The European Union is moving forward with its first EU Space Act, a regulation designed to harmonize space activities across the EU and strengthen the safety, resilience, and sustainability of Europe’s rapidly expanding space sector.

The European Commission published the official draft regulation in June 2025, and it is now under review in the European Parliament (ITRE Committee) and by the Council of the EU. A public consultation ran from July to November 2025, with adoption expected in the coming years. If approved as planned, the Act would enter into force on 1 January 2030, with gradual implementation.

The regulation proposes EU-wide rules for licensing, supervision, registration, liability and insurance, cyber-resilience, and sustainability requirements including mandatory debris-mitigation and end-of-life procedures for spacecraft. It applies not only to EU operators but also to non-EU companies active in the European market.

For our BU Digital & Semiconductor, the EU Space Act represents a significant opportunity. The new framework is expected to drive increased demand for testing, qualification, certification, and cybersecurity services, as operators will need independent technical assessments to meet the new regulatory requirements. The Act also introduces the concept of Qualified Technical Bodies, a role for which ALTER’s ESA-certified testing capabilities place it in a strong competitive position. Additionally, sustainability and resilience obligations will likely expand the market for lifecycle assessments, risk-management services, and space-system cybersecurity areas already core to TÜV IT’s expertise.

For our BU Digital & Semiconductor, the EU Space Act is to become a major accelerator for growth, positioning our companies as a key technical partner in shaping Europe’s future space ecosystem.