“Destination Earth, space at the service of Earth and the European citizen”

That is France's vision for an EU Space Policy which was suggested at an informal meeting of the European ministers for space affairs, held at the European Space Agency's Spaceport in Kourou in late July. Despite opposition, Sarkozy has a politically ambitious plan for the use of space for security and defence purposes and wider exploration of Mars and the moon. There is no legal base for it under the existing EU Treaties (but the Lisbon Treaty/EU Constitution does). Recent events and reports have attempted to further Sarkozy's European space plans. This is not what Britain wants from the European Union.