Seven member states have called for a fundamental rethink of the European Space Shield, proposing a new space security architecture that centres on protecting EU space systems and leaves capability development to national governments.
Germany, France, Austria, Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands and Sweden want the capitals in the driving seat and a narrower scope that respects national control over military space capabilities.
Paris and Berlin have long been sceptical of the European Space Shield, an initiative Brussels pitched last year in the Defence Readiness Roadmap 2030. Now the bloc's two heavyweights have set out their own vision of space security in a paper obtained by Euronews.
"It is necessary to conceive a European space security architecture that meaningfully integrates the existing and emerging space capabilities of the member states as well as already agreed EU mechanisms and avoids unnecessary duplication," the document reads.
According to the paper, the European Commission and the European External Action Service, the EU's diplomatic arm, have failed to define the purpose and scope of the initiative despite three dedicated workshops in the past six months.
The signatories argue the initiative should be renamed because the word "shield" is misleading: it implies EU capability development, and they draw a red line around national sovereignty over military space capabilities.
"Beyond the name, it is essential to reiterate that the responsibility for matters of security and defence, including the procurement, operation, and defence of space systems used for security and defence purposes, lies exclusively with the member states," the paper reads.
The seven governments support EU-wide coordination of procurement for military space capabilities, as member states keep expanding their national programmes.
They want the initiative to integrate existing and emerging national capabilities, avoid duplication and create the right conditions for industry to deliver what is needed. Member states should lead, with the EU institutions supporting within their own remits, to enhance European security in space against a broad range of evolving threats.
"As member states, we see an urgent need to protect and, if necessary, defend our space systems and infrastructure — including the EU space systems — against a multiplication of risks and threats, as the space domain has become a contested domain," the paper reads.
The core of the initiative, the signatories say, should be the resilience and defence of EU space systems, while respecting national competences on defence and capability development.
The countries also see added value in two-way exchanges between national and European authorities on threat response options, vulnerabilities and technical issues.
On the EU Space Programme, which the Commission has proposed as part of the next long-term EU budget, the paper points to several security concerns. These include the growing military co-use of civilian EU programmes, the security of dual-use components and how national efforts complement NATO. It also asks how European space services would prioritise between civilian and military uses in a crisis.
Promoting dialogue between member states' military space authorities is another priority, as are mechanisms such as pooling and sharing to complement each other's military space capabilities.
Finally, the signatories urge the Commission to rationalise a highly fragmented space-funding landscape, a patchwork of instruments including Horizon Europe, European Investment Bank investments and the European Defence Fund.
"We support a European Space Shield initiative – or whatever it may be called in the future – that delivers concrete added value to European security," the document continues.
"As the key capabilities are sole sovereign prerogatives of the member states, it is the member states who need to be at the core of any European space security initiative," it says.
