This book provides a comprehensive study on space law and policy in France. Part I describes the role played by the law to build up the French Space Policy though the establishment of CNES, the French space agency. It gives a historical overview of the functioning of CNES, how its public space projects are authorized, financed and controlled by the government and parliament and how these projects are implemented in an international and national framework, especially in relationship with the private industry. The interactions with the European governance, the legal instruments and space programs of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Union (EU) are also discussed. Part II details the legal background: the law-making process among parliament, government, industry, experts and CNES. It also reviews the current functioning of the French Space Operation Act of 2008 as a legal instrument, designed to regulate and promote the private space entrepreneurship under its jurisdiction. Uniquely, the annexes of this book contain the whole legislation in the French version and its English translation. Additionally they provide unpublished working documents: a comparison list of usual space law definitions and a table of concordance on different technical provisions between different FSOA texts and several international standards on space.

This volume will be indispensable to all practitioners, in the private as well as the public sector, dealing with drafting agreements, taking decisions in matters of norms relating to space activities such as contracts, partnerships, licensing and negotiations as well as those who interpret and implement these instruments. A valuable contribution for all professionals who are calling for the development of harmonized and enhanced space law in the international context of “new space’.