Recommendation 572
(1969)
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- Assembly debate on 3 October 1969 (15th Sitting) (see Doc. 2643, report of the Committee on Science and Technology). Text adopted by the Assembly on 3 October 1969 (15th Sitting).
The Assembly,
1. Welcoming its long-standing and close cooperation with ELDO and ESRO, which it hopes will continue into the future and taking this opportunity of thanking the two organisations for the work they have done in the face of great difficulties and under very unfavourable conditions and of expressing its sincere admiration for their achievement ;
2. Regretting that the prospects of obtaining a European space programme appear worse than ever ; that there is still no European space policy, in other words no reasonably clear notion that Europe's space activities can and must be applied to the achievement of European political aims in the widest sense of the term ; that accordingly no clear aims or tasks have been defined for a European space programme ;
3. Noting that a master plan for space is still lacking, although considerable efforts have been made in that direction - notably in the Causse Report - and that much valuable time and work has thus been wasted ;
4. Considering that the failure to implement the proposals made in the Causse Report was due to political and not technical reasons and that any new attempt is therefore doomed to failure until such time as there exists a political basis essential for the acceptance and execution of a master plan for space activities ;
5. Regretting that, contrary to the recommendations of the Assembly and to the decision taken at the 3rd European Space Conference in Bad Godesberg in November 1968, it has not been possible to work out a common European position to be adopted at the Intelsat negotiations ;
6. Fearing that the final Intelsat statute will be drawn up in a form which will prevent Europeans once and for all from developing the kind of activity, in respect of applications satellites in particular and space operations in general, which alone would justify the outlay required for such purposes ;
7. Noting that the results hitherto achieved in Europe are meagre in relation to the resources and time devoted thereto and to the attainments of others in this field ;
8. Believing that, in view of the inability of Europe to draw up a master plan for space activities, it would be irresponsible and quite unjustified to blame ESRO and ELDO in any way for the fact that the results of their activities must be considered insignificant in comparison with those of other bodies ;
9. Noting with regret that the response and comprehension so indispensable if any serious efforts are to be made by Europe in the field of space activities have evidently not been forthcoming from national parliaments, national governments and authorities or indeed from public opinion generally, such response and comprehension being the prerequisite which alone would make possible the implementation of the ideas expressed in the Assembly recommendations ;
10. Deeply regretting, in view of this situation, that the Assembly's recommendations on European space activities have not been taken into consideration by member governments, and holding that the only acceptable proof that its recommendations receive due consideration would be the implementation of the proposals they contain,
11. Decides to support and participate actively in the efforts of the Committee of Ministers and the Council for Cultural Cooperation to establish a programme of phased planning for the application of satellites for educational and cultural purposes ;
12. Recommends that the Committee of Ministers :
12.1 take the necessary steps to ensure that the intergovernmental conference envisaged for November 1969 be held before the final phase of the Intelsat negotiations and that it comes to an agreement on a telecommunications satellite programme, but also on a common European posture at the Intelsat negotiations ;
12.2 take the necessary steps to ensure :
a that the European Space Conference agrees (on the basis of the report of the Committee of Senior Officials) on the integration of all European space activities in one European space agency under the authority of a commission possessing adequate delegation of power to do efficient work ;
b that the Committee of Senior Officials accelerates its work on a comprehensive and common European space programme with a view to reaching agreement at the 4th European Space Conference on a programme of application and scientific satellites, and a programme of launcher development, which should be based on an industrial policy aiming at the balanced development of Europe's technologies and not be directed solely by considerations of "fair return" ;
c that, as proposed at the United Nations Conference on the exploration and peaceful uses of outer space, each nation having a seat in the Intelsat Organisation should have only one vote in ballots to decide future programmes.
