Doslovno izvješće

Ponedjeljak, 9. prosinca 2013. - Strasbourg

26. Politika EU-a na području svemirske industrije (kratko predstavljanje)

  Presidente. − L'ordine del giorno reca la breve presentazione della relazione di Angelika Niebler sulla politica industriale dell'UE in materia di spazio - Liberare il potenziale di crescita economica nel settore spaziale [COM(2013)0108 - 2013/2092(INI)] (A7-0338/2013).

  Angelika Niebler, Berichterstatterin. − Frau Präsidentin, verehrte Frau Vizepräsidentin der Europäischen Kommission, meine lieben Kolleginnen und Kollegen! Heute war es in vielen deutschen Zeitungen zu lesen: Der Luft- und Raumfahrtkonzern EADS will in seiner bisherigen Verteidigungssparte Cassidian zahlreiche Stellen streichen. Mich als oberbayerische Abgeordnete macht es besonders betroffen, dass der oberbayerische Standort Unterschleißheim bei München voraussichtlich vollständig geschlossen wird. Mehr als 8 000 Arbeitsplätze sind in Gefahr.

Allein in Bayern sind mehr als 400 Unternehmen der Luft- und Raumfahrtindustrie ansässig, rund ein Drittel aller Beschäftigten dieser Industriesparte arbeiten in Bayern. Hinzu kommen mehr als 150 Unternehmen, die der Satellitennavigationsanwenderindustrie zugeordnet werden können. Doch seit Jahren stagnieren Budgets, der Branche fehlt es an Perspektive.

Das hat auch für den zivilen Bereich drastische Folgen. Viele Unternehmen der Nicht-Raumfahrtindustrie profitieren von unzähligen Produkten als Ergebnis der Weltraumforschung. Gleichzeitig sind unzählige Dienste, auf welche unsere Bürgerinnen und Bürger und auch wir selber im täglichen Leben zurückgreifen, von der Raumfahrt direkt oder indirekt abhängig, z. B. das Fernsehen, Hochgeschwindigkeits-Internet, Navigationssysteme, das europaweit automatische Notrufsystem eCall, und auch die Landwirtschaft greift gerne auf Geodaten zur Landverbesserung zurück.

Es ist daher an der Zeit, eines der größten Probleme der Weltraumbranche anzugehen, nämlich die Finanzierung. Bei der Raumfahrtindustrie handelt es sich um eine investitionsintensive Industrie mit ungewöhnlich langen Entwicklungszyklen. Planungssicherheit ist daher für die Unternehmen von höchster Priorität. Unternehmen scheuen sich, viel Geld für Innovationen in die Hand zu nehmen, wenn am Ende unsicher ist, ob sie einen Abnehmer dafür finden. Ich persönlich bin daher davon überzeugt, dass wir eine Art Anschubfinanzierung brauchen, um Geld für Innovationen zur Verfügung zu stellen, mit denen dann wiederum Wirtschaftswachstum generiert und Arbeitsplätze geschaffen werden können.

Wir brauchen darüber hinaus eine engere Kooperation der drei Handlungsträger der europäischen Raumfahrtpolitik – EU, ESA und den Mitgliedstaaten –, um unter anderem einen Forschungsfahrplan für den Zeitraum bis zum Jahr 2020 zu entwickeln. Dieser sollte den Unternehmen als Leitplanke für Investitionen dienen.

Das Europäische Parlament hat sich stets für eine ehrgeizige europäische Weltraumpolitik stark gemacht. Daran sollten wir festhalten. Galileo gilt es für seine volle Einsatzfähigkeit schnellstmöglich fertigzustellen. Weitere Nutzen und Vorteile, beispielsweise der Satellitenkommunikation, müssen analysiert werden. Nur so können wir es schaffen, die Abhängigkeit von anderen Weltraumnationen zu senken.

Lediglich mit einer echten europäischen Weltraumpolitik versetzen wir unsere heimische Raumfahrtindustrie in die Lage, wettbewerbsfähig zu werden und auch wettbewerbsfähig zu bleiben.

Procedura "catch-the-eye"

  Seán Kelly (PPE). - Madam President, space is, I suppose, a topic which fascinates many people but it does not lead them to pursue that fascination by being involved in the industry in any way, and indeed the industry is limited enough across Europe. I think there are about 30 000 workers but at the same time it represents 6.5 billion for the economy. I think, as Angelika Niebler was pointing out, what a huge potential.

But that potential particularly needs a lot of research and development and that takes financing. While we do have good programmes for many years now like Copernicus and Galileo I think that to realise the potential we need to invest more in it, particularly with the likes of India and China now powering ahead as well as, of course, the USA. The European Union needs to be well ahead in that regard and well committed; particularly, we need an internal market for the whole space area and I think that is something we should be working very strongly to develop.

