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DE RUEHC #7671/01 3210137
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O R 170126Z NOV 07
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUEHLI/AMEMBASSY LISBON IMMEDIATE 4876
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON IMMEDIATE 3344
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS IMMEDIATE 5748
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA IMMEDIATE 9234
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS IMMEDIATE
INFO DISARMAMENT CONFERENCE COLLECTIVE
EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA 2177
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 9606

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 STATE 157671 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: CDG EC ESA EUN FR KACT KTIA MCAP PARM PO PREL TSPA
UK 
SUBJECT: U.S. RESPONSE TO EU DRAFT CODE OF CONDUCT FOR 
SPACE OBJECTS 
 
REF: LISBON 002604 
 
¶1. (U) This is an action message.  See paragraphs 3 - 6. 
 
¶2. (SBU) BACKGROUND: On October 9, the Portuguese MFA's 
Security and Disarmament Division, in its role as chair of 
the EU Working Group on Global Arms Control, provided Embassy 
Lisbon with a non-paper on a proposed EU "Code of Conduct for 
Space Objects" (REFTEL). Portugal requested a U.S. response 
in support of an EU-only experts meeting, scheduled for 
December 7.  Portuguese officials indicated that they also 
are soliciting comments from Russia and China. 
 
¶3. (SBU) FOR LISBON:  Embassy Lisbon is requested to hand 
over the U.S. non-paper (contained in paragraph 5 below) to 
the Portuguese Presidency of the EU. Embassy Lisbon is also 
authorized to provide a line-in/line-out mark-up version of 
original EU non-paper (to be transmitted via e-mail). Embassy 
Lisbon should the request that the Portuguese Presidency of 
the EU treat both the non-paper and line-in/line-out mark-up 
as "Restreint UE." Embassy Lisbon also should indicate that 
the U.S. welcomes further exchanges on this topic with 
Portugal and future EU Presidencies. 
 
¶4. (SBU) FOR LONDON AND PARIS: Embassies London and Paris are 
requested to hand over the U.S. non-paper contained in 
paragraph 7 to the UK FCO and the French MFA. Embassies 
London and Paris are also authorized to provide HMG and GoF 
with the line-in/line-out mark-up version of the original EU 
non-paper (to be transmitted via e-mail). Embassies should 
indicate that this is the U.S. response to the Portuguese 
Presidency's request, and that the U.S. welcomes 
opportunities for discussions on specific points at future 
bilateral space security dialogue discussions. 
 
¶5. (SBU) FOR USEU: Following handover to Portugal, USEU is 
authorized to provide a courtesy copy of the non-paper and 
line-in/line-out mark-up to the European Commission. 
 
¶6. (SBU) FOR GENEVA: Following handover to Portugal, USDEL to 
the Conference on Disarmament is authorized to provide 
courtesy copies of the non-paper and line-in/line-out mark-up 
to CD Delegations of EU Member States. Ambassador Rocca is 
also authorized to share copies of the non-paper and mark-up 
with non-EU members of the CD Western Group (WEOG). 
 
¶7. (SBU) BEGIN TEXT OF U.S. NON-PAPER 
 
United States Non-Paper 
November 16, 2007 
 
The United States is pleased to respond to the Portuguese 
Presidency,s request of October 9, 2007, for comments on the 
European Union's draft Code of Conduct for Space Objects. 
 
The United States welcomes opportunities for substantive 
discussions on outer space Transparency and Confidence 
Building Measures (TCBMs) with all established and emerging 
spacefaring nations. 
 
Such discussions can build upon the shared values expressed 
in both the U.S. National Space Policy of August 31, 2006, 
and the European Space Policy of May 22, 2007.  These values 
include our shared and long-standing support for the 
principle of free access to, and the use of, space by all 
nations for peaceful purposes.  They also include our common 
interest in using outer space both to maintain international 
peace and security and to promote international cooperation 
and understanding. 
 
The United States opposes efforts which would link 
discussions on pragmatic TCBMs with efforts to negotiate 
agreements for preventing the so-called "weaponization of 
outer space" or efforts to establish new legal regimes or 
other restrictions that seek to prohibit or limit access to, 
or use of, outer space for peaceful purposes. 
 
