Global Monitoring for Environment and Security 3rd GMES Forum

5-6 June 2003 Parallel session 4: Security Chair: Alexandros Kolovos, Ministry of Defense, GR Rapporteur: Sarah Mattocks, EU Council ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Dear Ladies and Gentleman. On behalf of the Hellenic Presidency, I would like to welcome all distinguished representatives to Athens. First of all I would like to thank Commission, ESA and the Greek GSRT, for choosing Mrs. Mattocks and myself to rapport and chair accordingly, this panel on Security. Security remains a delicate and sensitive issue, especially after the end of Cold War and the new non-traditional meaning that the term security has been given. Earlier, there was national security, international security etc. Now we have environmental security, energy security and many more forms of it. According to a report from Butros-Butros Ghali, Former UN Secretary, security has many forms (political, military, economic and environmental) and that we should keep in mind the fact that all forms of security are interrelated and cannot be considered different from each other. There are many security benefits that can be derived by the International Community, from a greater utilisation of Space Technology. Though its global reach and perspective, Space Technology can make a vital contribution to promote international security. Although Europe has pursued for many years space programs in order to enhance the scientific knowledge and the common welfare, the term security came lately in the attention of EU, especially after the political declarations of CFSP1 in 1992 and more recently of ESDP2 in 1999. These political decisions, concerning the political evolution of Europe, created new structures, like the second Pillar, that deals with CFSP – ESDP. But having in mind that all forms of security are interlinked, non-traditional forms of security for example are also pursued by the First Pillar, the Commission. I have noticed with satisfaction the GMES Working Group 5 work on defining security, and I would like to welcome its approach; instead of trying to define the concept of security and become involved with all the institutional limitations of the 1st and 2nd Pillar, which after all, may become obsolete after the new Convention, it was decided to look at 1 Common Foreign and Security Policy 2 European Security and Defence Policy

the main EU policies linked to conflict prevention and crisis management to have an overview of the users need. Before I give the floor to the first speaker, I would like to add two things: Firstly, what is happening inside the 2nd pillar regarding space security issues:

• Two Hellenic Presidency’s initiatives, titled “ESDP and Space” pursued the idea of enabling space security issues on the EU capabilities needed to perform Petersberg tasks.

• These initiatives resulted in the production by EU Military Staff of a Paper called "Space Systems Needs for Military Operation", which has been endorsed by EU Military Committee.

• On a Hellenic Presidency’s initiative, 1st pillar presented Green Paper initiative to PSC3. The latter tasked the Secretariat to make a cover letter to the EUMS4 paper, which will address the remaining issues, which will be sent to Commission as a contribution to Green Paper.

• The General Affairs and External Relations Council (May 13, 2003), recognised the importance of the space applications and functions needed in order to enhance the EU capabilities to carry out crisis management operations. It noted the Green Paper from the Commission and the European Space Agency and invited Member States to contribute to the ongoing consultation process.

• Lastly I would like to inform you that a new group, called ECAP Space Project Group has been formed to deal with space issues inside 2nd pillar.

Secondly, I would like to give you some highlights of our recent Workshop on Security and Defense Aspects of Space, held in Athens one month ago. I would like to clarify that the official conclusions will be presented at the final Conference in Paris in 3 weeks. Some of the highlights are the following: • Regarding the institutional issues we heard two very important proposals, one from

ESA in which it was stated that ESA can address security and defence aspects of space and can play its role as the R&D Agency in space-related European security issues, and the second one from Bureau Espace, France which propose the creation of a European Military Space Agency called EUMILSAT.

• Regarding space capabilities, both Bureau Espace and the Hellenic Presidency

presented that an EU Space Security Program must include space applications in earth observation, in satellite communications, in Signal Intelligence (SIGINT), in Early Warning and in Navigation

With these short remarks, I give the floor to our first speaker Mrs Christine Bernot, who will address the issue “The “S” of GMES: scope and general information requirements”.

3 Political and Security Committee 4 EU Military Staff