There is a whole pile of industries which can come from the whole space sector. In my own constituency a company was founded a few years ago which is taking off rapidly. It is called Treemetrics and uses satellite imagery to track and monitor forestry around the world in the greatest possible detail, right down to the last tree, which helps of course not only in just tracking the trees but with the size of the trees, their removal and if anyone interferes with them.

I think investing in the space sector and particularly in industrial policy will pay huge dividends for us in the future and we have to go that way, as Angelika Niebler pointed out.

  Richard Howitt (S&D). - Madam President, in my own East of England constituency technology has been developed which has allowed communication beyond our solar system to map the Milky Way, to test Einstein’s theory of relativity from space and, of course, to establish Europe’s own Global Positioning System. e2v and BAE systems in Chelmsford and Astrium in Stevenage tell me how important the EU support we are debating tonight is if we are to win the new space race for jobs and for technology.

Like our main rapporteur, Ms Niebler, however, I express concern about today’s announcement by EADS in relation to their space and defence business, but I welcome the fact that I have received a commitment from Astrium in Stevenage that their plant and Britain will remain part of the core business of the company. I welcome the fact that the job losses that have been announced may not take place for three years, and that there is every intention by the company to achieve them through natural wastage rather than redundancy. I urge the strongest possible consultation with the workforce and appropriate trade unions to achieve that aim.

  António Fernando Correia de Campos (S&D). - Senhor Presidente, quero cumprimentar a relatora e dizer-lhe que é necessária uma política de indústria espacial estável e integrada, que possa competir com os outros grandes atores globais, com a Agência Espacial Europeia, com a União e entre a União e os Estados-Membros. Programas como o Galileo, o Copérnico ou o Egnos são prioritários, devem abranger toda a União e constituem bons exemplos de uma política industrial espacial coerente e competitiva com um enfoque nas pequenas e médias empresas e uma forte componente de investigação e desenvolvimento.

A Estratégia Europa 2020 reconhece o papel da indústria espacial como veículo de inovação, competitividade, emprego e crescimento. É um setor relevante na proteção e segurança dos cidadãos, na resposta a cenários de crise, na política comum de segurança e defesa, na vida quotidiana das telecomunicações, transportes e TIC. É um setor que necessita de um impulso mais forte.

(Fine della procedura "catch-the-eye")

  Viviane Reding, Vice-President of the Commission. − Madam President, let me first thank the rapporteur, Ms Niebler, for a very important report on a very important industry because space is a key enabling sector for Europe’s economy, and space activities require and generate innovation and scientific, technological and organisational excellence. It is for that reason that EUR 11 billion has been committed in the next multiannual financial framework to the EU’s space programmes, be it Galileo, Copernicus or space research.

A considerable amount of this money will be devoted to space activities. It is therefore essential to ensure the most efficient possible use of such investment. Good coordination among our stakeholders is essential: Member States, the Commission, the Space Agency and others. It is also essential that we ensure coherence in the programmes and avoid duplication in spending and structures.

A reflection along these lines is already underway following the recent Commission communication on establishing appropriate relations between the EU and the European Space Agency.

Ms Nieblerʼs report is also right in stressing the need for Europe to seek technological non-dependence and develop the critical technology to pursue its space ambition and maintain a competitive position in the world. It is at this global level where we need also to be very careful. The Commission is doing that, not only in the context of the ongoing EU-US transatlantic trade partnership negotiations but also for the long term by way of a study which will be issued in the second half of next year.

Finally, the rapporteur advances the role of the private commercial market for the European space industry and the importance of the satellite communications sector. The Commission has proposed a number of measures which could help develop the space market, including services. We will take action in areas including research, procurement and spectrum availability and, where necessary, regulatory action.

  Presidente. − La discussione è chiusa.

La votazione si svolgerà martedì 10 dicembre 2013.

Dichiarazioni scritte (articolo 149)

  Erminia Mazzoni (PPE), per iscritto. – Al giorno d'oggi, innumerevoli servizi dipendono direttamente o indirettamente dalle tecnologie spaziali, e molti settori non connessi allo spazio traggono benefici dalle conquiste tecniche dell'industria spaziale. L'economia europea ha sempre avuto una posizione leader, che oggi viene minacciata dall'affacciarsi di nuove potenze, come India e Cina. In tale contesto il Parlamento europeo ha mostrato come sia necessario potenziare la nostra azione, aumentando le sinergie tra il settore civile e quello della difesa e rafforzare il coordinamento tra le attività spaziali dell'UE, dell'ESA e degli Stati membri, per raggiungere l'indipendenza tecnologica e un accesso europeo allo spazio. Importante dunque dare nuovo slancio ai programmi Galileo, Copernico (GMES) e alla comunicazione satellitare in generale, per una politica spaziale europea ambiziosa basata su un vero mercato interno dell'industria, con un quadro giuridico coerente. Questo lo spirito dell'iniziativa parlamentare, alla quale ho dato il mio voto.