Skip to main content
European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA)

Legacy Space

Two legacy programmes were largely implemented by the Research Executive Agency (REA):

FP7 Theme 9 Space (2007-2013)

The programme reflected the new Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) which strengthened the EU’s competence in the area of Space and confirmed its strategic importance.

Its objective was to support a European Space Policy focusing on applications such as GMES (Global Monitoring for Environment and Security) – later re-named COPERNICUS - with benefits for citizens, but also other Space foundation areas for the competitiveness of the European Space industry and scientific community.

The funded projects were to contribute to the overall objectives of the European Space Policy, complementing efforts of Member States and of other key players, including the European Space Agency. 261 grant agreements were co-financed and implemented by REA (as HaDEA’s predecessor in this role) under the FP7 Space theme accounting for a total EU funding of M€ 662. Other entities implemented further programme parts.

Horizon 2020 LEIT Space (2014-2020)

The use of Space was considered a strategic asset for Europe and an enormous opportunity for the advance of society and economy. Space technologies, infrastructure, services and data were to provide the EU with the tools needed to address societal challenges and global concerns (climate change, migration, mobility, energy, security, disaster relief).

Space also got a growing importance for the European economy, providing data and connectivity for the digital economy, boosting innovation, creating new sources of jobs and growth, and helping to increase the resilience of the economy.

Big lines of H2020 LEIT Space were to support the market uptake and evolution of Copernicus (and EGNSS – which was not implemented by REA), to underpin strategic Space technologies and their maturation (often in coordination with ESA and EDA), Space science, Space business and entrepreneurship, access to Space and to support several aspects of security, e.g. via Space surveillance and tracking. Implementation was shared among REA and GSA as well as ESA and other contractors.

268 grant agreements were co-financed and implemented by REA under H2020 LEIT Space, accounting for a total EU funding of M€ 783.