STADIUL ACTUAL AL POLITICILOR UNIUNII EUROPENE ÎN DOMENIUL SPAŢIAL.

Space assets are essential for the activities of modern societies. Communications, navigation, positioning and timing, meteorological and scientifi c services, geospatial information, understanding of Earth environment, civilian and Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) operations, to name just a few services, rely on space assets. Any disturbance of these activities could damage or completely disrupt services needed to ensure the safety and the well-being of European Union (EU) citizens, in addition reducing the associated economic benefi ts of space (the return of investment for space activities is estimated to be a factor three). Europe need to develop a capability for Space Situational Awareness (SSA), drawing on existing capabilities and infrastructures both at national and European level. SSA refers to the knowledge of location and function of space objects and the space environment, including operational satellites, space debris, near Earth objects and space weather. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]