From Venus to Mars: the European Union´s steps towards the militarisation of space – november 2008

European space policy is increasingly driven by military rather than civilian objectives, according to a new report, released The report is released on the eve of the European Space Agency (ESA) Ministerial meeting in The Hague, which will set new objectives and budgets for the agency.

The report highlights how projects that are initially presented as civilian or civil security initiatives often have ´dual´ or multiple use that includes a strong military component. For example, the main rationale for the Kopernikus project, which gives the EU a global monitoring capacity, is now more clearly stated in terms of its capacity for providing intelligence to support future European and NATO military interventions.

Published by Campagne tegen Wapenhandel en Transnational Institute, november 2008

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