Åsunn Lyngedal and Kårstein Eidem Løvaas chair the conference. Photo: Storting.
European leaders meet for space conference
Business development, national space laws, and satellites in the Arctic are among the central items on the agenda of the European Interparliamentary Space Conference (EISC), which takes place on Monday 10th May.
“The aim of the forum is to further the exchange of information about space activities, and to promote European policy development in the field. We want to let our colleagues in Europe know what we in Norway can do within European space cooperation,” says Kårstein Eidem Løvaas (Conservative Party), who will be co-chairing the conference with Åsunn Lyngedal (Labour Party).
Among those to make keynote speeches during the conference are Iselin Nybø, Norwegian Minister of Trade, Industry and Fisheries; Josef Aschbacher, Director General of the European Space Agency (ESA); and Timo Pesonen, the European Commission’s Director-General for Defense Industry and Space.
New Space Act
The development of new space legislation is highly topical in Norway this year, since the Storting will be adopting a new Space Act.
“Among other things, the new legislation will pave the way for the huge advances that are currently taking place in the field of space. Private operators and the business world are making a much greater contribution. New businesses are being set up, and this also means new jobs,” says Åsunn Lyngedal.
State involvement in the space industry is still very important. Satellites are vital for the modern world, with virtually all banking, mapping, GPS and communications services dependent on them. They also play a key role in monitoring and controlling the seas and oceans, landslide-prone terrain, and forest growth.
Norwegian presidency
One of the highlights of the conference will be the announcement of the Space for Sustainability Award. There will also be debates on satellites and space activity in the Arctic.
As the current holder of the EISC’s rotating chairmanship, the Storting will host this year’s digital conference. which will convene MPs and specialists from 12 European countries. The conference will be opened by President of the Storting Tone Wilhelmsen Trøen.
The European Interparliamentary Space Conference
The European Interparliamentary Space Conference is the permanent forum for interparliamentary cooperation in space. Established in 1999, it is a collaboration between European parliaments with an interest in space policy. The EISC’s aim is to facilitate the exchange of information on space activities and to promote mutual understanding of national policies on the major issues at stake in the European space sector. Norway became a member in 2016.