Text · Opinion parliamentary committee draft
On the proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European Union Space Services Agency and amending Regulation (EU) 2021/696
Document BUDG-PA-792028 · COM(2026)0152 – C100094/2026 – 2026/0084(COD)
- Kind
- Opinion parliamentary committee draft BUDG-PA-792028
- Date
- 10 September 2026
- Committee
- Committee on Budgets
- Rapporteur
- Hélder Sousa Silva
- Dossier
- 2026-0084
More facts (2)
- Formats
- Official page PDF Word
- Reference
- COM(2026)0152 – C100094/2026 – 2026/0084(COD)
In short
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The Committee on Budgets gives its budgetary assessment of the proposed regulation on the European Union Space Services Agency and amending Regulation (EU) 2021/696. It takes note of the proposed budget and staff increase but says the proposal does not fully address the loss of purchasing power or the existing shortfall of 82 posts. It opposes the Commission's power to block a wide range of Administrative Board decisions and proposes amendments to remove or limit that power. It asks for financial implications of any new responsibilities to be assessed and the Legislative Financial and Digital Statement revised, and for the establishment plan to allow career progression. It finds the proposal compatible with the multiannual financial framework, the own resources system, the interinstitutional agreement and the Financial Regulation.
Position. The Committee on Budgets takes note of the proposed budget and staff increase but finds it does not fully address the loss of purchasing power or the 82-post shortfall. It opposes the Commission's expanded blocking power over Administrative Board decisions and proposes amendments to remove or limit it, to delete charges for publications, and to require assessment of financial implications and career progression.
Key points
- The Union contribution to the Agency is EUR 525.7 million under the current MFF and the Commission proposes EUR 979.6 million in the next MFF.
- The draft EU Space Act would let the Agency charge fees to fully cover its expenditure, but there is no provision to charge for publications.
- The Agency's tasks will grow in number and complexity through the ECF and the Space Act, many highly security sensitive, and services must be available without interruption, including in a crisis.
- The Agency uses sub-contracted staff for highly specialised tasks, which creates continuity and security risks; it says it still lacks 82 FTEs (74 TA and 8 CA posts).
- The Commission proposes a pool of Member State staff for short-term deployments of no longer than two years for peaks of work or urgent situations.
- The proposal greatly expands the Administrative Board decisions requiring a favourable vote of Commission representatives, with no explanation given.
- The Committee takes note of the budget and staff increase but considers that bringing key tasks in house would reduce continuity and security risks and that seconded national officials are no substitute for adequate resources.
- The Committee considers that charges for publications the Agency does not provide are unnecessary.
- The Committee recalls that independence and autonomous decision-making are key for agencies and that the Commission's proposed blocking power would shift power in the Agency and undermine the budgetary authority's prerogatives.
- The Committee asks that new responsibilities be assessed financially and the Legislative Financial and Digital Statement revised, and invites the Commission to help assess the financial implications of co-legislator amendments.
- The Committee recommends adjusting the Agency's establishment plan to allow career progression.
- The Committee determines that the proposal is compatible with the multiannual financial framework, the own resources system, the interinstitutional agreement and the Financial Regulation.
Who is affected
- The European Union Space Services Agency: its budget, staff, fees and decision-making rules would change.
- The Commission: would gain power to block Administrative Board decisions and is asked to assist the budgetary authority.
- The budgetary authority: its prerogatives would be undermined by the proposed voting rules.
- Member States: their staff could be deployed to the Agency for up to two years.
Figures and deadlines
- EUR 525.7 million: Union contribution to the Agency under the current MFF.
- EUR 979.6 million: proposed Union contribution in the next MFF.
- 82 FTEs (74 TA and 8 CA posts): shortfall the Agency considers it still lacks.
- no longer than two years: maximum length of short-term deployments of Member State staff.
- 15 days: period within which the Administrative Board must postpone a decision after the Commission raises serious concerns.
Legal basis. Article 310(4) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union
Text
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Back matter, 2
Parts that accompany the text rather than belong to it: explanatory statement, annexes, opinions appended by other committees. Collapsed.
