Space summit in Paris amidst calls for Europe’s strategic autonomy in space

Around 2,000 participants from 120 countries, including a high-level delegation from India, are expected to take part in the International Space Summit, which will take place in Paris, France on September 9 and 10.

The summit will focus on four pillars — defence and security, space economy, space regulation, and space and scientific research.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the summit, France’s Minister Delegate for Europe Benjamin Haddad said that the organisers are expecting delegations comprising around 2,000 participants representing 120 countries.

“This is a major summit, which will be organised around four pillars: security and defence; sector competitiveness — the importance of having the private sector, especially at a time of acceleration when you see new private actors that are disrupting the way we think about space; regulation in space activities, issues like the regulation of space debris for example; and science and exploration,” Mr. Haddad explained

He added that the summit will also highlight Europe’s strategic autonomy in the field of space.

“The organisation of this summit fits with a big focus that we’re putting on the development of European strategic autonomy in the field of space. As Europeans, we have to ask ourselves is to keep an autonomous access to space. This is why in the last few years we’ve invested in European solutions on launchers” Mr. Haddad said.

“This is also why we’ve had recent announcements, that we welcome, by the European Commission on the first intermediary deployments of (Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity, and Security by Satellite) IRIS², which will be the constellation for secured communication in space at the European Commission,” he added.

During the summit, three declarations on international safety, frequency, and space data are likely to be adopted.  

(This reporter is in Paris at the invitation of France’s Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs to cover the International Space Summit).