opportunities and New Actions' (COM(92)0360),

-having regard to the Communication by the Commission on the Community guidelines for the development of a Transeuropean Network for Transport and in particular Article 24 thereof on Satellite Navigation (COM(94)0106),

-having regard to its previous resolutions on space policy of 23 October 1991, 17 June 1987, 17 September 1981 and 25 April 1979,

-having regard to Rule 148 of its Rules of Procedure,

-having delegated the power of decision, pursuant to Rule 52 of its Rules of Procedure, to its Committee on Energy, Research and Technology,

-having regard to the report of the Committee on Energy, Research and Technology (A3-0287/94),

A.insisting on the economic and technological importance for Europe of a competitive space industry and the key role played by the European Space Agency and other public bodies in Member States in promoting space activities, thus sustaining Europe's space technologies,

B.drawing attention to the need for coherence between the programmes undertaken by the Agency, Member States and other European space organizations and the beneficial bilateral cooperation among national space centres,

C.believing that each European institution active in space technology must be encouraged to contribute to synergistic development of Europe's technological capabilities in the service of social and cultural development, peace, environmental protection and economic growth,

D.mindful of the potential for the use of space technology in promoting social and economic growth in the developing countries,

E.viewing global navigation satellite systems as offering services to a wide range of public, commercial and private users with considerable commercial and employment potential and for the management, safety and security of human life and valuable and dangerous cargoes,

1.Calls on the Commission to reinforce its coordination and cooperation with the European Space Agency and other relevant European organizations;

2.Calls on the Commission, through the definition of a European Union space industry policy, to submit proposals for the promotion of applications and markets for European space technologies, particularly the use of space technologies by the governments of Member States and by the directorates-general of the Commission in implementing common policies;

3.Proposes that the Commission promote and support participation by European laboratories in the design of experiments to be conducted in space using European equipment;

4.Stresses the need for Europe to provide training in space technology at Community level;

5.Invites the Commission to put in place mechanisms to ensure that telecommunications-related aspects of European space policy are integrated into European telecommunications policy and to ensure that these aspects are given due importance;

6.Calls for multilaterally agreed rules to govern fair trade in the supply of launcher and space transportation services and requests the Commission to report to Parliament on progress in negotiations with the USA and Russia on this and related issues;

7.Expects rapid results from the proposed exploitation of a European Earth Observation System and calls on the Commission to stimulate the design and development of advanced instrumentation of interest to the European Union;

8.Calls on the Commission to establish a European Strategy for Satellite Navigation, embracing a common negotiating position with relevant international organisations and, in order to enable European industry to be present in the next generation of Global Navigation Satellite Systems, as an intermediate step to secure experience for European suppliers and users through financial and organisational involvement by the Union in acquiring access to transponders in the international INMARSAT navigation satellites;

9.Calls on the Commission, in conjunction with relevant organizations, to work towards the formation of a European Space Council in order to ensure cross application, coordination and coherence within European space activities;

10.Instructs its committee, in conjunction with the Commission and the European Space Agency, to promote a European Conference on Space to take place in 1995;

11.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council and the European Space Agency.