Fifteen European Union countries have agreed to set up a new mechanism run by the European Defence Agency (EDA) to let their militaries access and share data on objects and activity in orbit. The goal is a common, up-to-date picture of what's happening in space, for military use.
The initiative, formally agreed on 25 September 2026, comes as EU militaries increasingly rely on satellites for imagery, navigation and communication, and need to protect those assets from collision or interference. At present, only a handful of Member States, including France, Germany, Spain and Italy, have significant access to a recognised space picture, while others rely heavily on the United States or fast-growing commercial providers.
The EDA project is expected to help close this capability gap by 2029, in line with the EU's ambition to achieve defence readiness by 2030. The participating states are Austria, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Finland, France, Italy, Ireland, Latvia, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia and Sweden. Other EU Member States can still join.
Space Situational Awareness
EDA will run the scheme thanks to its track record of bringing together satellite demand across Member States, negotiating economies of scale, and offering a non-binding "pay-as-you-go" model without long-term budget commitments.
The mechanism will build on the EU SatCom Market, which has grown since 2012 into EDA's largest project, supplying commercial satellite communications to defence ministries and EU missions. Its contract ceiling rose to €250 million in early 2024. The new mechanism is initially expected to be worth around €50 million.A survey assessing suppliers is due to conclude in December. EDA aims to agree a programme arrangement with Member States around 2027 ̶ 2028, before launching a framework contract, with an initial operating capability targeted for early 2029.
Space is of growing importance for EDA. The 2023 Capability Development Plan noted Space Situational Awareness as a key area within space operations, while the 2024 Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD) found that collaboration was lacking on strategic enablers such as SSA and other space-based capabilities. The Joint White Paper for European Defence Readiness 2030 underscored the threats facing Europe's freedom of action in space. EDA is also working closely with the European Space Agency.