Posted
The Federal Council has decided to update the Swiss space policy and to draw up a national space law.
“An updated space policy will serve as a compass for Switzerland’s future actions in this sector.”
AFP PHOTO/EUROPEAN SOUTHERN OBSERVATORY
Noting that the space sector had changed significantly in recent years, both nationally and internationally, the Federal Council decided on Wednesday to update Swiss space policy and to draw up a draft national space law.
“The use of space applications has become part of the daily life of the state, the economy and society. The dependence vis-à-vis these applications has therefore increased”, notes the Federal Council in a press release. Added to this is an increase in the number of public and private actors and Swiss actors “whose space activities are increasingly important”. Developments that lead to a review of the Swiss space policy of 2008.
As space is considered “a growth sector with promising prospects”, the Federal Council is convinced that “an updated space policy will serve as a compass for Switzerland’s future actions in this sector”. To do this, different aspects must be taken into account: the implementation of national and international programs, the growing importance of space for the economy, society and security policy, environmental issues of space activities, of sustainability and those related to the coordination of satellite frequencies as well as the need for coordination at the federal and international levels.
National Space Law
Once updated, this new space policy will serve as a guideline for the drafting of a national space law for consultation. As the government explains, such a law “would allow Switzerland not only to frame its international obligations in domestic law, but also to strengthen legal certainty in this area for all the actors concerned”. A way for the Confederation “to balance the interests of the various stakeholders, to align itself with the usual standards of the global space sector and to strengthen the attractiveness of Switzerland for this cutting-edge sector”, he specifies.
Both projects will have to be drawn up by the Federal Department of Economics, Education and Research (DEFR) and the other departments concerned. The update of the Swiss policy will be presented to the Federal Council at the end of April 2023 and the preliminary draft of the national space law at the end of June 2024.
The Federal Council has also instructed the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC) “to initiate technical discussions with the European Union” with the aim of obtaining the participation of Switzerland to Copernicus, the EU’s Earth observation programfor the current period of 2021 to 2027.
The government affirms that “Switzerland’s association with Copernicus would ensure it a right of scrutiny over the program and free access to its data in the long term”. Industries would also be sure to be able to respond to the program’s calls for tenders. Switzerland’s participation in Copernicus requires that a bilateral association agreement with the EU be negotiated and approved by the Federal Chambers.
(comm/aze)