Von der Leyen’s participation in the event has not been previously reported.
The Commission president’s focus on space reflects mounting concern over Russian hybrid actions that appear to be taking aim at Europe’s reliance on satellites for everything from military communications to civilian navigation. GPS jamming and spoofing, for example, have surged recently around the Baltic Sea, disrupting thousands of flights, according to Sweden’s public broadcaster SVT. Von der Leyen herself got a taste of the potential risks last year when the private jet she was taking to Bulgaria experienced GPS interference.
The space policy address also comes as von der Leyen continues to build up the Commission’s defense and security apparatus — including a new top recruitment of a senior official poached from the EU’s diplomatic service.
Benedikta von Seherr-Thoss, currently the European External Action Service’s managing director for peace, security and defense, is expected to join the Commission’s Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space (DG DEFIS). POLITICO previously reported she is expected to be appointed director for a new unit on Ukraine.
Von Seherr-Thoss did not respond to several requests for comment. The European Commission’s spokesperson service declined to comment on senior appointments.
The expected move comes at a sensitive moment for the EEAS and its chief, former Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas. Von der Leyen has increasingly sought to expand the Commission’s footprint in areas traditionally associated with the EU’s diplomatic service, from defense and foreign policy to intelligence, adding to tensions over where the Commission’s remit ends and the EEAS’ begins.