Budgetary assessment 20 blocks
for the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy on the proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European Union Space Services Agency and amending Regulation (EU) 2021/696
The Committee on Budgets has carried out a budgetary assessment of the proposal under Rule 58 of the Rules of Procedure and has reached the following conclusions:
–having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 September 2024 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union,
–having regard to the Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/715 of 18 December 2018 on the framework financial regulation for the bodies set up under the TFEU and Euratom Treaty and referred to in Article 70 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 of the European Parliament and of the Council,
–having regard to the Joint Statement of the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission on decentralised agencies (‘the Joint Statement’),
A.whereas the Union contribution to the Agency under the current MFF is EUR 525.7 million and whereas the Commission proposes to increase the contribution in the next MFF to EUR 979.6 million; whereas part of that increase reflects the Agency’s new tasks; whereas a significant part simply makes up for the costs of high inflation, which has reduced the Agency’s purchasing power in recent years;
B.whereas the draft EU Space Act provides for the Agency to charge fees to fully cover the necessary expenditure incurred by the Agency; whereas there is no provision for the Agency to charge for publications;
C.whereas the Agency should see a significant increase in the number and complexity of its tasks on account of the expansion of Union space activities through the ECF and the Space Act; whereas many of those tasks are highly security sensitive and whereas it is essential to ensure that Union space services are available without interruption, including in the event of a crisis;
D.whereas the proposal provides for the Agency to make use of other staff not employed by the Agency, which refers to sub-contracted staff; whereas some carry on tasks that require highly specialised technical expertise, the outsourcing of which creates continuity and security risks; whereas the Agency has received extra posts in recent annual budgets to remedy this problem but considers that it still lacks 82 FTEs (74 TA and 8 CA posts); whereas the increase in the number of posts in the proposal is designed to accommodate the Agency’s new tasks only;
E.whereas the Commission proposes to allow the Agency to use a pool of staff from Member States for short-term deployments of no longer than two years where necessary to face peaks of work or urgent situations affecting service continuity;
F.whereas it is important for the Agency to have an establishment plan that allows for career progression, so that it can remain an attractive employer;
G.whereas the proposal greatly expands the number of Administrative Board decisions that require a favourable vote of the Commission representatives to include decisions relating to the follow-up to OLAF reports, the appointment of an accounting officer, all of the appointing powers of the Administrative Board, the adoption of the Agency’s budget and all decisions relating to Chapter 4 of the proposal on staff; whereas the proposal provides no explanation for the need to increase the Commission’s powers in this way;
H.whereas it is planned for the Agency to move to a new building in Prague to reflect the need for more office space and for more secure working spaces; whereas it is important for the Agency to have the necessary space and facilities in place to carry on its new tasks in the next MFF;
1.Takes note of the proposal to increase the budget and staff complement of the Agency to reflect the new tasks assigned to it; expresses concern however that the proposal does not fully address the reduction in the Agency’s purchasing power or resolve the existing shortfall of 82 posts; considers that bringing certain key tasks in house would reduce continuity and security risks; recognises that the availability of seconded national officials on short-term deployment could provide the Agency with flexibility in an emergency but considers that it is no substitute for providing the Agency with adequate human and financial resources;
2.Takes note of the provision to set out the revenue of the Agency; takes note also of the proposal in the draft EU Space Act to allow the Agency to charge fees for the tasks that it is to carry on under that Act; considers that it is not necessary to include charges for publications that the Agency does not provide;
3.Recalls its long-standing position that independence and an autonomous administrative decision-making process are key for agencies’ effectiveness and the implementation of EU policies; considers that the voting rules in agencies should reflect the institutional balance; stresses that the Commission proposes to give itself the power to block a wide range of decisions of the Administrative Board by not voting in favour; considers that this would entail a significant shift in power in the Agency, is justified only in very general terms by reference to the Agency’s mandate and the overall responsibility of the Commission for the implementation of Union space components and would undermine the prerogatives of the budgetary authority;
4.Stresses the need, should additional responsibilities be granted to the Agency in the course of the negotiations, to assess the financial implications thereof and to revise the Legislative Financial and Digital Statement accompanying the proposal accordingly; invites the Commission to assist the budgetary authority in assessing the financial implications of amendments proposed by the co-legislator so that they can be fully taken into account during the legislative process, with a view to ensuring that the Agency’s financial and human resources match the tasks entrusted to it; recommends that the Agency’s establishment plan be adjusted to allow for career progression;
