ITRE I

Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE I)

One small step for Europe – The USA currently spends almost six times as much on space research and exploration as the EU does, not to mention private investment from companies like SpaceX and Virgin Galactic. Acknowledging how space is becoming an ever more critical geopolitical theatre, what should the EU do to ensure it is not left behind in the new space race?

Submitted by Joris van der Heide (Vechtstede College), Chloe Post (Porta Mosana College), Anne Veenhuis (Marnix College), Evanti ten Voorde (Porta Mosana College), Gerrard Drishti (Chairperson, AL)

The European Youth Parliament,

  1. Concerned by the low number of missions undertaken by the European Space Agency (ESA), in comparison to its competitors,
  2. Noting that ESA has Arianespace as their exclusive spaceship provider,
  3. Realising that the ESA’s budget is smaller than that of other space agencies,
  4. Aware of the European public interest being low in space exploration,
  5. Further aware that the European public interest is in favour of satellite programmes instead of space exploration,
  6. Pointing out that the Member States want immediate returns on their space project investments,
  7. Recognising that programs of the American private space companies overshadow the European ones,
  8. Aware that the International Space Station (ISS) is the only place for astronauts to perform longtime research in space,
  9. Fully alarmed that the ISS is going out of commission;
  1. Directs the ESA to improve spacecraft technology by terminating exclusive contracts between ESA and Arianespace;
  2. Requests the ESA to cooperate with private space companies;
  3. Further requests the ESA to create concrete plans for its future activities;
  4. Encourages Member States to fund the expansion of the ESA budget;
  5. Requests the European Commission to expand the conditionality mechanism by having future instances of its use Urges the ESA to launch media campaigns in schools about the importance of space exploration;
  6. Asks the ESA to increase the number of future space exploration projects;
  7. Invites the ESA to inform its Member States about the possible benefits of space exploration;
  8. Calls upon the ESA to work with other space agencies to create an alternative space station for the ISS.