Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-01-16-Speech-3-221"
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"en.20020116.15.3-221"2
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"I would like to add my congratulations to the rapporteur and to focus on just one key issue in the short time that I have, namely the dangers of the militarisation of space.
Many European citizens are deeply critical of the proposed US national missile defence system, which they rightly see as an offensive system which is certain to start a new and costly international arms race. How much more concerned would they be if they realised the aims of some of their own politicians and legislators? I do not mean people here, but there are others who have ambitions to launch their very own, home-grown European Union programme to militarise space. That is what some people would like to turn the European space programme into. We need to send a very clear message with this report, to make it absolutely clear that any use of space should be solely undertaken for peaceful purposes and in accordance with international law. I therefore welcome in particular the emphasis which Mr Alyssandrakis has given to this in his report and appreciate the amendments he has tabled to strengthen these aspects still further.
It follows that I also very much regret the amendments by the PPE Group, which again introduces that idea of using space for military applications. Although I accept that this has been put in the context of what are called peacekeeping operations, I am still concerned that this is the start of a slippery slope. I am very happy that Mr Radwan does not want to see an EU Star Wars, but I am very concerned that his intentions could be misinterpreted: that other people could see peacekeeping in a different context from the one that he sees it in.
We need to remember as well the context of the report released by the European Space Agency in December 2000 in which the so-called Three Wise Men looked into the future of ESA and concluded and I quote: "Embarking on development of a European defence system, including a space component, will provide a significant part of European public investment." That report went on to say: "We see it as logical to use the capabilities of ESA also for the development of more security-orientated aspects of European space policy." All this adds up to the very real possibility that the European space policy will adopt a very specific military component and therefore it is timely and urgent to send a message with this report that we want to keep space for peace."@en1
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