Amendment 26 blocks
As part of its budgetary assessment, the Committee on Budgets also submits the following amendments to the proposal:
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (18) Given the Agency’s mandate and the overall responsibility of the Commission for the implementation of Union space components, it is appropriate to provide that certain decisions taken by the Administrative Board should not be adopted without the favourable vote of the representatives of the Commission. | deleted |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (21a) The implications of this Regulation for the Union budget have been assessed⁺ pursuant to Article 310(4) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. Sufficient financial and human resources should be provided for its implementation, while considering the impact of the financing on other Union programmes or policies and ensuring its compatibility with the multiannual financial framework, the system of own resources and the corresponding interinstitutional agreement, as well as with the budgetary principles laid down in Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 of the European Parliament and of the Council¹. | |
| ⁺ Pro memoria: Budgetary assessment of the European Parliament’s Committee on Budgets of xxx on the on the proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European Union Space Services Agency and amending Regulation (EU) 2021/696 (COM(2026)0152). | |
| ¹ Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 September 2024 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union (OJ L, 2024/2509, 26.9.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/2509/oj). |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 2. Each representative of the Member States and of the Commission shall have one vote. In the absence of a member with the right to vote, their alternate shall be entitled to exercise their right to vote. Decisions based on Article 9, first paragraph, point (b) except for the section drafted by the Security Accreditation Board, Article 9, first paragraph, point (j) when adopting decisions related to the follow-up to OLAF reports, Article 9, first paragraph, point (n), Article 10, Article 24(8) and decisions related to Chapter 4 shall only be adopted with a favourable vote of the representatives of the Commission. | 2. Each representative of the Member States and of the Commission shall have one vote. In the absence of a member with the right to vote, their alternate shall be entitled to exercise their right to vote. In the event that the Commission raises serious concerns on a decision proposal presented to the Administrative Board on matters related to Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/715, the Staff Regulations and the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants, the Administrative Board shall postpone the adoption of the decision concerned. Within 15 days of the Commission’s raising of serious concerns on a decision proposal presented to the Administrative Board, the Administrative Board shall re-examine and adopt that decision, possibly amended, at second reading either by a two-thirds majority of its members with voting rights, including the Commission representatives, or by a four-fifths majority of the representatives of the Member States. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 2. If consensus cannot be reached, the Security Accreditation Board shall take decisions on the basis of qualified majority voting, in accordance with Article 16 TEU. The representative of the High Representative shall not vote The representative of the Commission shall not vote except for financial and human resources matters in which case the decisions shall only be adopted with a favourable vote of the representatives of the Commission. The Chairperson of the Security Accreditation Board shall sign, on behalf of the Security Accreditation Board, the decisions adopted by the Security Accreditation Board. | 2. If consensus cannot be reached, the Security Accreditation Board shall take decisions on the basis of qualified majority voting, in accordance with Article 16 TEU. The representative of the High Representative shall not vote The representative of the Commission shall not vote except for financial and human resources matters. The Chairperson of the Security Accreditation Board shall sign, on behalf of the Security Accreditation Board, the decisions adopted by the Security Accreditation Board. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (e) charges for publications and fees for any service provided by the Agency. | (e) fees for any service provided by the Agency. |
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Sources & citation
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- Data source
- Licensed CC BY 4.0.
- Retrieved
- 25 September 2026
Cite as
European Parliament (2026). “DRAFT BUDGETARY ASSESSMENT on the proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European Union Space Services Agency and amending Regulation (EU) 2021/696”. Text, 10 September 2026. docId BUDG-PA-792028. EU Parl Watch Research. https://news.eu-parl.st-solutions.dev/texts/BUDG-PA-792028 (retrieved 25 September 2026). Data: EP Open Data API: document record, https://data.europarl.europa.eu/api/v2/documents/BUDG-PA-792028 (CC BY 4.0).
BibTeX
@misc{epw-text-budg-pa-792028,
author = {{European Parliament}},
title = {{DRAFT BUDGETARY ASSESSMENT on the proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European Union Space Services Agency and amending Regulation (EU) 2021/696}},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-09-10},
howpublished = {\url{https://news.eu-parl.st-solutions.dev/texts/BUDG-PA-792028}},
url = {https://news.eu-parl.st-solutions.dev/texts/BUDG-PA-792028},
urldate = {2026-09-25},
publisher = {EU Parl Watch Research},
note = {Text. docId BUDG-PA-792028. Data: EP Open Data API: document record (CC BY 4.0)}
}