Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-05-17-Speech-3-277"
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"en.20000517.13.3-277"2
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"Mr President, first of all, I would like to say thank you very much to the Commission and to the rapporteur for the work they have done and for their excellent cooperation. Space exploration is, of course, a high technology field, which operates years ahead of its time in many areas and which is developing applications now that will only be available to the bulk of the population in ten or fifteen years’ time. Europe is in competition in this field with countries such as the USA, which is number one of course, but also with Asian countries and Russia. We must see that Europe strengthens its position in this strategic field and also takes a leading role. One positive example in this respect is of course the Airbus, with which we are all familiar, and which is responsible, on account of years of cooperation between the States and industries, for the fact that we now play a leading role in the construction of civilian aircraft and already have a market share of 50% in many segments.
Therefore, this is not just about space exploration itself but about how competitive Europe is going to be in the future. A number of examples have, in fact, been mentioned: earth observation, telecommunications, environmental protection, security. It is not just about practical applications but also, as you have already mentioned, about research.
I would like to highlight three points that I consider to be important. One is the future cooperation between the ESA, the European Union and also the Member States. We should, of course, give the Member States the latitude they need, in keeping with the terms of subsidiarity. However, there is also a case for improving coordination between the Member States, the ESA and the EU, precisely because the work undertaken in this sector is so capital-intensive. We also need to establish an opposite number for industry. Industry is undergoing a consolidation process. There are an ever-increasing number of public private partnerships in this sector. That is why there is an urgent need for industry to have a point of contact, someone with whom it can enter into dialogue, rather than running itself into the ground.
My second point relates to future commercialisation. We must ensure that the products, the applications from space exploration, are also used in practical applications for consumers in the future. We must create new opportunities in this respect, so as to enable small- and medium-sized companies, and start-up companies, in particular, to practise innovation. GALILEO is a key word here. Of course, we are having to compete with the American GPS system, but I believe that if we do more to help commercialisation on its way, then we will see more innovation across the board.
The third important point relates to the WEU, external security. The Kosovo conflict brought home to us only too clearly the implications of not having our own information system. Hence we should keep this option open if the WEU is incorporated into the EU. Having our own foreign and security policy means having our own information facilities too. We should not foreclose this option but always keep it in mind."@en1
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