EU Space Act Drafted By European Commission – Security

The first draft of the EU Space Act, released on 25 June 2025,
aims to make the European space industry “cleaner, safer, and
more competitive,” with a focus on three pillars: safety,
resilience, and sustainability.

‘Safety’ targets the ongoing challenges posed by space
debris: collisions, runaway crashes, and the creation of new
debris. This may mean increased measures to track both debris and
satellites, and new requirements for the disposal of satellites at
the end of their lifetimes.

‘Resilience’ concerns growing threats to cybersecurity
in the space sector. With measures such as ongoing risk
assessments, incident reporting, and new cybersecurity rules, the
EU Space Act aims to avoid disruptions to important infrastructure
that relies on space data due to cyberattacks.

‘Sustainability’ establishes that reducing the
environmental impacts of the space sector will also be a key
priority, with a focus on life cycle assessments and innovations in
in-space servicing to extend the lives of satellites.

Whilst laws around the space industry already exist in the EU,
the EU Commission has stated that the current rules are
“fragmented,” and that differences between member states
“holds back innovation, reduces the European market share and
creates extra costs”. To combat this, the EU Space Act will be
a regulation, not a directive – this means the act will apply
directly to each EU Member State, as opposed to allowing member
states to implement the law locally. It will also impact non-EU
companies operating within the EU.

In the 150 pages of the proposal, the European Commission also
highlights that the new requirements may be scaled based on company
size and risk profile, and describes a targeted support package for
businesses and Member States during the transition to the new
regulation. The EU Commission also released a “Vision for the
European Space Economy” alongside the EU Space Act draft,
cementing the EU’s ambitions to become a powerhouse in the
global space economy.

If you have any thoughts about the current draft of the EU Space
Act, an 8-week public consultation is now open to
anyone’s feedback or comments, and will remain open until 11
September 2025.

If you have an interest in entering the European space market,
and would like to know how an intellectual property strategy could
strengthen your business, please don’t hesitate to reach out to
our Space Technology team.