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Draft Agenda ESA Council Meeting at Ministerial Level.pdf

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-----Original Message-----
From: BUERO-IVD3@bmwk.bund.de
Sent: Wednesday, May 8, 2024 12:42 PM
To: BUERO-IVD3@bmwk.bund.de
Subject: Invitation to the ESA Council at Ministerial Level

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Dear Minister,

Kindly find enclosed the invitation to the ESA Council at ministerial
level as part of the Space Council 2024 on 23 May 2024.

Kind regards,
For the Minister
Friedrich König
________________________
Division IVD3
Head of Unit
Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action

Villemombler Str. 76, 53123 Bonn, Germany
Phone: +49-(228)-99-615-2031
E-Mail: buero-ivd3@bmwk.bund.de
Internet: https://www.bmwk.de

The protection of your data is important to us. You can find out more
about how your personal data are handled by the Federal Ministry for
Economic Affairs and Climate Action in the data protection statement at
www.bmwk.de/privacy-policy.

C#326_Draft Space Council Agenda_finalrev1.pdf

Draft Agenda ESA Council Meeting at Ministerial Level.pdf

Invitation letter to the ESA Council at Ministerial level.pdf

Berlin, 7th May 2024

Dear Minister,

In my capacity as chair of the ESA Council (Ministerial level), I wish to invite you to

the 325th meeting of the ESA council at Ministerial level which will be held in Brussels

on 23 May 2024 (details in the enclosed programme) as part of the Eleventh Space

Council.

This ESA Council meeting will offer the opportunity to adopt the ESA Resolution on

“Strengthening Europe’s Competitiveness through Space”. The ESA Council meeting

at Ministerial level will be preceded by a meeting of the EU Competitiveness Council,

where the same text is scheduled to be adopted by EU Member States, in the format

of EU Council Conclusions. Both meetings will be followed by the joint meeting of

the ESA and EU Councils, bringing together Ministers in charge of space activities

representing Member and Associated/Cooperating States of the European Space

Agency as well as Member States of the European Union. Separate invitations will be

issued for both the EU Competitiveness Council meeting as well as the joint meeting

of the ESA and EU Councils.

I am hoping you will be able to join us for the social events taking place on 22nd May

in the afternoon, including a celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Framework

Agreement between the European Community – which has been succeeded by the

European Union – and the European Space Agency which entered into force in 2004.

For the programme and any practical arrangements, please refer to the enclosed

agendas for the 325th ESA Council at Ministerial Level and the Eleventh Space Council

as well as the Practical Arrangements Note issued by the Belgian Presidency of the

EU Council. The ESA Cabinet of the Director General (cabinet@esa.int) remains

available to answer any queries you and your staff may have.

We are looking forward to seeing you in Brussels.

Yours sincerely,

Mr Robert Habeck

Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action

Germany

Practical Information Note.pdf

SPACE MINISTERIAL MEETINGS

PROVISIONAL PRACTICAL INFORMATION NOTE

22-23 May 2024

Brussels, Belgium

Space Ministerial Meetings 2

Contents

1. General Information  ........................................................................................................................... 4

2. Accreditation and size of the delegations for events outside the Council premises .......................... 4

2.1 Accreditation ................................................................................................................................. 4

2.2 Size of delegations......................................................................................................................... 5

3. Access to the Council premises and size of the delegations for the ESA Council at Ministerial level

and the Eleventh Space Council .............................................................................................................. 5

3.1 Access ............................................................................................................................................ 5

3.2 Size of delegations......................................................................................................................... 5

4. Security, access badges and vehicle passes ........................................................................................ 6

5. Provisional programme ....................................................................................................................... 7

6. Transportation ..................................................................................................................................... 8

6.1 Arrival and departure to / from Belgium ...................................................................................... 8

6.2 Public transportation to and from the centre of Brussels............................................................. 9

6.3 Transportation in Brussels ............................................................................................................. 9

7. Accommodation ................................................................................................................................ 11

8. Venues and access ............................................................................................................................ 12

8.1 Dynasty Palace – 22 May ............................................................................................................. 12

8.2 Royal Museum of Fine Arts – 22 May ......................................................................................... 13

8.3 Egmont Palace – 22 May ............................................................................................................. 14

