A question of strategic legislation: Can the EU deal with cybersecurity issues in space?

Abstract

This paper explores the impact of novel and forthcoming regulations on the European Union's (EU) strategic projection, focusing on space systems and their wide-ranging effects on services for European citizens and related industries. By examining space legislation and cybersecurity, this research provides an analytical perspective on whether the EU has implemented strategic regulations in shared competency, focusing on space and international security. While European Member States face the challenge of implementing national space strategies, the relevance of the EU extends beyond internal market and industry considerations, showcasing the Union's capabilities in implementing regulations defined in this study as ‘strategic’.

This paper aims to contribute to the academic discourse by bridging the gap between legislative studies and cybersecurity in space. The idea is to use the space domain, examine the intersection of space systems and cybersecurity and its unique challenges, and propose a new framework for evaluating EU regulations as instruments of strategic power. The relevance of these domains allows the authors to present the concept of strategic legislation and its relevance for the future of the domains studied in this paper. The EU's unique characteristics of shared competencies in a shared domain (i.e., space) offer unique perspectives on the Union's potential to lead in establishing international standards for space cybersecurity while presenting theoretical insights and practical recommendations for further research.