The EU-ESA Framework Agreement from 2004 established that the joint meeting of the Space Council should regularly
coordinate the European space policy and make recommendations which both institutions should then approve in
accordance with their own procedural rules. Today's Council meeting focused on three main issues: stimulating
economic growth through the European Space Programme, implementation of the programme Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) and the role of space research in the
development of innovation and competitiveness in the context of the European Economic Recovery Plan. The meeting
between the Ministers of the Member States responsible for space policy and the Council of the European Space Agency (ESA) agreed on further political
initiatives to implement all three items.
"I wish to emphasise, in particular, the potential of space policy for innovation, development of new
technologies and thus for strengthening European economy. Space research brings many innovations and modern
technologies that are reflected in other sectors of the economy almost instantly, thus stimulating economic growth,
competitiveness and, ultimately, employment. One could say that each euro invested in space policy will yield
fantastic returns", said Minister Kopicová at the press conference of the Space Council.
The Czech Republic has further expressed that Prague is interested in organising and ready to host a high-level
conference in autumn 2009 that will focus on furthers steps to be taken by the European states in the area of human
intervention in space.
In December 2008, the European Commission adopted a recovery plan for the European economy and called upon the Member
States to support innovation, which includes the development of space technologies and associated services that
require the development of research infrastructures to allow for further space research. In the words of
Vice-President of the European Commission and Commissioner for Enterprise and Industry Günter
Verheugen, the Commission has today presented a proposal for funding the initial period of the GMES system
operation.
The meeting of the Council was chaired by Miroslava Kopicová, Chairwoman of the Competitiveness
Council of Ministers, along with Italian Education Minister and Chairwoman of the ESA Council at the ministerial
level Mariastella Gelmini.
Text of the agreed upon document: 
Space_orientations_final.doc (57,00 KB)
Mgr. Tomáš Bouška
Spokesperson of the MEYS for CZ PRES
tel.: +420 257 193 426
fax: +420 257 193 753
e-mail: tomas.bouska@msmt
cz
