What changed between the draft committee report and the plenary report

GOVSATCOM and IRIS² represent the European Union’s response to the growing need to ensure reliable communications in a context marked by persistent connectivity gaps and an increasing number of cyber threats.

While GOVSATCOM provides secure, resilient and protected satellite communications for authorised governmental users and critical infrastructures, IRIS² sets out the targets for the development of a European satellite constellation designed to provide ultra-fast, secure and low-latency access to communication and internet services by 2027.

Withing this framework, the international agreements concerning the participation of Norway (2025/0352(NLE)) and Iceland (2025/0351(NLE)) in GOVSATCOM and IRIS² are of significant interest to the European Union.

As a matter of fact, Iceland and Norway have long been close and trusted partners of the Union in the space sector. Consequently, their formal involvement - both as users and through the provision of satellite capacities, ground segment facilities and technical infrastructure - extends the use of secure communications beyond the Union’s borders, thereby strengthening its global role and fostering international cooperation.

Moreover, their strategic geographical location close to the Arctic region gives secure connectivity particular importance for key economic sectors such as telecommunications and transport.

At the same time, the legal framework governing these agreements safeguards the Union’s interests by explicitly providing that the European Union retains exclusive ownership of all tangible and intangible assets associated with the infrastructures developed, while the partner countries acquire neither decision-making authority nor veto rights over the management and future development of the programmes. Furthermore, access to the services is subject to compliance with the EU’s strict security standards and to supervision by specifically designated competent national authorities.

From a financial perspective, the agreements do not entail any expenditure for the Union budget; instead, they generate assigned revenue. Iceland and Norway will finance their participation through financial contributions calculated on the basis of their respective GDP, including a retroactive contribution covering the costs effectively incurred by the Union since 2021 under the Space Programme and since 2023 for secure connectivity.

Despite the predominantly technical nature of these dossiers, the rapporteur emphasises the importance of compliance with Article 218(10) TFEU, which guarantees that Parliament is fully and promptly informed at every stage of the procedure. This principle is considered an essential condition for assessing the impact of strategic partnerships on the European industrial base and on the effective use of public resources in terms of innovation and competitiveness.

Without prejudice to the necessary institutional considerations, and in view of the technical, geopolitical and economic benefits arising from the extension of these programmes to two reliable partners within the European Economic Area, the rapporteur recommends a favourable opinion on the conclusion of the agreements. Such a measure will strengthen the capacity to provide secure communications for governments and security services while also fostering the development of commercial broadband connectivity, thereby contributing to bridging the digital divide and ensuring improved coverage in remote and strategically significant areas.