The German Presidency of the EU Council 2020 Achievements and Perspectives for Space

摘要

The German Presidency of the EU in the second half of 2020 took place under particularly challenging political conditions. COVID-19, Brexit and the almost existential necessity to adopt the new Multiannual Financial Framework for 2021-2027 together with the huge Recovery and Resilience Facility created enormous pressure to this Presidency. The portfolio of space was thus part of a bigger picture, generating unseen dynamics. The German presidency did not only have to finalize the budget negotiations, comprising the dedicated space and other space-related budgets for the next seven years, it also had to finalize the Regulation for the EU Space Programme and the establishment of the EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) before the end of the year. In addition to that, the German Presidency had to organize an ESA-EU Space Council in November 2020 and to fill it with thematic substance. This article outlines the achievements under the German Presidency, assesses the outcomes and provides a perspective for Europe in space for the next decade.