Because Draghi and Colao rely on the European agency ESA on the PNRR funds for the space
What has the Comint (Interministerial Committee for space policies) decided on the funds of the NRP
The European Space Agency (ESA) will manage 1.3 billion euros of PNRR funds for space destined for Italy.
This is what the Interministerial Committee for Space and Aerospace Research Policies (Comint) unanimously decided during yesterday's meeting , chaired by the Minister for Technological Innovation, Vittorio Colao, holder of the delegation for space.
“These are funds from the NRP and part of the complementary fund, for the projects of the NRP, which in total amounts to 2.4 billion. So half of the overall cake ”underlines Il Sole 24 Ore.
Therefore, the Paris-based agency will deal with the industrial choices and contracts under the responsibility of the Italian space agency (ASI) chaired by Giorgio Saccoccia.
“It should be remembered that the money from the NRP is a loan that must be spent in precise times and in a transparent manner; with the assignment to ESA, the constraints imposed by Europe will be respected because this is the historical custom of the administration of this institution that has always been used to working early and well given the strategic nature of contracts concerning space activities ", commented the analyst. Francis Walsingham on Startmag: "It is obvious that news of this type, whether we like it or not, sends out a clear political message that certifies something well known for some time: a lack of professional credibility of the ASI and its management to eyes of the current government ".
Now the proposal will have to receive approval from the council of heads of delegation, the highest governing body of ESA.
All the details.
WHAT THE COMINT HAS DECIDED ABOUT THE PNRR FUNDS FOR SPACE
As stated in the note released, "The Committee expressed a favorable evaluation with respect to the programmatic framework relating to the spatial projects envisaged by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (Pnrr), and to the opportunity to implement part of the Pnrr projects using the support technical-administrative department of the European Space Agency (ESA), as regards the programs relating to the sector of earth observation and access to space, for a total amount of approximately 1.3 billion ".
THE OVERALL RESOURCES
"The joint initiative with ESA integrates the significant effort of ASI, relating to the work program deriving from the development of nationally funded programs (approximately 2 billion) and the remaining package of initiatives in the Pnrr area (approximately 1.2 billion) ”Specifies the press release.
BECAUSE THE COMINT PREFER ESA TO MANAGE THE FUNDS OF THE SPACE
“The aim of having them managed not by an Italian but a supranational entity is to encourage European collaboration projects and avoid the flooding of the ASI (Italian Space Agency). The projects could include the putting into orbit of a constellation of satellites for monitoring the coasts, air quality, for the surveillance of critical infrastructures ”, notes Il Sole 24 Ore.
“The funds would still go to Italian companies, even if coordinated by ESA, where France and Germany have the greatest weight. The ESA would retain for itself a commission of 6% (approximately 72 million) ”adds the Confindustria newspaper.
WILL IT FAVOR PARIS?
On the management of PNRR resources at ESA there is also the question of relations with other countries, in particular France and Germany, the two main nations in the space sector in Europe.
In addition to the Franco-Italian Quirinal Treaty , signed on November 26 in Rome by French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, which includes an entire article on space, there is also a specific margin agreement on the space sector .
THE FRANCO-ITALIAN AGREEMENT ON EUROPEAN LAUNCHERS
Finally, during the session, Minister Colao "shared the general outlines of the recent joint Italian-French declaration on the future of European launchers which lays the foundations for a more structured and equal collaboration to safeguard the strategic autonomy and competitiveness of the industry. national".
On November 26, Colao and Bruno Le Maire, French Minister of Economy, Finance and Recovery, in fact signed an agreement on launchers at the end, according to a joint note , "of three months of intense negotiations".
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/innovazione/perche-sui-fondi-pnrr-per-lo-spazio-draghi-e-colao-si-affidano-allesa/ on Thu, 02 Dec 2021 11:02:35 +0000.