EU Space Act drafted by European Commission

The first draft of the EU Space Act, released on 25 June 2025, aims to make the European space industry “cleaner, safer, and more competitive," with a focus on three pillars: safety, resilience, and sustainability. 

‘Safety’ targets the ongoing challenges posed by space debris: collisions, runaway crashes, and the creation of new debris. This may mean increased measures to track both debris and satellites, and new requirements for the disposal of satellites at the end of their lifetimes.

'Resilience' concerns growing threats to cybersecurity in the space sector. With measures such as ongoing risk assessments, incident reporting, and new cybersecurity rules, the EU Space Act aims to avoid disruptions to important infrastructure that relies on space data due to cyberattacks.

‘Sustainability’ establishes that reducing the environmental impacts of the space sector will also be a key priority, with a focus on life cycle assessments and innovations in in-space servicing to extend the lives of satellites. 

Whilst laws around the space industry already exist in the EU, the EU Commission has stated that the current rules are “fragmented," and that differences between member states “holds back innovation, reduces the European market share and creates extra costs”. To combat this, the EU Space Act will be a regulation, not a directive - this means the act will apply directly to each EU Member State, as opposed to allowing member states to implement the law locally. It will also impact non-EU companies operating within the EU.

In the 150 pages of the proposal, the European Commission also highlights that the new requirements may be scaled based on company size and risk profile, and describes a targeted support package for businesses and Member States during the transition to the new regulation. The EU Commission also released a “Vision for the European Space Economy” alongside the EU Space Act draft, cementing the EU's ambitions to become a powerhouse in the global space economy.

If you have any thoughts about the current draft of the EU Space Act, an 8-week public consultation is now open to anyone's feedback or comments, and will remain open until 11 September 2025. 

If you have an interest in entering the European space market, and would like to know how an intellectual property strategy could strengthen your business, please don't hesitate to reach out to our Space Technology team.

"A space revolution is coming. The 21st century will be the century of space. Europe needs to be at the forefront. Let us embark on this extraordinary journey for our autonomy, resilience and competitiveness." Andrius Kubilius, Commissioner for Defence and Space

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