29th May 2026
The Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment with special responsibility for Employment, Small Business and Retail, Alan Dillon TD, today represented Ireland in Brussels at the EU Competitiveness Council (Space).
At the meeting, the Minister engaged with EU counterparts on key priorities for Europe’s space sector, with a focus on competitiveness, innovation and security, and the importance of delivering tangible outcomes that support Europe’s leadership in space while contributing to economic growth and strategic resilience.
The Minister highlighted Ireland’s commitment to advancing Europe’s space policy agenda, including strengthening competitiveness, fostering innovation, and supporting the continued growth of the European space sector through progress on key EU legislative files.
Speaking after the meeting, Minister Dillon said:
“Ireland is committed to supporting a strong, competitive, and innovative European space sector. We look forward to continuing to work closely with our European partners to advance shared priorities, including the development of a resilient space ecosystem and the effective use of space-based technologies to benefit citizens and businesses across Europe.”
Discussions at the Council focused in particular on progressing a number of important legislative initiatives in the space domain, including:
- The EU Space Act, aimed at supporting the safety, resilience and sustainability of space activities.
- The EU Space Services Agency Regulation, which will establish the Agency responsible for implementing Union Space Programmes on a permanent basis.
The Competitiveness Council (Space) brings together EU Ministers responsible for space affairs to guide policy on key initiatives, including the EU Space Programme and Europe’s long-term strategic autonomy in space.
ENDS
Notes for Editors
- The Competitiveness Council is one of the ten current EU Council of Ministers formations. Its areas of activity include industry, internal market, research and space.
- The Competitiveness Council (Space) is responsible for EU policy relating to space, including the EU Space Programme.
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