EU Should Lead World In Creating New Space Law Framework - Spanish Science Minister

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th November, 2020) The existing international space law needs an overhaul to make sure that outer space is used for peace and belongs to all nations, and Europe could play a leading role in building such a modern legislative framework that could "unite countries," Pedro Duque, a former astronaut who now heads the Spanish ministry of science, said on Thursday.

Duque spoke at an online debate organized by Brussels-based think tank Friends of Europe.

"Europe is an important actor when it comes to the outer space. We will make our best to bring the whole world together like we always do. We have the leading role in dealing with the climate change issue and we expect that we will be able to bring results in solving space-related issues like overcrowding, for example. It is true that existing outer space treaties are too generic and outdated for the current circumstances. There is a role here for the EU to be a leader in creating a kind of framework, to unite countries," he said.

The 1967 Outer Space Treaty and 1972 Space Liability Treaty, for instance, are in need of a review to address modern challenges like space overcrowding and risks related to weapons of mass destruction being placed in outer space, the minister continued.

Fifty-eight countries currently have space-based assets. According to Duque, the EU is endeavoring to play a leading role through the European Space Agency and its global navigation satellite system, Galileo.