Space Policy of the European Union: Evolutionary Journey on the Path to the Stars = Az Európai Unió űrpolitikája: Evolúciós utazás a csillagokhoz vezető úton

Absztrakt (kivonat)

The paper provides an overview of the European Union space policy from various perspectives. It aims to bring attention to the diversity of this group of European Union policies and to show that EU space policy is indispensable for the well-being of the EU’s society. International space law serves as the framework for the research, and the demonstration of the processes regarding European space policy is primarily based on the analysis of EU legal documents and the comparison of different components of space activity. The research question which aids the presentation of the complexity of the topic is the following: How has the European Union's involvement in space activities led to the advancement of 21st-century space policy components beneficial to its society? Throughout the paper, the vital points consist of assessing Europe’s emergence in the space sector and the importance of the European Space Agency, the European Union Space Programme and its chief components, and the significance of satellites from a social and security perspective. The research reveals the changing attitude and initiating role of the European Parliament when it comes to space policies, and further elaborates on the joint actions of the European Union, a supranational agent and the European Space Agency, an intergovernmental entity in international relations. Moreover, through assessing the European Union Space Programme, EU prominence in space becomes supported, and the EU society’s improving well-being is underpinned by enhanced digital connectivity, advancement in agriculture, and crisis management from a security perspective through European space initiatives.