PARIS, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- The need for an autonomous EU constellation in low orbit was discussed by European space ministers and the European Space Agency on Wednesday in Toulouse, France.
Such a constellation is necessary for connectivity in Europe, they said, as well as for the Secure Connectivity Initiative for North/South space traffic management, including with the African continent.
"We need to reaffirm the desire to define rules for the use of space with a timeline in 2024," said French Minister of Economy and Finance Bruno Le Maire.
The ministers also discussed the importance of research in space to tackle climate change, and the need for space investment to be a priority in the EU agenda.
Making space beneficial to citizens was another important item on the agenda of the meeting, said Josef Aschbacher, director general of the European Space Agency.
The European Union must work on technical aspects with concrete proposals, said Thierry Breton, European Commissioner for the Internal Market. This will mean working with the EU's partners, such as the United States, China and hopefully Russia, "who have access to space."
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron affirmed the EU's key role in space, adding: "Europe must play its part in the revolution of the constellations. Through space research, we have the possibility of monitoring, measuring and controlling the fight against climate change." ■