The Italian Space Agency is engaged also in the promotion, support and coordination of Italy's participation in EU projects and initiatives in the space and aerospace field.
In compliance with the Lisbon Treaty (Articles 4 and 189 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union) the European Union has put space policy at center stage in the EU 2020 strategy and the new industrial revolution, thus recognizing the cross-cutting strategic importance of Space seen as a tool for the development of European Security and Defense policies on the one hand, and environmental, transport, agriculture and rural development, fisheries, research and other policies on the other.
The EU Competitiveness Council, at its meeting on May 30, 2013, adopted the conclusions on the "EU Space Industrial Policy - Releasing the potential for economic growth in the space sector". In particular, it emphasized that space contributes directly to the objectives of the Europe 2020 strategy and that the space industry contributes to economic growth and job creation and that space-based systems, services and applications play a pivotal and growing role in modern society.
In this regard, it should be noted that the satellite services sector is pivotal for the EU economy, as it transforms investments in space infrastructure into concrete applications and services for the benefit of European citizens. By way of example, according to EuroSpace 60% of the revenue of the last ten years of satellite manufacturers stems from the sales of telecommunications satellites.
In the Council of the European Union, space activities have so far been the responsibility of the Competitiveness Council and the Transport Council and are dealt with within the Space Working Party (SWP) and the Working Party on Transport - Intermodal Questions and Networks, where the Galileo program is discussed.
