Date: 2025-06-20Category: Not ApplicableState: Union GovernmentCountry: Europe
Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1205 of 19 June 2025 laying down rules for the application of Regulation (EU) 2021/696 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the procedure for inclusion of additional Member States in the Space Surveillance and Tracking partnership
Issued by European Commission
· Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space
## Policy Analysis Report: Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1205 on Space Surveillance and Tracking Partnership
**1. Executive Summary:**
This report analyzes Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1205, a new policy laying down the procedure for additional Member States to participate in the Space Surveillance and Tracking (SST) partnership. The core purpose is to establish rules for the submission of applications and the verification of compliance with participation criteria, ultimately expanding the SST partnership. Key findings indicate a structured application process, emphasis on demonstrating added value through sensor contributions, and a defined timeline for application submission to align with grant agreement cycles.
**2. Introduction:**
This report provides an informative overview of Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1205, based solely on the text provided. The purpose is to elucidate the policy's objectives, provisions, and implications for relevant stakeholders, particularly those in the space industry.
**3. Policy Overview:**
* This is a *new* policy.
* **Core Objective(s):** To establish a procedure for additional Member States to join the existing Space Surveillance and Tracking (SST) partnership. This includes defining application requirements, compliance assessment processes, and final acceptance procedures. The policy facilitates the expansion of the SST partnership, enabling more Member States to contribute to space surveillance and tracking efforts.
**4. Background and Rationale:**
* **New Policy:** The policy addresses the expressed interest of additional Member States in participating in the existing SST partnership. The existing partnership was formed by fifteen Member States under Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/1245. This new policy facilitates expanding the SST partnership by providing a clear path for other Member States to apply and be assessed for compliance with the necessary criteria and contribute to the SST subcomponent. The policy aims to leverage the achievements of the existing partnership and ensure that any new contributions are valuable and integrated.
**5. Key Provisions / Changes:**
* **New Policy:** The policy establishes a multi-stage procedure for Member States that are not currently participating in the SST partnership to apply for membership.
* **Application Submission:** Member States must submit an individual application to the Commission, designating a constituting national entity to represent them. The application must include:
* Name and contact details of the designated entity.
* Information on ownership/access to adequate SST sensors and human resources, OR adequate operational analysis and data processing capabilities.
* An initial security risk assessment of each SST sensor and data processing capability.
* (If sensors are proposed) An architecture study analyzing the added value of the proposed sensors for the SST partnership.
* **Application Format and Deadline:** Applications must be submitted electronically within 15 calendar days of the policy notification (with a possible 5-day extension). A hard copy must also be sent.
* **Compliance Assessment:** The Commission assesses the application, potentially requesting additional information from the applicant Member State. The assessment focuses on:
* Compliance with criteria outlined in Article 57(1) of Regulation (EU) 2021/696, as specified in Annex I of Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/1245.
* (If sensors are proposed) Demonstration of added value to the SST partnership through the architecture study.
* **Final Acceptance:** Upon a positive compliance assessment, the applicant Member State must send signed copies of the SST Partnership Agreement, Intellectual Property Rights Agreement, and Implementing Arrangements to the Commission. The Commission then publishes an updated list of participating Member States.
**6. Target Audience and Stakeholders:**
The primary target audience and stakeholders are:
* Member States of the European Union that are *not* currently participating in the SST partnership and wish to join.
* The constituting national entities designated by these Member States.
* The existing SST partnership members.
* The European Commission, specifically the DG for Defence Industry and Space.
**7. Implementation Aspects (Inferred):**
* **Responsible Agency/Bodies:** The European Commission (DG for Defence Industry and Space) is responsible for assessing applications and overseeing the process. The SST partnership is involved in the architecture study for proposed sensors.
* **Timelines/Procedures:**
* Applications must be submitted within 15 calendar days of the policy notification (with a potential 5-day extension granted by the Commission).
* The Commission has four weeks to request additional information from applicant Member States.
* The policy aims to allow applicant Member States to participate in the next Grant Agreement between the SST partnership and the Commission (between Q4 2025 and Q1 2026), suggesting a relatively expedited review process.
**8. Expected Outcomes / Impact of Changes:**
* **New Policy:** The policy is intended to expand the SST partnership, increasing its capacity and capabilities for space surveillance and tracking. The emphasis on added value, especially regarding proposed sensors, suggests a goal of enhancing the partnership's effectiveness and avoiding duplication of existing resources. By facilitating the participation of more Member States, the policy aims to strengthen the EU's overall space situational awareness.
**9. Conclusion:**
Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1205 establishes a clear pathway for additional Member States to join the SST partnership. It defines the application process, compliance assessment criteria, and acceptance procedures. This policy signifies the EU's commitment to expanding its space surveillance and tracking capabilities through collaborative efforts. The emphasis on demonstrating added value and adhering to defined timelines suggests a strategic approach to integrating new participants into the existing framework.
Key Entities Referenced
European Union: A political and economic union of member states located primarily in Europe.
