EU bodies agree on building satellite system to boost secure communications

ISTANBUL (AA) - The EU Council and European Parliament have reached a “provisional agreement” to build and operate a €6 billion ($6.2 billion) satellite system, aiming to strengthen the EU's capabilities and secure its space activities.

The European Commission announced the package in February, with an aim to deploy an EU satellite constellation, called IRIS2 (Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite), in order to enable "secure communication services" by 2027.

A statement issued on Thursday by the council said that cyberattacks and natural disasters can cause the "breakdown of terrestrial communication networks," adding that launching this constellation will provide a "better connected critical infrastructure" as well as a "high-speed and resilient independent satellite communication services."

"Safe and reliable communication is a cornerstone of the EU's strategic autonomy," Martin Kupka, Czech minister for transport, was quoted as saying in the statement.

“The secure connectivity programme will build a multi-orbital constellation of hundreds of satellites, which will cover the EU's need for secure communication services and will underpin our position as one of the main players in space. More importantly, it will bring many benefits to citizens and their daily lives,” Kupka added.

The provisional agreement still needs to be officially approved by the European Parliament and EU Council.