18 European Satellite Centre
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| Council Joint Action amending Joint Action 2001/555/CFSP on the establishment of a European Union Satellite Centre
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| Legal base | Article 14 EU; unanimity
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| Department | Foreign and Commonwealth Office
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| Basis of consideration | EM of 28 November 2006
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| Previous Committee Report | None; but see (22340): HC 152-iii (2001-02), para 10 (31 October 2001)
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| To be discussed in Council | 11-12 December 2006 General Affairs and External Relations Council
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| Committee's assessment | Politically important
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| Committee's decision | Cleared, but further information requested
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Background
18.1 Established by a Council Joint Action on 20 July 2001, the
Centre purchases imagery from commercial sources and also receives
some images from space assets owned by EU nations. The data is
analysed and used to support assessments required for Council
Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) discussions and European
Security and Defence Policy operations (ESDP) by providing analysis
of satellite imagery and collateral data.
18.2 Based in Torrejon in Spain, the EUSC has 73 staff. Its annual
budget was approximately €10.6 million in 2006. It is funded
by Member States according to a gross national income scale.
18.3 Member States exercise political supervision over the centre
including setting its priorities, while the Secretary General/High
Representative (SG/HR) and his staff provide operational direction
to the Centre. The SG/HR reports to the Council on the Centre's
activities every 5 years with a view to altering the Joint Action
if appropriate.
The draft Joint Action
18.4 In his 30 November 2006 Explanatory Memorandum, the Minister
for Europe at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mr Geoffrey
Hoon) says that the SG/HR's report (which he encloses with his
EM) made "a number of practical recommendations intended
to improve the running of the Centre and clarify its role",
which are incorporated in the revised JA. He says that the key
changes are that the SG/HR's report made "a number of practical
recommendations intended to improve the running of the Centre
and clarify its role", which are incorporated in the revised
JA. He says that the key changes are:
— Mission:
supporting ESDP operations is already being performed by the Centre
but a specific reference is being added to the mission statement
for clarity;
— Budget:
The original Joint Action required the budget to be set annually.
The Centre will now have a Financial Framework agreed by the Council
every three years, allowing it to plan its expenditure further
in advance. Annual budgets will be approved by the Board within
the constraints of this Framework;
— Deputy
Director: Term limits
have been set at a maximum of two three-year terms;
— Association
with the Commission:
A new article, Article 20a, has been inserted to ensure that the
EUSC "can benefit from the EU-wide expertise available in
these areas while avoiding duplicating activities carried out
elsewhere in the EU". The Minister mentions in particular
the Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC).
The Government's view
18.5 The Minister says that the UK strongly supports
the Centre's work, particularly its capacity to provide imagery
and analysis that can be supplied to all Member States for CFSP
discussions without the normal difficulties associated with sharing
classified national material with a wider audience. In addition
the Centre's work is frequently complementary to, and supports,
work in this area undertaken by the UK military. The UK's annual
contribution is approximately 17% of the budget, or £1.2
million at current exchange rates. The proposals will result in
practical improvements to the running of the Centre. He "strongly
supports the addition of an article relating to the Commission
into the JA to prevent duplication of work being done elsewhere".
Conclusions
18.6 The Joint Research Centre has been an integral
part of the European Commission since its creation in 1957, with
a principal task of providing the Commission and its policy-making
Directorates-General, as well as the Council, European Parliament
and Member States, with independent scientific and technical advice;
the basis for its current research being the JRC multi-annual
work programme 2003 to 2006, which supports the Commission's Sixth
Framework Programme (FP6) for Research and Technological Development,
and the Sixth Framework Programme of the European Atomic Energy
Community.[37]
18.7 It is not altogether clear to us how an agency
whose primary purpose is the analysis of commercially-provided
satellite imagery for CFSP/ESDP purposes does or could relate
to the work of the JRC, and vice-versa; or how one might encroach
upon the other. But that is what the Article in question and the
Minister's comments thereon suggest, with the implication that,
over the past five years, there has been duplication of activity
and wasteful expenditure that, if unchecked, would continue or
even multiply.
18.8 We have no wish to hold up a Joint Action
designed to improve the effectiveness and economy of the EUSC's
operations, and accordingly clear it.
18.9 However, we should be grateful if the Minister
would let us have further information on what the possible synergies
between the EUSC and the JRC are, and what the areas of actual
and potential overlap have been or could be; and what arrangements
are in place to measure the extent to which the Joint Action's
objectives are met, ahead of the next five-year review.
37 For further information, see http://www.jrc.cec.eu.int Back
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