8.4 Council premises – 23 May ......................................................................................................... 15

8.5 Residence Palace – 23 May ......................................................................................................... 15

9. Liaison Officers .................................................................................................................................. 16

10. Interpretation .................................................................................................................................. 16

11. Website / Social Media ................................................................................................................... 17

12. Media & Press ................................................................................................................................. 17

13. Photographs and video footage ...................................................................................................... 17

14. List of Acronyms .............................................................................................................................. 18

Annex 1. Emergency contacts ............................................................................................................... 18

Annex 2. Accreditation guide for events outside the Council premises ............................................... 18

Space Ministerial Meetings 3

Checklist and deadlines

Date Timeline & Requirements

How

From 29 April Appoint your Delegation Accreditation Officer (DAO) 

Please send surname, first name, cell phone number and e-mail address of your DAO to SMM@belspo.be. Please mention the event code BE_EU2024_041. 

From 29 April

Opening of the accreditation platform 

The DAO will receive an email from the Novento accreditation platform informing them of the next steps

From 29 April  

to 10 May

The DAO registers the delegation and fills in all

required information (personal details, travel

dates, hotel)

Online Novento accreditation platform

Contact SMM@belspo.be

Send us your questions

21 May

You will be contacted by your Liaison Officer

In the meantime, if you have any questions, please email:

SMM@belspo.be  

22 May Visit of Planet Happiness exhibition (optional)

Signatures Ceremony

Prize Ceremony – European Space Ultra Challenge 2024

Celebration of the 20th anniversary of the EU-ESA

Framework Agreement

Gala dinners

23 May EU (Space) Competitiveness Council

ESA Council at Ministerial Level

Eleventh Space Council  

Space Ministerial Meetings 4

1. General Information 

The Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU) and the German Presidency of the Council of the European Space Agency (ESA) have the pleasure to welcome you to Brussels for the Eleventh Space Council on 23 May 2024. This meeting will be preceded by social events on 22 May and by the EU Competitiveness (Space) Council and the ESA Council at Ministerial level on 23 May in the morning.

The venues will be:

22 May: Dynasty Palace, Royal Museum of Fine Arts and Egmont Palace

23 May: Council premises (Europa building) and Residence Palace

The Belgian Science Policy Office (BELSPO) is pleased to provide the following Practical Information Note (PIN) to assist delegations in preparing for the ESA Council at Ministerial level and the Eleventh Space Council.

This PIN contains protocol, logistical and technical information to help you prepare for the meeting. It also includes a list of the information that we kindly ask you to send us in advance.  

Any changes to this information will be communicated in due course by BELSPO.

Prior to the event, delegates shall receive the list of participating Heads of Delegation (HoDs).

Note that for the meetings in the Council premises, including for the EU Competitiveness (Space) Council, the EU Member States should refer to the PIN for Councils in Brussels available on Info Corner of the Delegates Portal.

The non-EU delegations will find all the information they need in the different sections below.

2. Accreditation and size of the delegations for events outside the Council premises

2.1 Accreditation

Delegations are kindly asked to appoint a Delegation Accreditation Officer (DAO) responsible for the accreditation of every member of their delegation. Please communicate the name, cell phone number and e-mail address of the DAO to SMM@belspo.be at your earliest convenience from 29 April. Please mention the event code BE_EU2024_041. The DAO will receive a link and access code to the Novento accreditation platform to register the members of their delegation for the events outside the Council premises.

We kindly request that your DAO registers the complete delegation at their earliest convenience via the Novento accreditation platform. The online accreditation platform will be open from 29 April until May 10.

Space Ministerial Meetings 5

2.2 Size of delegations

For events outside the Council premises, delegations from EU Member States, ESA Member and Cooperating States, the European Commission, ESA and the General Secretariat of the Council (GSC) have the option to register the Head of Delegation (HoD) plus three delegates. Other delegations (EUSPA, EUMETSAT, EEAS), can register the HoD plus one delegate. Upon request, one national security officer and a private interpreter accompanying the delegation can be added. Requests should be sent to SMM@belspo.be by 10 May, mentioning the event code BE_EU2024_041. Please be aware that only accredited delegates will be granted access to the different official programme venues.

