13th U.S.-EU Space Dialogue Held in Washington, D.C.

Officials from the European Union and the United States convened in Washington, D.C. on 8-9 September 2025 for the 13th U.S.-EU Space Dialogue. The two-day meeting brought together senior space representatives on both sides of the Atlantic to discuss key issues in the space domain and to deepen transatlantic cooperation.

For the first time a US Industry Roundtable was organised. This event was a great opportunity to gather the views and the questions from the US industry and clarify the basic principles and objectives of EU Space Act. The EU delegation reiterated its openness and willingness to engage further in constructive dialogue to work together for the establishment of a safe, secure and sustainable access to space.

The European delegation was led by Catherine Kavvada, Director for Space at the European Commission's DG DEFIS, alongside Marjolijn van Deelen, Special Envoy for Space at the European External Action Service (EEAS). Participants also included experts from the Joint Research Centre (JRC), European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT), and the European Space Agency (ESA).

The U.S. delegation was led by Senior Bureau Official for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs John Thompson and Deputy Assistant Secretary Mary Bischoping from the Bureau of Emerging Threats. Senior Official Tom Lersten, performing the duties of Undersecretary of Environment, delivered opening remarks on behalf of the U.S. Delegation. It included representatives from the Department of Commerce, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Department of Defense, the Department of the Interior, the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and the White House Office of the National Cyber Director.

Advancing cooperation on key space priorities

Discussions during the Dialogue addressed a wide range of topics, including:

• Space policy developments on both sides of the Atlantic
• Space-based positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) and Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS)
• Earth observation activities and transatlantic collaboration between EUMETSAT and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
• Space security and resilience, including cybersecurity and critical space infrastructure protection
• Space situational awareness and space traffic coordination
• Commercial space transportation and airspace integration
• Global and regional cooperation in multilateral fora

The next EU-US Space Dialogue is scheduled to be held in 2027 in Brussels.