US embassy cable - 05MADRID674

UNCLAS MADRID 000674 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR OES/SAT AND EUR/WE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TSPA, SP, UNPUOS, UNGA, European Union 
SUBJECT: SPAIN TO FOLLOW EU CONSENSUS ON SPACE DEBRIS 
 
REF: STATE 18202 
 
1.  ESTHOFF made reftel points February 4 to:  (1)  MFA 
International Economic Relations Directorate Coordinator for 
Land, Sea and Air Issues Juan Luis de Laborde Bardan; and, 
(2) National Institute for Aerospace Technology (INTA) 
Director for Multilateral Cooperation Alider Cragnolini. 
ESTHOFF outlined the USG approach to space debris mitigation 
in the run-up to the next session of the COPUOS Scientific 
and Technical Subcommittee (STSC) and requested information 
on Spain's position regarding this basket of issues. 
 
2.  De Laborde informed ESTHOFF February 22 that Spain 
differs with the U.S. on several of the points contained in 
reftel nonpaper.  He said the crux of the problem was 
arriving at the correct balance between the interests of 
space-faring nations (as represented by the Inter-Agency 
Debris Coordinating Committee) and those of the broader 
international community (as represented by the UN Committee 
on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) and its 
subcommittees such as the STSC.  Without entering into 
detail, de Laborde intimated that the U.S. approach leaned 
too far in favor of the former at the expense of the latter. 
 
3.  Regarding the specific issue of the expected scope of 
COPUOS' Legal Subcommittee (LSC), de Laborde said the U.S. 
vision appeared to overly limit the LSC's scope of 
activities.  He added that the LSC should be given more 
independence and "broader competency." 
 
4.  After delivering what he realized was "bad news" (from 
the USG perspective), de Laborde said "not to worry," as he 
expected that the February 21 - March 4 sessions of the 
COPUOS STSC would not take any decisive action.  De Laborde 
characterized COPUOS' work style as excruciatingly slow and 
noted its tendency to postpone action on controversial 
issues.  He underscored that there would be an EU consensus 
position at these meetings and that Madrid would support it. 
De Laborde closed with a somewhat cryptic, and seemingly 
contradictory, note, stating that the economic interests of 
the space-faring nations were simply too great to permit 
unwanted UN interference. 
MANZANARES