3. Access to the Council premises and size of the delegations for the ESA Council at Ministerial level and the Eleventh Space Council

3.1 Access

EU Member States accreditation for the meetings in the Council premises follow the usual procedure of Ministerial Councils please refer to the PIN for Councils in Brussels available on Info Corner of the Delegates Portal.

The accreditation of non-EU Member and Cooperating States to the ESA Council at Ministerial level and the Eleventh Space Council will be handled by the protocol service (protocol@consilium.europa.eu) of the GSC who will be in touch with the diplomatic missions closer to the date. A protocol officer will be their main point of contact within the Council premises.

The accreditation of ESA and EUMETSAT to the ESA Council at Ministerial level and Eleventh Space Council will be handled by BELSPO, to ensure access to the Council premises on 23 May.

The accreditation of EUSPA to the Eleventh Space Council will be handled by BELSPO, to ensure access to the Council premises on 23 May.

Delegations will receive laissez-passer to access the meeting room (EB S5) and the listening room (EB S3.1) of the Europa building. HoDs of the country delegations do not need any laissez-passer. The area next to the meeting room is restricted to HoDs and those delegates with a meeting room laissez-passer.

3.2 Size of delegations

The access to the meeting room (EB S5) and the listening room (EB S3.1) for EU Member States follows the usual procedure of Ministerial Councils.

For ESA Executive, non-EU Member and Cooperating States a seating configuration of 2+2 will be arranged in the meeting room (EB S5): each Member State will be allocated 2 seats

Space Ministerial Meetings 6

at the main table and 2 seats in the second row. Two additional seats per delegation will be reserved in the listening room (EB S3.1).

For EUSPA, EUMETSAT and EEAS, a 1+1 configuration will be arranged in the meeting room (EB S5): 1 seat will be provided at the main table and 1 seat in the second row. No seats foreseen in the listening room (EB S3.1).

4. Security, access badges and vehicle passes

Pins  The highest level of accreditation, for HoDs grants access to all areas on 22 May.

Badges  Personalised identification cards provided to all participants for access to all venues outside the Council premises.

VIP vehicle passes Drop off will be available at all venues. Parking is available at Egmont Palace: VIP vehicle passes will be foreseen on the basis of the information provided on the Novento accreditation platform and distributed by the Liaison Officers to the delegation. Access to the Council premises: EU Member States’ access follows the usual procedure of Ministerial Councils. All vehicles and drivers must be fully accredited by the GSC. The list of vehicles and drivers must also be sent to the GSC security office via the protocol service (for non-EU Member and Cooperating States) via the BELSPO (for other delegates). The list must contain the following information:

▪ make, model and registration number of the vehicle; ▪ the driver’s full name.

Delegations are requested to use drivers employed by their internal staff. For security reasons, pins and badges must be worn visibly at all times. Access to the venues will be denied in the absence of a visibly worn badge (and pin).   On 22 May, if you lose your pin or badge, please contact your Liaison Officer without any delay or go to the accreditation desk, located at the Egmont Palace entrance for delegations (Petit Sablon 8bis, 1000 Brussels). Additional specific security information for each venue is provided in the 8. Venues section.

In case the HoD is accompanied by a national security officer for events outside the Council premises, the latter must also be properly registered via the online Novento accreditation platform. Only 1 national security officer will be allowed access to the venues. Requests need to be sent upfront to SMM@belspo.be. Please always mention the meeting code BE_EU2024_041. Important: Weapon permits and/or Radio frequency (if applicable) must be requested by Verbal Note sent to visits.protocol@diplobel.fed.be (see also 6. Transportation section).

For further information or in the event of any problems with the accreditation of any member of your delegation, please contact us at SMM@belspo.be. Please always mention the event code BE_EU2024_041.

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All personal information provided during accreditation will be processed in accordance with EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) obligations. More information about the privacy policy during the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union is available via www.belgium24.eu. 

5. Provisional programme

The final programme and documents will be made available as soon as possible.

