The proposal would present common EU rules on the safety, resilience and sustainability of space activities.

Legislative initiative

The European Commission's priorities for 2024 include the initiative for a European Union (EU) Space Law (EU Space Law). The proposal would present common EU rules on the safety, resilience and sustainability of space activities. According to the information received in January 2024, the target timetable would be for the legislative proposal to be published by mid-April at the latest.

Initial stakeholder consultations and preliminary views on the initiative

The Commission is responsible for planning, preparing and proposing new EU laws. All EU legislation should promote the interests of the Union and its citizens as a whole. Accordingly, citizens, businesses, civil society, public authorities and any other stakeholder who may be affected by EU legislation can have their say in the process.

At the end of September 2023, the Commission published a targeted stakeholder consultation in regard to the EU Space Law initiative. The online questionnaire was available until 2 November 2023. The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment organized a consultation event on the initiative in Finland on 25 October 2023. The purpose of the event was to encourage Finnish companies and other actors to respond to the Commission's online questionnaire and to obtain information on the preliminary views of the Finnish actors on the legislative initiative.

Finland's non-paper

Based on the initial information received from the Commission and drawing on the feedback received at the Finnish consultation event, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment prepared a document (“non-paper”) at the end of 2023 that presents some views and questions related to the legislative initiative. The non-paper was discussed in Finland across administrative boundaries and also with colleagues from the Commission and other countries. The non-paper was finalized in January 2024 and the final version was sent to the Commission and other EU Member States on 1 February 2024. You can read the non-paper here. 

What next?

According to the information received, the Commission continues with the preparations of the legislative proposal and the impact assessment for the early part of 2024, and the aim is to have the proposal published by the beginning of April. After the proposal has been published, the Member States will formulate their own position on the proposal. The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment coordinates the formulation of positions in Finland. Once the EU Space Law proposal is published, discussions on the proposal will continue as the negotiation phase in the Working Party on Space of the Council of the EU that consists of the Member States' officials.

In Finland, EU legislative proposals are submitted to Parliament by means of a Government communication (Union communication). The communication on the EU Space Law proposal will be prepared by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, and the final decision on its contents and on its submission to Parliament will be made in a Government plenary session. 

In formulating Finland's position, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment will continue to strive for close stakeholder cooperation. In matters concerning the EU Space Law initiative, you can contact the Ministry's Space Team. It is particularly desirable to hear the views of actors in the space sector if such has not been expressed in connection with the consultation event held on 25 October 2023 or if there is something to add or update in regard to the views already expressed.

Further information:

General information on EU legislative processes:
Planning and proposing law
Track law-making

About the EU Space Law initiative on the Commission’s website