Recommendation 617
(1971)
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- Assembly debate on 20 January 1971 (20th Sitting) (seeDoc. 2866, report of the Committee on Science and Technology). Text adopted by the Assembly on 20 January 1971 (20th Sitting).
The Assembly,
1. Recalling its ten-year old
Recommendation 251 of 1960 proposing the "setting up of a European agency to undertake a space programme" and subsequent recommendations on the matter ;
2. Deploring the negative outcome of the 2nd Session of the 4th European Ministerial Space Conference, including Denmark's announcement of its withdrawal from membership in the European Space Research Organisation (ESRO) ;
3. Regretting that the Conference did not, as planned, meet on the second day to work out a European negotiating position for the Intelsat negotiations ;
4. Noting with satisfaction the indication of French willingness to accept Atlantic technological interdependent partnership ;
5. Welcoming the agreement of some countries - earlier hesitant - to participate in the construction of a European telecommunications satellite ;
6. Noting with satisfaction the technical achievements of the European Space Vehicle Launcher Development Organisation (ELDO) and the European Space Research Organisation (ESRO) ;
7. Believing that the failure of the Conference was not only due to the unwillingness of some European States to accept a comprehensive European space programme and the immediate opening of negotiations for participation in the post-Apollo programme, but also to the fact that insufficient information was available concerning the conditions for availability of US launchers and the cost of participation in the post-Apollo programme ;
8. Convinced of the importance for European unity of maintaining cohesion in any space co-operation project among all the members of the space organisations,
9. Recommends that the Committee of Ministers invite the member States' governments :
a to instruct their representatives at the Intelsat negotiations to accept no new agreement which does not guarantee Europe the right to operate regional application satellite systems in telephony, telegraphy and data transmission ;
b to instruct their representatives at the ad hoc Committee of Officials of the European Space Conference to continue without delay the discussions with the USA concerning the precise conditions and costs of participation in the post-Apollo programme and for obtaining US launchers ;
c to convene, as soon as the Conference of Ministers responsible for Science and Technology of the Fifteen has signed the European Technological Co-operation Agreement, a further conference, embracing all interested States, to agree on an overall European research and development programme, including a comprehensive space programme and taking into account the proposals of the 3rd OECD Ministerial Meeting on Science ;
d to ensure that cost-benefit analyses are carried out independently and in depth, to be presented in conjunction with any recommendation for future projects, appraisals of budget submissions or applications for further financial assistance.
