Reshaping European space activities

Europe has to reshape the structure of its space activities and its process of space policy making in order to become a really strong, unified player at the global level. A comprehensive effort has been initiated through ESA's Ministerial Council meeting of March 1997. Subsequently, ideas have been developed, aiming at a new approach for Europe in space. These include a strengthening of ESA's working mechanisms, the clarification of the question of who leads in Europe and a new dynamic programmatic orientation. This article critically analyses these points and presents what is at stake at ESA's next Ministerial Council meeting, scheduled for May 1999. (C) 1999 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.