Just a few hours ago, the European Commission took a decisive step towards the consolidation of a common space market with the presentation of a Proposal for a Regulation that seeks to harmonize the rules applicable to space activities throughout its territory. [1]
This initiative responds to an increasingly evident reality: for some years now, space is no longer the exclusive domain of large state agencies such as NASA, ROSCOSMOS or ESA itself, but a dynamic environment in which new commercial actors, emerging technologies and innovative business models are proliferating.
In this context, regulatory fragmentation among EU Member States -some of which already have national space legislation- represents an obstacle to the competitiveness, security and sustainability of the sector. The proposed EU regulation aims to provide a common legal framework to provide legal certainty, encourage innovation and ensure that space activities are carried out in a safe, resilient and environmentally friendly manner.
As this is a complex and lengthy text of some 150 pages, in the following lines we will limit ourselves to providing a general overview of the main issues addressed by the proposal. We will go into more detail on specific aspects of the new regulation in the following notes.
Objectives and Scope of Application
The main purpose of the proposal is to establish a set of harmonized rules governing the authorization, supervision and registration of space activities in the Union. Specific objectives include
- Ensuring the operational safety of launchers and satellites, including collision avoidance and space debris mitigation measures.
- Establish a risk management framework adapted to space infrastructures, with a particular focus on cybersecurity.
- Introduce a common system for calculating the environmental footprint of space activities, promoting their long-term sustainability.
- Facilitate the free circulation of space data and services within the internal market, through the mutual recognition of authorisations and the creation of a Union Registry of Space Objects (URSO). To date, these registers are limited to the national level, as is the case of the Spanish Register of Space Objects Launched into Outer Space created in 1995.
Key Regulatory Areas
From the point of view of authorisation and supervision of space activities, it should be noted that the proposal establishes an authorisation obligation for EU space operators, mutual recognition of authorisations between Member States and simplified procedures for constellations and low-risk missions.
Technical requirements for launchers and satellites (tracking, manoeuvrability, debris mitigation), the obligation to subscribe to collision avoidance services or rules for High Interest Event (HIE) manoeuvres are also laid down. From a resilience and cybersecurity perspective, the regulation determines a risk management framework adapted to the space sector, imposes specific rules for operators identified as critical or important entities (NIS 2), as well as obligations for encryption, business continuity, incident management and supply chain.
Implementation Deadlines
The European Commission will now forward the proposed regulation to the European Parliament and the Council. For the time being, a phased implementation timetable is set out, designed to allow for an orderly and realistic transition:
- The regulation would enter into force on 1 January 2030.
- Effective implementation would take place 24 months after entry into force, i.e. from 1 January 2032.
- An additional transitional period is foreseen for those missions whose critical design has been completed before entry into force, allowing for their adaptation until 1 January 2032.
- Environmental sustainability obligations will not apply to SMEs and research centres until 31 December 2031.
- Specific requirements for in-orbit operations and services (ISOS) will apply from 1 January 2034.
Expected Impact on the Space Sector
In the current geopolitical context, the proposal seeks to consolidate a stable and predictable regulatory environment conducive to investment, innovation and competitiveness of the European space industry. The harmonisation of requirements is expected to significantly reduce regulatory costs, especially for those operators that currently must comply with multiple national frameworks.
From a more programmatic perspective, the introduction of common standards on security, resilience and sustainability aims to position the EU as an international reference in space governance. It should be noted that the European Commission intends that the future regulation will also apply to companies not established in the European Union, if they offer space services or spatial data within the territory of the Union. In this way, space operators established in third countries will have, among other issues, to comply with the same technical requirements applicable to safety, resilience and sustainability as EU operators and to designate a legal representative in the European Union to act as a point of contact with the competent authorities. A simplification of the registration and supervision processes is foreseen for those countries with a regulatory framework equivalent to that of the EU, for which the Commission may issue an “equivalence decision”. This is intended to prevent third country operators from circumventing European rules by offering services from outside the EU territory, which would generate unfair competition and put at risk the security and sustainability of the European space environment.
Specific impact for SMEs
One of the most relevant aspects of the proposed regulation is its inclusive approach towards small and medium-sized enterprises, which represent a growing part of the European space ecosystem. These companies, many of them start-ups or scale-ups, will be directly affected by the new obligations, but will also benefit from specific support measures. By way of mere examples:
- Companies such as Open Cosmos (Spain/UK) or EnduroSat (Bulgaria), dedicated to the design and operation of nanosatellites, will be eligible for simplified authorisation procedures for constellations and low-risk missions.
- Start-ups such as Satlantis (Spain) or OroraTech (Germany), which offer Earth observation services, will have to calculate their environmental footprint and implement cybersecurity measures, but will benefit from temporary exemptions and technical assistance to facilitate compliance.
- Spatial data service providers such as Geosat (Portugal) or Deimos Imaging (Spain) will have to ensure data traceability and comply with interoperability requirements, which will allow them to operate more easily across the Union.
In addition, the regulation provides for regulatory regimes commensurate with the size and risk level of the company, financial support through guarantees, technical assistance and access to cybersecurity testing, a centralised information portal and guidance materials to facilitate regulatory adaptation. It also highlights the possibility of obtaining an EU space label certifying compliance with higher standards, which can provide a competitive advantage in international tenders and markets.
These measures are designed to reduce barriers to entry, accelerate access to the internal market and foster the growth of a diverse, innovative and sustainable space business fabric.
Possible impact on the future Spanish Space Law
The proposed European regulation comes at a key moment for Spain, which is in the process of drafting its own Space Law through the Spanish Space Agency (AEE). This new EU regulatory framework will foreseeably serve as a structural and substantive reference for national legislation, especially regarding the authorisation, supervision and sustainability requirements for space activities. The harmonisation proposed by the EU will oblige Spain to adapt its future law to ensure interoperability with the Union Registry of Space Objects (URSO), as well as to incorporate common criteria on cybersecurity, space debris mitigation and environmental impact assessment. Furthermore, the future Spanish law should provide for coordination mechanisms with the European authorities and the EU Space Programme Agency (EUSPA), especially about the supervision of national operators and the application of proportional measures for SMEs and start-ups. In this sense, the European regulation will not only condition the technical content of the future Spanish regulation but may also speed up its processing by providing a clear legal framework aligned with the EU’s strategic objectives in space matters.
[1] Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Security, Resilience and Sustainability of Space Activities in the Union of 25 June 2026, document COM (2025) 335 final.