EEA EFTA States call for a leaner, clearer EU Space Act

Close cooperation on space activities between like-minded partners is crucial to strengthening Europe’s strategic position. The EEA EFTA States contribute actively to the European space sector, including through Iceland and Norway’s participation in the EU Space Programme, their recently signed bilateral agreements with the EU on GOVSATCOM and the Secure Connectivity Programme, and by securing European access to space and ocean surveillance in the Arctic region through Norway’s Andøya Spaceport. Both Liechtenstein and Norway have also recently adopted national space acts.

In their comment, the EEA EFTA States call for the explicit exclusion of sovereign, defence and security activities, as well as spaceports, from the scope of the proposal. The EU Space Act should ensure that collaborative projects remain possible between the civilian and defence sectors – an issue of particular importance to smaller countries relying on cost-efficient, dual-use space solutions. As regards spaceports, the EEA EFTA States believe that Member States are best placed to conduct the necessary risk assessments and implement the appropriate risk mitigation measures linked to launches.

The EEA EFTA States encourage the co-legislators to carefully assess the potential implications of the act for the provision of space-based data, including for civil protection, weather forecasting, maritime surveillance and emergency management. They underline that the use of space-based data from third countries should not be restricted, and stress the importance of concluding agreements with space-based data providers in advance of emergency situations. 

Finally, the EEA EFTA States recommend that the EU Space Act refrain from creating an additional space-specific cybersecurity regime, that it ensures proportional and risk-based requirements for industry and SMEs, and that it supports single-entry point reporting and a lean governance framework. 

The EU Space Act proposal was published by the European Commission on 25 June 2025. It aims to create a single market for space activities, making it easier for companies – particularly start-ups and SMEs – to grow and operate across borders. As full participants in the Internal Market through the Agreement on the European Economic Area, the EEA EFTA States remain constructive and reliable partners of the EU and are following discussions on the proposal in the European Parliament and the Council closely.

EEA EFTA Comments are one of the tools the EEA EFTA States use to actively participate in shaping EU policies, programmes and legislation.  

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