European Parliament: One of the legislative bodies of the European Union.
Council of the European Union: A legislative body of the European Union consisting of government ministers from each member state.
European Commission: An executive body of the European Union responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, and managing the EU's budget.
Regulation EU 2021/696: A regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Union Space Programme and the European Union Agency for the Space Programme.
European Union Agency for the Space Programme: An agency of the European Union established by Regulation EU 2021/696.
Space Surveillance and Tracking (SST): An EU initiative to support the detection, tracking and identification of space objects.
SST partnership: A partnership of designated national entities for Space Surveillance and Tracking.
Commission Implementing Decision EU 2022/1245: A Commission Implementing Decision laying down rules and procedures for the application of Regulation EU 2021/696 as regards the participation of Member States in the SST subcomponent.
Space Surveillance and Tracking Partnership Agreement: An agreement laying down the rules and mechanisms for cooperation within the SST partnership, signed on 11 November 2022.
Implementing Arrangements with the SST Front Desk: Implementing arrangements related to the space surveillance and tracking cooperation, signed on 11 July 2023.
Agreement on rights and obligations in relation to intellectual property rights (IPR Agreement): An agreement on rights and obligations in relation to intellectual property rights, signed on 13 July 2023.
Programme committee in Space Situational Awareness (SSA) configuration: A committee consulted by the Commission regarding matters related to Space Situational Awareness.
Council Decision 2013/488/EU: A Council Decision on the security rules for protecting EU classified information.
Brussels, BELGIQUE: The location where the decision was made.
Ursula VON DER LEYEN: The President of the European Commission.
Official Journal EN
of the European Union L series
2025/1205 20.6.2025
COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION(EU) 2025/1205
of 19 June 2025
laying down rules for the application of Regulation (EU) 2021/696 of the European Parliament and of
the Council as regards the procedure for inclusion of additional Member States in the Space
Surveillance and Tracking partnership
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/696 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 April 2021 establishing
the Union Space Programme and the European Union Agency for the Space Programme and repealing Regulations (EU)
No 912/2010, (EU) No 1285/2013 and (EU) No 377/2014 and Decision No 541/2014/EU(1), and in particular
Article 58(8) thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Pursuant to Article 57 of Regulation (EU) 2021/696, any Member State can participate in the Space Surveillance and
Tracking (SST) partnership provided that it fulfils the criteria set out in that Article.
(2) The rules and procedures on the participation of Member States in the SST sub-component, the establishment of the
SST partnership and the development of initial key performance indicators are set out in Commission Implementing
Decision (EU) 2022/1245(2). Fifteen Member States were found compliant with the criteria for participation laid
down in Regulation (EU) 2021/696 as well as with the individual and collective conditions laid down in Annex I to
Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/1245. Those Member States designated constituting national entities which,
collectively, constitute the SST partnership, and signed, on 11 November 2022, the Space Surveillance and Tracking
Partnership Agreement (the ‘SST Partnership Agreement’), which lays down the rules and mechanisms for their
cooperation. They also signed, on 11 July 2023, Implementing Arrangements with the SST Front Desk related to the
space surveillance and tracking cooperation (the ‘Implementing Arrangements’) and, on 13 July 2023, the Agreement
on rights and obligations in relation to intellectual property rights (the ‘IPR Agreement’).
(3) Other Member States have expressed interest in participating in the SST partnership. The Commission therefore
asked, on 10 October 2024, the Programme committee in Space Situational Awareness (SSA) configuration to make
their interest in participating in the SST partnership known by 9 December 2024. Several of those Member States
declared their interest in participating in the SST partnership.
(4) To allow other Member States to participate in the SST partnership, it is necessary to lay down further rules for the
submission of their applications and for the verification of their compliance with the criteria for participation laid
down in Regulation (EU) 2021/696 as specified by the individual conditions laid down in Implementing Decision
(EU) 2022/1245. In order to prepare their application and to make sure that their contribution to the SST
partnership takes sufficiently account of, and builds on, the achievements made by the SST partnership so far, those
other Member States should have access to existing agreements and arrangements and, if necessary, any other
documents that are accessible to SST partnership members.
(5) Where Member States propose sensors for the SST partnership, an architecture study, as referred to under the
collective conditions laid down in Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/1245, should be required to demonstrate the
added value of those sensors to the existing SST partnership.
(1) OJ L 170, 12.5.2021, p. 69, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/696/oj.
(2) Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/1245 of 15 July 2022 laying down rules and procedures for the application of
Regulation (EU) 2021/696 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the participation of Member States in the SST
sub-component, the establishment of the SST Partnership and the development of the initial key performance indicators (OJ L 190,
19.7.2022, p. 166, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2022/1245/oj).
ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2025/1205/oj 1/4EN
OJ L, 20.6.2025
(6) To allow applicant Member States to participate in the next Grant Agreement to be concluded between the SST
partnership and the Commission before the publication of the next grant between Q4 2025 and Q1 2026, a
deadline should be provided for the applicant Member States to submit their applications.
