Article should be combined with European Space Policy.
The Space policy of the European Union is not currently agreed, though it was expected to be released before Summer 2007. Currently each member state pursues their own national space policy, though often co-ordinating through the independent European Space Agency (ESA). Enterprise and Industry Commissioner Günter Verheugen has stated that even though the EU is "a world leader in the technology, it is being put on the defensive by the US and Russia and that it only has about a 10 year technological advantage on China and India, which are racing to catch up."[1][2]
A communication outlining the policy was released on 26 April 2007 which set out orientations for;[3]
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The European Union has already started work on a project to create the Galileo positioning system, to break dependence on the US GPS system. This is in cooperation with ESA as well as other countries.
The Kopernikus or Global Monitoring for Environment and Security mission is a constellation of 25 satellites (to be 30 by 2014) providing environmental and security data from around the world. It should be able to detect detail information such as illegal deforestation and the requirements of a refugee camp.
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