The Governance of European Space Policy

Abstract

The aim of this study is to analyse the historical processes and institutional features of European space policy governance in order to understand its unique governance characteristics, which are designed to ensure that horizontal cooperation at the European level between the ESA and the EU and vertical cooperation between the ESA and Member States' national space agencies are complementary. To this end, this study first examines the historical process of the development of European space policy from the perspective of the history of European integration and the history of legal institutions, in order to understand the nature of the parallel development of European space policy centred on ESA, independent of the evolution of European integration from the ECSC to the EU. On this basis, it will analyse the multi-layered governance of European space policy today, focusing on the two characteristics of 'hybridity' and 'integrity' in order to contribute to a more accurate understanding of European space policy.