EU Space Act
A proposed European Union regulation (COM(2025) 335) that would establish a unified framework for space activities across all EU member states; published by the European Commission in 2025 and not yet adopted.
The EU Space Act is a proposed EU regulation published by the European Commission on 25 June 2025 as COM(2025) 335. It has not been adopted and is not law.
Subject matter (Art. 1) Rules for the internal market of space-based data and space services (Art. 1(1)) and harmonised rules on the authorisation, registration and supervision of space activities with regard to safety, resilience and environmental sustainability; orbit traffic management through the provision of collision avoidance services; governance and enforcement; a Union Space Label and capacity-building measures (Art. 1(2)).
Scope (Art. 2) It would apply to space operators, collision avoidance space services providers, primary providers of space-based data and international organisations (Art. 2(1)). It would not apply to space objects used exclusively for defence or national security purposes, to space objects temporarily placed for defence purposes under a military operation and control (for the duration of the respective space mission), to the authorisation or management of radio spectrum governed by Decision 676/2002, Directive (EU) 2018/1972 and Decision 243/2012/EU, or to assets launched before 1 January 2030 (Art. 2(3)). Title IV, Chapters I (safety and sustainability in space) and V (orbital traffic rules) would not apply to orbits further than GEO (Art. 2(2)).
Authorisation (Art. 6-10) Union space operators would need an authorisation from a Member State; other Member States recognise it as regards Title IV, Chapters I to V (Art. 6). Third-country operators would be registered, not authorised (Art. 14-17).
Registration (Art. 24) The Agency (EUSPA) would keep a Union Register of Space Objects (URSO) listing authorised and registered operators. Registration of space objects under the UN Registration Convention stays with the launching States.
Application dates From 1 January 2030 (Art. 119); from 1 January 2032 for authorisations regarding assets planned to be launched after 1 January 2030 whose critical design review phase ended on a date 12 months after entry into force (Art. 118(1)).
Penalties Member States would set effective, proportionate and dissuasive penalties (Art. 31). For operators of Union-owned assets, third-country operators and international organisations, the Commission could, on a proposal from the Agency, impose fines of up to twice the profits gained or losses avoided or, where that cannot be determined, 2% of worldwide annual turnover in the preceding financial year (Art. 56(1), (3)).