Esa Bulletin August 1998 [antikvár]

Towards New Horizons The ESA Council Meeting in BrusselsIntroductionAt the invitation of Mr Yvan Yiieff, the Belgian Minister for Science Policy and Chairman of ESA's Council at Ministerial Level, the most recent meeting of the ESA Council took place in Brussels on 23 and 24 June. Key agenda items at this Meeting, which represented a critical step in the preparations for the next full Council Meeting at Ministerial Level, were the discussions on greater coordination between ESA and the European Community and the starting of new ESA programmes In the fields of launcher development, Earth observation and satellite navigation.The Meeting was preceded by a ceremony to mark the 25th Anniversary of the 1973 European Space Conference, which also took place in Brussels, under the Chairmanship of the then Belgian Minister for Scientific Policy, Mr Charles Hanin, and which laid the foundations for the formation of the European Space Agency. During this celebration, the Ministers present expressed their recognition of the range and the extent of the achievements of ESA's space programmes over the past 25 years and the Agency's successes in space science, in satellite communications, in Earth observation and with Ariane - successes that have placed Europe among the World's leading players in space. They also reaffirmed their continuing loyalty to the future role of ESA as the focal point for Europe's space efforts.Decisions taken in BrusselsThe first of the Resolutions to be adopted by the June Council (ESA/C/CXXXVI/Res. 1) is a reflection of the need to strengthen further the synergy and Increase the complementarity between ESA and the European Community In their respective spheres of competence in the space domain, thereby enhancing the efficiency of government investment in space systems and technology for the benefit of European users and industry. This Resolution on the Reinforcement of the Synergy between the European Space Agency and the EuropeanCommunity had been endorsed a day earlier, on 22 June, by the European Union's Research Ministers meeting in Luxembourg under the chairmanship of John Battle, the UK Minister of State for Science, Energy and Industry. It opens a new era of cooperation between the two organisations. It calls for the further strengthening of relations and encourages more initiatives at strategic level for developing a common vision, particularly in the fields of telecommunications, navigation and Earth observation, to enhance the effectiveness of public Investment in these programmes for the benefit of both users and European industry.In a second Resolution (ESA/C/CXXXVI/Res. 2), Council sanctioned exceptional measures that should allow the Agency to deal more effectively with the financial risks associated with its programmes. In adopting this Resolution on Modifications to the Financial Regulations Required for the Purposes of Setting Up an Accompaniment Fund, the Council also welcomed the measures taken by the Director General to adapt the Agency to the new realities, inviting him to continue to pursue his efforts for Increased efficiency in conducting Europe's space programmes and strengthening support to European industry in order to further enhance its world-wide competitiveness and market share.The third Resolution adopted in Brussels (ES/C/CXXXVI/Res. 3) was the Resolution on Immediate Measures and Preparatory Steps towards the Council Meeting at Ministerial Level Related to the Agency's New Programmes and its Evolution.This Resolution contains five elements: Chapter I:- Towards the establishment of an overall European space policy, whereby the Delegations and the Director General will strive jointly to formulate a coordinated European Space Policy for presentation to the next Council Meeting at Ministerial Level.