Belgium’s dynamic space industry: recent policy and legal developments
Over the past few decades, the landscape for space activities has experienced significant transformations fostered, amongst others, by relentless scientific and technological progress along with the emergence of private sector involvement and new related economic models for space activities. Space services and applications have become essential across many industries, and are at the heart of global challenges such as climate change monitoring and resilience, connectivity, security and scientific exploration.
As the space sector rapidly expands and evolves, policymakers are working to support and shape its development. Belgium, home to a wide range of companies active across the spectrum of space activities, is no exception to this.
This newsletter discusses several recent developments at the legal and policy levels that space actors in Belgium and abroad should be aware of:
- The European Investment Bank’s commitment to support the Walloon space industry, with a special focus on Earth observation and reusable launch vehicles
- Belgium’s participation in the US-led Artemis programme in parallel with ongoing discussions at international level on the governance of space resource activities
- Inclusion of the outer space environment in the new offence of ecocide in a context of growing concerns for the sustainability of outer space.
