U.S. Government Provides Feedback on Draft E.U. Space Act
Finds Unacceptable Burdens on U.S. Providers to European Customers
Following the release of the draft EU Space Act and the accompanying Vision for a European Space Economy, the Office of Space Commerce, in coordination with the Department of State, solicited feedback and comments from USG agencies and commercial stakeholders on the legislation’s potential impact on the United States. This consultation included input from U.S. trade associations representing a broad cross-section of the U.S. commercial space industry, as well as over 70 responding companies that have active or potential future commercial interests in the EU market.
“The United States will continue to consult with U.S. industry to monitor the EU Space Acts development and implementation.”
Office of Space Commerce in Comments on the EU Space Act
The United States Government, through the U.S. Department of State, has now submitted its comments to the European Commission regarding the draft European Union Space Act.
The United States welcomes the opportunity to provide comments to the European Commission (Commission) in response to the solicitation for public feedback on a proposal to develop a new EU Space Act, which would create a single common market within the EU for space activities and develop new legal and regulatory frameworks pertaining to safety, resilience, and environmental sustainability.
As a general matter, the United States expresses deep concern regarding measures in the proposed Act that would impose unacceptable regulatory burdens on U.S. providers of space services to European customers. As close partners in civil, commercial, and security aspects of space cooperation for decades, the EU should proceed cautiously when developing and refining the proposed EU Space Act to ensure it provides a permissive and adaptable framework that promotes innovation, investment, and fair competition for the U.S., EU, and EU member states commercial sectors, while respecting each other’s sovereignty. Otherwise, the ability of the United States, the EU, and EU members to maintain government-to-government burden-sharing partnerships could be threatened. These non-tariff barriers would introduce challenges in the areas of space weather, remote sensing, space exploration, spaceflight safety, space debris mitigation and remediation, communications, as well as cooperation with the European Space Agency.
The United States said in its comments that the current draft EU Space Act contradicts the spirit of the comments made in August on the U.S.-EU Framework Agreement on Reciprocal, Fair and Balanced Trade to “resolve trade imbalances, improve market access, increase our trade and investment relationship, and reduce or eliminate non-tariff barriers.”
“Following the release of the draft EU Space Act in June 2025, the U.S. Departments of State and Commerce solicited feedback from USG agencies and commercial stakeholders on its potential impact on the United States. This consultation included input from U.S. trade associations representing a broad cross-section of the U.S. commercial space industry, as well as over 70 responding companies that have active or potential future commercial interests in the EU market. Many of these companies and associations have also provided direct feedback to the Commission, which we urge the Commission to review carefully,” the government said in its comments. “The United States will continue to consult with U.S. industry to monitor the EU Space Acts development and implementation.”
As a general matter, the United States requests the following changes to the EU Space Act:
Align with existing international and industry guidelines, standards, and rules for space systems and operations that have been developed by international consensus;
Enable easier cooperation with the USG and industry, rather than introduce further barriers to cooperation;
Clarify specifics on the equivalence and mutual recognition process for government and industry actors from third-party states;
Provide significantly greater information and clarity in the text of the EU Space Act itself (instead of in subsequent implementing acts) so that stakeholders and EU member states themselves are fully aware of implications ahead of its adoption, rather than assigning oversight functions to Commission officials in Brussels;
Allow civil governmental activities conducted by EU member states and partners like the United States to continue, possibly by including an exemption similar to that given for national security activities under the proposed act;
Underscore that member states, specifically NATO Allies, may continue to leverage cutting-edge U.S. commercial space capabilities in support of investing in capabilities to bolster European security and strengthening transatlantic defense industrial base cooperation.