22 May

Time  What  Formats Where 

16:00 – 17:30 Visit of Planet Happiness exhibition

HoD and delegates – optional social activity

Dynasty Palace Mont des Arts 5, 1000 Brussels

17:15 – 17:45 18:00 – 18:15

18:15 – 19:00

Signatures Ceremony

Prize Ceremony – European Space Ultra Challenge 2024

Celebration of the 20th anniversary of the EU- ESA Framework Agreement

HoD and delegates Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Place du Musée, 1000 Brussels

19:30 – 22:00  Gala dinners HoD+1 seating dinner Delegations standing dinner

Egmont Palace Petit Sablon 8, 1000 Brussels

23 May

Time  What  Formats Where 

8h30 – 10:35  EU Competitiveness (Space) Council

EU Member States: 2+2 in meeting room + 2 in listening room Guests 1+1 in meeting room+ 0 in listening room

Europa building, meeting room EB S5 (listening room EB3.1) Rue de la Loi 165, 1000 Brussels

10:45 – 11:10   ESA Council at Ministerial Level

EU Member States & ESA Member and Cooparating States: 2+2 in meeting room + 2 in listening room Guests/observers 1+1 in meeting room+ 0 in listening room

11:15 – 13:15 Eleventh Space Council

13:15 – 13:20 Group picture HoD

13:30 – 14:00  Press Conference

Belgian Presidency of the Council of EU, German Chairship of ESA Council at Ministerial Level, ESA Executive, Commission

Press Conference room Rue de la Loi 175, 1000 Brussels

13:30 – 15:00  Social lunch HoD seating lunch Delegations walking lunch

Residence Palace Rue de la Loi 155, 1000 Brussels

Space Ministerial Meetings 8

NB: the lunch on 23 May is planned so that the delegations who are also attending the EU Competitiveness (Research) Council should be back within the Council premises by the time the EU Competitiveness (Research) starts.

6. Transportation

For the arrival and transportation of delegations on Belgian soil, delegations should use the existing fleet of their diplomatic missions and/or European institutions in Brussels. All diplomatic missions in Brussels have been briefed by the BE Presidency. For parking in the different venues please see respective paragraphs in 8. Venues section. For any query regarding transport, we invite you to send an e-mail to SMM@belspo.be. Please always mention the meeting code BE_EU2024_041.

6.1 Arrival and departure to / from Belgium

All delegations are kindly asked to provide their arrival and departure details on the Novento accreditation platform as soon as possible.  

The following information is essential:  

• for delegations arriving by car: date and time of arrival in Brussels. • for delegations arriving by plane to Belgium:  

➢ commercial flight – flight number and airline, date and time of arrival and airport; or  

➢ special flight - airline and aircraft registration number; date and time of arrival and airport (Abelag / ExecuJet, Aviapartner, Melsbroek).

• for delegations arriving by train: date and time of arrival in Brussels and railway station.

Detailed instructions are provided on the Novento accreditation platform during the registration process.

Check-in for both the inbound and outbound journey must be carried out by the delegation itself or someone appointed by the delegation, in accordance with the time frame indicated by the airline/railway company. 

Important: In addition to enrolment in the Novento accreditation platform (see also 2. Accreditation section), it is important to inform the Belgian authorities of any high-level visit through the usual channels. This procedure is well known to the embassies and representations based in Brussels and has recently again been communicated to them by the Presidency.

An official visit needs to be announced via a Verbal Note to: visits.protocol@diplobel.fed.be

Beyond the arrival and departure details (place, date, time, flight/train, and accommodation address), please contact your representation regarding the following information:

Space Ministerial Meetings 9

• Composition of the delegation   • Weapon permit request (if applicable)   • Radio frequency request (if applicable)   • Overflight authorisation (if needed) • Use of VIP lounge at Brussels National Airport, to be requested by the representation (if needed)

As is standard practice during working visits to Belgium, please note that Protocol Foreign Affairs will not be present upon arrival or departure.  

All the information on visits (procedures, forms…) can be found on the following website: https://diplomatie.belgium.be/en.

6.2 Public transportation to and from the centre of Brussels

From Brussels Airport, there is a fast and direct connection to the main Brussels railway stations (Brussels North, Brussels Central, and Brussels South). A direct train operates every 15 minutes in both directions, providing a quick journey to the centre of Brussels in just 17 minutes. The standard ticket price for travel between the airport and the Brussels Zone is €10.80 per trip.

