Brussels, 01 Aug 2006

Subject: SATCEN - Report from the Secretary General/High Representative to the Council on the implementation of the Joint Action on the establishment of a European Union Satellite Centre

Delegations will find attached the report established pursuant to Article 22 of Council Joint Action 2001/555/CFSP of 20 July 2001 on the establishment of a European Union Satellite Centre1.

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5. CONCLUSIONS

In the European Security Strategy (ESS) global challenges and key threats have been identified, strategic objectives have been defined and the need to be more active, more coherent and more capable in addressing the global challenges and key threats has been emphasised.

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The Centre is an important asset in that context through the provision of imagery analysis and geospatial information resulting from satellite observation. CFSP/ESDP is rapidly evolving. The Centre has to adapt to the need identified in the ESS for developing a strategic culture that fosters early, rapid, and when necessary, robust intervention. The Centre is a key instrument for supporting decision-making in the field of CFSP/ESDP by providing an autonomous analysis capability to the EU. Its added value results mainly from the availability and quality of material resulting from the analysis of satellite imagery and collateral data on the European Union level.

The Centre delivers an operational service including effective imagery analysis and geospatial expertise in strict compliance with the necessary security requirements for applications in the framework of CFSP and ESDP.

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The Centre offers significant potential for contributing to the further development of CFSP/ESDP and represents therefore an invaluable instrument in the context of this expanding policy area. Against this background, the Council should enhance the role of the Centre. The Joint Action already includes the instruments for making better use of the Centre's potential. This would also of course require sufficient funding and improved rapid access to non-commercial imagery.

This leads to the conclusion that

• the provisions of the joint action largely remain valid. The report indicates some issues which can be addressed by a modification of the Joint Action. In addition, a modification of the Staff Regulations should be tackled urgently;

• there is scope for enhancing the role of the Centre so it could maker better use of its potential as the sole EU instrument providing security-related geospatial information.

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