Spatial Geography of Europe
(Dr. HDR Simona Niculescu)This course on the European Geography offers, first of all, a description of the main stages of European structure with its successive enlargements as well as the organisation of the major European projects. A second part focuses on the common policies, as well as the space policy of the EU. European countries have pooled their technological and financial capacities to conduct a space policy by the European Commission in cooperation with the European Space Agency.
The four main components of the space policy are described: the Copernicus Earth observation system; the Galileo/EGNOS satellite navigation systems; space exploration; and space research. Space policy is presented as a policy that can contribute to addressing some major global challenges, including those related to climate change and security. Space activities are presented as those that can contribute, in essence, to Europe's sovereignty and strategic independence on the international scene, to the development of an economy based on knowledge and innovation and to the emergence of cleaner (Green) and more competitive technologies.
From Earth observation to the exploration of the solar system, telecommunications, radionavigation and maintaining independent access to space, the space sector addresses imperative political, economic and diplomatic objectives.
