The European space sector is undergoing rapid expansion driven by increasing demand for space-based data and services. To support a competitive and innovative internal market, the European Commission proposed an EU Space Act. The initiative aims to harmonize rules for space operators, improve space object tracking, strengthen cybersecurity, and establish a common method for assessing environmental impacts, ensuring legal certainty and safeguarding the long-term use of space.
CEN and CENELEC are actively supporting the EU Space Act through standardization efforts, including the Rules of the Road in Space for which draft standards are in development, and the upcoming EISMEA funded SateLight ASTRA project. These projects will be developed within CEN-CENELEC/JTC 5 ‘Space’ and support European space policy.
CEN and CENELEC have submitted a response to the European Commission’s call for feedback on the proposed EU Space Act, outlining key recommendations to ensure standardization is strategically and effectively integrated into future space legislation.
- Common specifications: CEN and CENELEC urges the Commission to follow the consistency set in recent legislative negotiations and continue to use the proposed Toy Safety Regulation as blueprint for all future articles on common specifications, including in the EU Space Act.
- Strategic Inclusion of Standardization: Instead of opting for technical requirements for space policy being drafted through implementing and delegated acts, the Space Act should leverage existing standards and mandate the development of standards in areas such as cybersecurity and cryptography, in-space servicing interfaces, and environmental footprint requirements. This would ensure the expertise of CEN-CENELEC/JTC 5 ‘Space’ is leveraged, minimizing duplicate work and a waste of resources.
- Avoid Regulatory Silos: CEN and CENELEC call for cooperation between the European Space Agency Compliance Board’s technical subcommittees and European Standardization Organizations to ensure coherence and avoid duplicative or isolated technical approaches.
Aiming to have a single coherent European framework for technical requirements for space policies is key for efficiency, competitiveness, and interoperability in a global space sector.
You can find the CEN and CENELEC response submitted on the website of the European Commission here. The full CEN and CENELEC response is available here.
