The Advent of Space Administrative Law in Europe

Abstract

Regulation of any activities in space used to be object of international public law for several decades. This had reflected the fact that states as subjects of international public law used to be the key role in the development of space activities. In the last decade, however, there is a rising tendency to govern space activities also by the means of administrative law. Commercialisation and privatisation of space, developments in space tourism and increasing number of space flights have triggered the need to establish rules on permitting, registration and surveillance. Thus, while space activities were matter of regulation by the means of international public law almost exclusively, there has been a considerable tendency towards governing by the means of administrative law. In many jurisdictions, national space acts were enacted in the last decade. This process underlines the argument on gradual emergence of a space administrative law in Europe.