Insurance & Liability

The EU Space Act proposal (COM(2025) 335) contains no operator insurance duty; third-party liability (TPL) cover is set by national space law. Examples: France — insurance or financial guarantee up to the amount fixed in the authorisation (LOS Art. 6, 16-17; EUR 50-70 million range under Loi n° 2008-1443 art. 119); Austria — EUR 60 million per claim (Weltraumgesetz § 4(4)); Luxembourg — risk cover by own funds, insurance or bank guarantee without a statutory amount (Law of 15 December 2020, Art. 6(4)).

The EU Space Act proposal sets no insurance duty, so this depends on national law. France accepts insurance or another financial guarantee approved by the competent authority (LOS Art. 6 I). Luxembourg accepts own funds, insurance from an insurer outside the operator's group or a guarantee from a credit institution outside the group (Law of 15 December 2020, Art. 6(4)). Denmark may require insurance or other equivalent security (Act on Activities in Outer Space, § 13(1)). Austria requires a liability insurance policy (Weltraumgesetz § 4(4)).

This depends on national law; the EU Space Act proposal contains no insurance duty. France: cover must be maintained as long as the operator can be liable under LOS Art. 13 (LOS Art. 6 I). That liability ends, except for intentional fault, once all obligations of the authorisation or licence are fulfilled, or at the latest one year after they should have been fulfilled; the State then takes over (Art. 13). Austria: at least EUR 60 million per claim, without exclusion or time limit on post-contract liability (Weltraumgesetz § 4(4)).