For travel from elsewhere in Belgium, you can download the following applications to verify schedules and book tickets:

• Train • Bus

6.3 Transportation in Brussels

On 22 May, participants are kindly encouraged to consider walking between the different venues. The total distance from Dynasty Palace to the Royal Museum of Fine Arts, and then to Egmont Palace, spans approximately 850 metres.

Space Ministerial Meetings 10

A guided police escort on foot will be arranged at 19:00 from the Royal Museum of Fine Arts to the Egmont Palace, covering a distance of 550 metres.

For convenience, drop-off by car is possible at all venues, and parking facilities are provided at Egmont Palace specifically for HoDs (see 8.3 Egmont Palace section).

On 23 May, it is advisable to use either car or public transport for transportation from the hotel to the Council premises. Given the anticipated morning congestion on the roads and public transport in Brussels, it is recommended to allocate a minimum of 30 minutes for this journey. Parking facilities are available at the Council premises for the HoD (see 8.4 Council premises section).

Space Ministerial Meetings 11

7. Accommodation

Rooms have been pre-reserved by BELSPO for each HoD and 1 delegate (1+1) for the night from 22 to 23 May at these hotels:

The Hotel,

Boulevard de Waterloo 38, 1000 Brussels

The NH Brussels Grand Sablon, Rue Bodenbroek 2-4, 1000 Brussels

To confirm their reservations, DAO must fill in the relevant fields in the Novento accreditation platform. The booking of a specific hotel will be given on a first come first served basis.

Room booking deadline: 10 May 2024

Breakfast is included but any additional expenses (beverages, minibar, lunches, laundry service etc.) must be borne by the delegation. 

Please note that it is not permitted to bring luggage into the Egmont Palace, therefore delegations are advised to pass by their hotel before joining the social events on the afternoon of 22 May

Delegations are invited to reach out to the hotels directly in case they have any questions or should they need additional rooms or nights. When sending an email, please add in the subject of the email “SMM –“.

Please use the following email addresses:

• The Hotel: diplomatic@thehotel.be • NH Brussels Grand Sablon: groups.nhcollectiongrandsablon@nh-hotels.com

Delegations are responsible for covering the cost of additional nights that extend beyond the night of 22-23 May, as well as any extra hotel rooms.

Space Ministerial Meetings 12

8. Venues and access

8.1 Dynasty Palace – 22 May

The Dynasty Palace was built as part of the world exhibition in 1958. The building fits into a global urban plan by the architects Jules Gobert and Maurice Houyoux for the layout of a square between the Royal Palace and the lower city. The Dynasty Palace functioned as a reception room for official ceremonies during 'Expo 58', Since 2019, Plein Publiek BXL hosted a variety of events in the Palace made exclusively available by Régie des Bâtiments under the authority of Secretary of State Mathieu Michel.

On the afternoon of 22 May, delegations have the opportunity to visit Planet Happiness a brand-new immersive exhibition created in collaboration with ESA, EUMETSAT, BELSPO and a handful of experts. The aim of this exhibition is to inspire, educate, and engage a diverse audience about European space activity by integrating cutting-edge technology, scientific knowledge, and boundless creativity. The exhibition will be open to the public during your visit. Free vouchers will be provided by the Liaison Officers. Additional security will not be arranged. The visit is optional for all delegates.

The Dynasty Palace is located at Mont des Arts 5, 1000 Brussels. While parking is unavailable at this location, drop-off is permitted next to the building. The distance between the Dynasty Palace and the Royal Museum of Fine Arts is 300 metres.

Space Ministerial Meetings 13

8.2 Royal Museum of Fine Arts – 22 May

The Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium is comprised of several entities: the Old Masters Museum, the Modern Museum, the Wiertz Museum, Meunier Museum, the Magritte Museum and the Fin-de-Siècle Museum. The Museums’ collections, composed of 20,000 works of art, trace the history of the visual arts – painting, sculpture and drawing – from the 15th to the 21st centuries. They preserve the works of the Flemish Primitives, of Pieter Bruegel, Peter Paul Rubens, Jacques Jordaens, Jacques Louis David, Auguste Rodin, James Ensor, Paul Gauguin, Fernand Khnopff, Henry Moore, Paul Delvaux, René Magritte, Marcel Broodthaers and many others.