STATE 00157671  002 OF 003 
 
 
The United States strongly supports efforts to preserve the 
space environment and to ensure safe and responsible space 
operations.  In this regard, we believe that international 
cooperation should focus upon voluntary guidelines for safe 
space operations.  Such guidelines can be applicable to all 
peaceful uses of space.  The United States believes these 
"Best Practice Guidelines" should be developed first in 
expert-level discussions involving relevant government and 
private sector satellite operators.  Where appropriate, 
specific guidelines developed in these expert-level 
discussions can be the subject of discussions with allies and 
like-minded states, and may be submitted to the United 
Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space 
(COPUOS) for consideration by the broader community of 
established and emerging spacefaring nations.  Such efforts 
can build upon this Committee,s recent successful work on 
debris mitigation guidelines, an effort that was greatly 
facilitated by the close collaboration between the United 
States and European members of COPUOS. 
 
Where appropriate, the United States also is willing to 
engage in substantive discussions on proposals for new TCBMs. 
 The United States welcomes opportunities for expanded 
trans-Atlantic dialogue with European experts on possible new 
TCBMs.  The U.S. also will continue to engage in discussions 
with Russia and other spacefaring nations on complementary 
bilateral TCBMs that can promote cooperation and reduce 
uncertainty in the conduct of safe space operations. 
 
In this regard, the United States views many of the ideas 
contained in the European Union draft as constructive 
contributions to international discussions on measures that 
protect the space environment and protect free access to, and 
use of, space for the benefit of all nations.  We believe the 
EU draft could form the basis for an international consensus 
that reflects the shared views of the Euro-Atlantic community. 
 
With an eye toward building such a consensus, the United 
States offers the attached comments, which propose the 
following changes: 
- Throughout the draft, replace references to "Code of 
Conduct" with the term "Best Practice Guidelines" to 
emphasize the voluntary nature of the proposed measures. 
 
- In the first ("Framework") section, modify wording to: 
--Drop linkages between consideration of TCBMs and efforts to 
prevent a so-called "weaponization" of outer space; 
-- Focus on relevant areas of shared EU-U.S. agreement, 
including the 1963 Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapon Tests in the 
Atmosphere, in Outer Space and Under Water, instruments of 
the International Telecommunication Union, and public release 
of comprehensive space policies; and 
-- Drop references to measures which suggest that TCBMs must 
be connected to space arms control agreements, including UN 
General Assembly resolution 61/58. 
 
- In the second section, adapt wording to reflect shared EU 
and U.S. support for the "Basic Objectives" of: 
-- Ensuring free access to, and use of, outer space by all 
nations for peaceful purposes; 
-- Preserving freedom of action in space while protecting 
critical space capabilities; 
-- Recognizing that space capabilities support vital security 
and foreign policy interests; and 
-- Conducting space activities in accordance with 
international law, including the UN Charter. 
 
- In the third section, create an "Operational" subsection 
that would: 
-- Propose measures for the sharing of space environment data 
and for developing standardized data formats for information 
exchange; 
-- Propose measures that recognize existing and emerging best 
practices for human spaceflight safety and collision 
avoidance; 
-- Replace the measure restricting "any manoeuvre or action" 
with a proposed measure to provide notification of other 
concerned satellite operators in the event of a spacecraft 
malfunction; 
-- Clarify language in proposed measures relating to the 
intentional creation of debris and mitigation of possibility 
 
STATE 00157671  003 OF 003 
 
SUBJECT: U.S. RESPONSE TO EU DRAFT CODE OF CONDUCT FOR 
SPACE OBJEC 
of accidents, collision or other forms of harmful 
interference; 
-- Clarify language in the proposed measure for minimizing 
the risk of harmful interference to other nations, space 
activities; 
-- Clarify language in measures for responding to, and 
resolving, harmful interference incidents; and 
-- Delete a proposed measure on "special caution areas," a 
technically vague concept that could unduly restrict 
fundamental rights of passage through, and operations in, 
space without interference. 
 
- Also in the third section, create a "Transparency" 
subsection that: 
-- Proposes a measure encouraging disclosure of basic details 
on high-level space policies; 
--  Clarifies language in proposed measures relating to space 
activity notification and Registration Convention compliance; 
-- Removes proposed measures on prior notification of 
satellite approaches, which could unduly restrict 
fundamental rights of passage through, and operations in, 
space without interference; 
-- Removes a proposed measure regarding "space weapons," 
which is a term that remains indefinable; and 
-- Removes a proposed measure regarding "dual-use character," 
which is also an indefinable concept. 
 
END TEXT OF U.S. NON-PAPER 
 
 
¶8. (U) Any reporting on this subject should be flagged for 
the Department (ISN/MDSP:Richard H. Buenneke) and Geneva (CD). 
RICE