(7) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Programme committee in SSA
configuration referred to in Article 107(1) of Regulation (EU) 2021/696.
(8) This Decision should enter into force as soon as possible to allow sufficient time to process the applications and
prepare the next Grant Agreement with a view to ensuring the uninterrupted provision of EU SST services,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
Article 1
Subject matter
This Decision lays down the procedure for the participation of additional Member States in the Space Surveillance and
Tracking (SST) partnership.
Article 2
Definitions
For the purposes of this Decision, the following definitions apply:
(1) ‘SST partnership’ means the partnership of designated constituting national entities created by the SST partnership
agreement referred to in Article 58(2) of Regulation (EU) 2021/696;
(2) ‘participating Member State’ means any Member State that is participating in the SST partnership.
Article 3
Application
1. A Member State which is not a participating Member State may apply to participate in the SST partnership by
submitting an individual application to the Commission in accordance with paragraphs 2 to 6 (‘the applicant Member
State’).
The SST partnership shall grant Member States having declared their interest in joining the SST partnership access to
existing agreements and arrangements and, if necessary, any other documents that are accessible to SST partnership
members.
2. An applicant Member State shall designate a constituting national entity established on its territory to represent it.
The entity shall be a Member State public authority or a body entrusted with the exercise of such public authority.
3. An applicant Member State shall submit an application containing the following:
(a) the name and contact details of the constituting national entity designated in accordance with paragraph 2;
(b) information on the ownership of, or access to, either adequate SST sensors available for the SST sub-component and
human resources to operate them, or adequate operational analysis and data processing capabilities specifically
designed for SST and available for the SST sub-component, and an initial security risk assessment of each SST sensor
and data processing capability performed and validated by the applicant Member State demonstrating compliance
with the criteria set out in Article 57(1), first subparagraph, points (a) and (b), of Regulation (EU) 2021/696 as
specified by the individual conditions set out in Section 1 of Annex I to Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/1245;
2/4 ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2025/1205/ojEN
OJ L, 20.6.2025
(c) where the applicant Member State proposes sensors as part of its application, an architecture study as referred to
under collective conditions, as set out in Section 2.2 of Annex III to Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/1245
analysing the added value of the sensors proposed by the applicant Member State for the SST partnership, prepared
by the applicant Member State and the SST partnership.
4. Where an application contains classified information, Council Decision 2013/488/EU(3) shall apply. An applicant
Member State shall not include in an application classified information that exceeds the classification RESTREINT UE/EU
RESTRICTED.
Applications shall contain an executive summary which is not to include any classified information.
5. Applications shall be submitted in an electronic format at the latest 15 calendar days after the notification of this
Decision by 17:00 Brussels time via email to DEFIS-SST@ec.europa.eu. In exceptional circumstances, upon reasoned
request by the applicant Member State, the Commission may grant a prolongation of that deadline by a maximum of five
calendar days.
6. One set of a hard copy version of each application shall be sent to the following address as soon as possible after the
submission of an application in accordance with paragraph 5:
European Commission
DG for Defence Industry and Space
Unit C.1 Secure Connectivity and Space Surveillance
BREY 07/080
Avenue d’Auderghem 45
1049 Bruxelles/Brussel
BELGIQUE/BELGIË
Article 4
Compliance assessment
1. The Commission shall assess the application.
2. During the assessment of the application, the Commission may send questions and comments on the application to
the designated constituting national entity of the applicant Member State referred to in Article 3(3), point (a). The
applicant Member State shall reply within four weeks and, if appropriate, update its application.
3. The Commission shall assess whether:
(a) the applicant Member State has demonstrated compliance with the criteria set out in Article 57(1), points (a) and (b),
of Regulation (EU) 2021/696 as specified by the individual conditions set out in Section 1 of Annex I to
Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/1245;
(b) where the applicant Member State proposes sensors as part of its application, the SST partnership demonstrates, as
part of the architecture study, that the sensors proposed by the applicant Member State bring an added value to the
SST partnership.
4. The Commission shall notify the applicant Member State, and the constituting national entities designated by the
participating Member States, of the outcome of the compliance assessment.
(3) Council Decision 2013/488/EU of 23 September 2013 on the security rules for protecting EU classified information (OJ L 274,
15.10.2013, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2013/488/oj).
ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2025/1205/oj 3/4EN
OJ L, 20.6.2025
Article 5
Final acceptance
1. Once the Commission has found the application to be compliant in accordance with Article 4, the applicant Member
State shall send to the Commission the signed copies of the SST Partnership Agreement, Intellectual Property Rights
Agreement and Implementing Arrangements with the SST Front Desk.
2. The Commission shall publish on its website an updated list of participating Member States.
Article 6
Entry into force
This Decision shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
Done at Brussels, 19 June 2025.
For the Commission
The President
Ursula VON DER LEYEN
4/4 ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2025/1205/oj