The European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Defence Agency (EDA) have signed a new Implementing Arrangement to jointly assess Europe’s Earth observation capabilities and develop a long-term roadmap to strengthen security and defence readiness. The agreement, signed in Brussels on 22 April, establishes a structured collaboration to identify technological gaps, evaluate future operational needs, and define priority areas for development up to 2040 and beyond.
The joint study will be carried out over a period of up to 18 months, with both agencies contributing equally to its funding. It builds on long-standing cooperation between ESA and EDA and is grounded in the 2011 Administrative Arrangement that has previously guided their collaboration in Earth observation initiatives.
A central objective of the study is to ensure that Europe maintains robust and future-ready Earth observation capabilities in an increasingly complex geopolitical environment. It will analyse current systems, identify critical capability gaps, and propose technology development priorities that support both security and defence requirements while strengthening Europe’s strategic autonomy.
ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher highlighted that the agreement marks a shift from planning to implementation, reinforcing ESA’s growing role in security and defence through initiatives such as the European Resilience from Space programme. He noted that closer alignment with EDA will help ensure technology development responds to both current and future operational needs.
ESA and EDA leadership emphasized that Earth observation is a key enabler for security, providing reliable, borderless, and continuous information from space. The joint study is expected to consolidate expertise, set clear priorities, and create a coherent long-term vision for Europe’s capabilities in this domain.
EDA leadership underlined that the initiative is also about foresight and resilience, helping to shape future research and development priorities by identifying the most promising technological pathways. The study will support Europe’s ability to retain strong Earth observation capacity for security and defence purposes.
This initiative also contributes to ESA’s broader Earth observation programmes and its European Resilience from Space initiative, reflecting the agency’s evolving mandate following decisions taken by Member States at the ESA Council at Ministerial level in November 2025.
