A Coherent European Procurement Law and Policy for the Space Sector ─ Towards a Third Way

Space is a matter of strategic importance and in need of concerted action by the European space actors. Distinct approaches to public procurement must not hamper the cooperation between the European Space Agency, the European Union and their respective Member States. The study provides a toolbox for space procurement that addresses specificities of this sector. Each tool is assessed in light of policy objectives, market conditions and the legal frameworks of the European Union and the European Space Agency. A discussion on selected means of policy implementation other than procurement, so-called Extra-Procurement Instruments, complements this toolbox. The Third Way in European space procurement caters for both coherence and flexibility needs and is intended to serve policy-makers as they finally make "Europe in Space" a reality.