[SatNews] Ministers in charge of space activities representing the Member States of the European Space Agency and the European Union met in Brussels for the Seventh Space Council.

The Space Council unanimously endorsed a resolution that called for the necessary actions to deliver a space strategy that would enable economic growth, respond to public policy objectives, and develop the vocations of science and technology in Europe. Ministers emphasised that the flagship programs Galileo and GMES (Global Monitoring for Environment and Security) remain the priorities for the EU in space and identified the key decisions to be taken in these areas over the coming months.

In the areas of Global Climate Change and Security, the ministers asked the European Commission and the Director General of ESA to collaborate with the Member States and other relevant actors in Europe to identify how to fill gaps in existing space capabilities. Ministers also recognized the need to move towards establishing a Space Situational Awareness capability for the protection of Europe's space assets. They stressed the need for Europe to voice a single European position in international discussions on space exploration. The Space Council also called for expanded partnerships with the African Union, the Regional Economic Groupings, and African nations, to build capacities for acquiring and exploiting space systems.