Reply to the 2nd report on the activities of the European Space Vehicle Launcher Development Organisation (ELDO) to the Assembly of the Council of Europe
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- [1]. Text adopted by the Standing Committee on 23rd June 1967 (see Doc 2243Doc 2243, Report of the Committee on Science and Technology).
The Assembly,
Technical and economic execution of Programme
1. Having examined the 2nd report of the European Space Vehicle Launcher Development Organisation (ELDO), which that Organisation has addressed to the Council of Europe in accordance with Article 12 of the London Convention ;
2. Noting with satisfaction that ELDO has overcome the crisis which existed when the Assembly debated the 1st ELDO report in May 1966, believes that failure to agree on a joint and co-ordinated European space policy in one integrated organisation will jeopardise the efforts made to overcome last year's financial crisis ;
3. Welcoming the remarkable result of making five successful ELDO firings out of five attempts up to 1966 and that in spite of small postponements in other parts of the technical programme, these do not seem to have had serious effects on the regular and continued implementation of the ELDO technical Initial Programme ;
4. Welcoming the decision on the Supplementary Programme to the effect that a launcher large enough for putting into orbit a communications satellite weighing about 4 times as much as "Early Bird" is intended to be ready for operation by 1970 ;
5. Noting the new rules on the geographical distribution of work which aim at more equitable and balanced contract placing, hopes that the ELDO member Governments will take a long-term view on this for the benefit of Europe as a whole ;
6. Noting that in 1966 all European countries, with one exception, spent more on ELDO/ESRO programmes than on national programmes, indicating an enthusiasm for closer European co-operation ;
European space activities and policy
7. Welcoming the opportunity offered for a fruitful dialogue on space matters between Governments and parliamentarians and international organisations by the simultaneous submittance, as requested by the Assembly, of the 2nd annual reports by ELDO and ESRO to the Council of Europe ;
8. Welcoming the ELDO Resolution on "Co-ordination of space policy in Europe", regrets that all Council of Europe member Governments have not taken the necessary steps to put its proposals into operation ;
9. Noting the agreement between France and the Federal Republic of Germany on an experimental stationary communications satellite to be launched in 1970, hopes that this represents a means of increasing Europe's economic and industrial and scientific potential, welcomes the decision to use ELDO launchers for this project ;
10. Surprised to find that in comparison with ELDO's 1st report no information is available on relations with ESRO, CETS and NASA and that only a passing reference is made to the two important space debates in the Assembly and that information is lacking on probable and possible prospective customers for the ELDO launchers ;
11. Considering that Europe's future role in space depends to a considerable extent on the success of ELDO in finding customers for its launchers
12. Resolves to invite the ELDO Secretariat and Council :
12.1 to commence actively examining the market for customers for ELDO launchers amongst international organisations such as the World Meteorological Organisation as well as amongst non-European countries ;
12.2 to institute fellowship programmes for engineers from non-member countries including Africa and Asia as a means of establishing an interest in these countries in the use of European launchers.
