Europe strengthens its space sovereignty: key decisions at the ESA ministerial conference

Photo credit : ESA_s_Ministerial_Council_credits ESA -© S. Corvaja

Paris, 28 November 2025. At their meeting in Bremen on 26 and 27 November, the space ministers of the 23 Member States of the European Space Agency (ESA) agreed on the strategic direction and financial resources that will shape the agency’s policy over the next three years. They adopted an overall budget of more than €22 billion, confirming strong momentum and introducing new priorities centred on sovereignty, security and competitiveness. France will be ESA’s second-largest contributor – behind Germany and ahead of Italy – an encouraging signal for the sector.

The €22.1 billion budget reflects a shared political recognition by Member States that space is a central strategic priority.

This substantial increase confirms Europe’s determination to step up its investments amid heightened global competition, particularly from the United States and new entrants. It sends a positive signal in an international landscape marked by the rapid expansion of civil, military and commercial programmes. It also reaffirms the relevance of the European model: a space sector underpinned by a state-industry partnership where public investment is essential to sustaining Europe’s competitiveness.

With a contribution increased to €3.7 billion from €3.2 billion at the previous Ministerial Council meeting, France remains ESA’s second-largest contributor, behind Germany (€5 billion) and ahead of Italy (€3.5 billion), despite the challenging national budget context.

Throughout the process, GIFAS championed an ambitious French contribution, essential to safeguarding technological expertise, sustaining a competitive industrial base, meeting the country’s strategic objectives and strengthening its influence in current European negotiations, including the European Space Act and the future EU Multiannual Financial Framework (2028–2034).

France’s positioning within ESA is broadly aligned with the priorities identified by GIFAS, which represents 525 companies, including 150 firms and 30% of member startups directly operating in the space sector.

In line with its National Space Strategy, France has reaffirmed its commitment to investing in autonomous access to space, which represents a significant share of its overall contribution.

France’s positioning also provides support for European Union programmes such as Galileo, Copernicus, IRIS² and the future EOGS programme. This commitment is also expected to strengthen the ability of French companies to access future European projects and consolidate their long-term competitiveness, particularly in export markets.

The entire French industry – from major groups to mid-caps, SMEs and startups – is ready to contribute to the major programmes ahead. With an integrated value chain and unique expertise, the sector is fully mobilised to accelerate the industrial ramp-up of Ariane 6, develop secure telecommunications, strengthen the resilience of navigation and Earth observation systems, and remain at the forefront of exploration and associated scientific programmes.

The sector shares a common objective: ensuring that France and Europe remain major global competitors by securing the essential space capabilities needed for defence, the economy and sovereignty. The ESA CMIN 2025 marks an important milestone in this collective effort.

For more information: ESA - ESA Member States commit to largest contributions at Ministerial