Brussels applauds Rome. Italy will play a leading role in the “century of space,” said European Commissioner for Defence and Space, Andrius Kubilius, during a parliamentary hearing in Rome on Monday.
- The former Lithuanian prime minister hailed Italy as an effective example of how to use EU funding in the aerospace sector.
A broader look. Kubiulis warned that while the United States shifts its focus to the Indo-Pacific, Europe must be ready to defend its own territory.
- In his view, Russian President Vladimir Putin “does not want peace in Ukraine” and could test NATO’s and Europe’s resilience as early as 2027.
- Kubilius emphasised the need for the EU defence industry to leverage the single market to remain globally competitive.
- Moreover, he warned against China’s military rise.
Industrial tour. His visit included stops at several key Italian aerospace sites: the Thales Alenia Space assembly integration centre in Rome, the Fucino Space Centre operated by Telespazio, and the Avio Aero facility in Colleferro.
- Both Thales Alenia Space and Telespazio are joint ventures between France’s Thales and Italy’s Leonardo, which is also the majority shareholder of Avio Aero.
- The commissioner was accompanied by Minister for Business Adolfo Urso, who also serves as the government’s delegate for space and aerospace policy.
- Urso underlined Italy’s commitment to strengthening the space supply chain through close collaboration with the EU and the European Space Agency (ESA).
- “The aim is to ensure Europe has autonomous access to space, thanks to programmes like Avio and Ariane,”he said.
Strategic autonomy in orbit. Urso also stressed Italy’s role in completing IRIS², the EU’s secure satellite constellation, and developing national constellations under the government’s space plan.
- In his remarks to Parliament, Kubilius pointed to Galileo and Copernicus as European programmes working to surpass Starlink—Elon Musk’s SpaceX satellite system.
The debate in Italy. Italy is currently evaluating whether to adopt Starlink in key sectors.
- Transport Minister Matteo Salvini recently confirmed that Ferrovie dello Stato is running a short pilot to enable onboard internet using Starlink and another provider.
- Meanwhile, the Italian Air Force is studying the potential use of Musk’s satellites for connectivity on ships and aircraft.
- Earlier this year, Minister for Parliamentary Relations Luca Ciriani confirmed that experimental Starlink deployments are underway at Italian diplomatic missions in Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Iran, Lebanon and Mali.
Towards new legislation. As Italy considers how to regulate its expanding space footprint, it is also shaping the EU’s future legal framework.
- Rome has drafted a non-paper on European space law alongside Germany and Slovakia.
- “The law must reflect EU interests, balance public and private roles, safeguard industrial competitiveness, and promote strategic autonomy,” said Urso.
- He also reminded MPs that Italy is in the process of passing its first national space law, marking a significant step towards structuring the country’s role in the next frontier of economic and strategic competition.