On 22 May, from 17:30 onwards, several side events will be held in Royal Museum of Fine Arts. This will begin with a Signatures Ceremony organised by ESA, which will be followed by the Celebration of the 20th anniversary of the EU-ESA Framework Agreement. Your delegation is cordially invited to attend these side events, which will also be open to additional guests. Access to the Royal Museum of Fine Arts will not be through the main entrance of the museum but via Place du Musée, 1000 Brussels. Parking is not available at this location, but drop-off is permitted next to the building:

A police escort on foot will be arranged at 19:00 from the Royal Museum of Fine Arts to the Egmont Palace, covering a distance of 550 metres.

Space Ministerial Meetings 14

8.3 Egmont Palace – 22 May

Egmont Palace, Arenberg Palace, Petit hôtel d'Egmont, Grand Hôtel d'Egmont… all these parts of the architectural puzzle confer its prestige and letters of nobility on the present Egmont Conference Centre. This complex of palaces has witnessed almost five hundred years of history and its successive owners and occupants have been at all times - with a few exceptions - genuine heralds of peace!

The Egmont Palace is located at Petit Sablon 8,1000 Brussels. On the evening of May 22, the palace will be entirely dedicated to the Gala dinners organised by the Belgian Presidency.

Following a doorstep greeting by Hubert Roisin, Head of Protocol from the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or his assistant Anne Vandormael, the Head of Delegation (HoD) and one delegate will attend a seated dinner in the "Galerie des Glaces," while the rest of the delegations will be invited to a standing dinner in the "Bibliothèque.".

Access to the meeting venue via the "Cour d'Honneur" will be granted to the HoD and up to a maximum of four persons, including the driver and the Liaison Officer or alternatively the national security officer (when accompanying the HoD). Access will be permitted to vehicles displaying the VIP vehicle pass, which should be clearly placed in the top right corner of the windshield. Please note that parking spaces are limited, and large vans or buses with more than six seats are not allowed in the "Cour d'Honneur" of the Egmont

Palace. Passengers must show their access badges, which will be scanned for security purposes, or access pin in case of HoD to the Belgian security officers before entering the Cour d’Honneur.

The remainder of your delegation is welcomed to enter through Entrance Petit Sablon "8 bis" and will undergo a security check, including an x-ray screening. Around the meeting venue, parking spaces will also be kept free for the cars of delegation members. Paid parking spaces are available in the surrounding area (parking des Deux- portes, parking Albertina-Square, parking Inno Louise, parking Toison d’Or, parking Sablon- Poelaert, parking Grand-Place, parking Porte de Namur).

Medical assistance will be available at the venue.

Kindly be informed that it is not permitted to bring luggage into the Egmont Palace.

Space Ministerial Meetings 15

Following the Gala Dinners, the Liaison officers will escort the HoDs to their respective hotels or accompany them in their cars if deemed necessary by the HoD.

8.4 Council premises – 23 May

The Europa building is the main seat of the European Council and the Council of the EU. It hosts EU summits, multilateral summits and ministerial meetings. The national delegations and the President of the European Council also have their offices in Europa. The Europa reflects the concept of sustainable development, both in the materials and technologies used. The innovative design retains the historical part of the long-standing Residence Palace block apartments and builds onto it. Two new glass walls transform the original L-shaped building into a cube.

On 23 May, the EU Competitiveness (Space) Council, the ESA Council at Ministerial level and the Eleventh Space Council will be organised at the Europa building in the Council premises in the meeting room EB S5.

All delegations will be informed, either by their diplomatic mission or Liaison Officer, of the exact time at which they will be expected to arrive at the entrance of the Europa building: Rue de la Loi 165, 1000 Brussels. Access to the Council premises: EU Member States’ access follows the usual procedure of Ministerial Councils. All vehicles and drivers must be fully accredited by the GSC. The list of vehicles and drivers must also be sent to the GSC security office via the protocol service (for non-EU Member and Cooperating States) via BELSPO (for other delegates). The list must contain the following information:

▪ make, model and registration number of the vehicle; ▪ full name of the driver.

Delegations are requested to use drivers employed by their internal staff.

8.5 Residence Palace – 23 May

The Residence Palace was the first luxury apartment building in Brussels. This art deco building was designed in the 1920s by the Swiss architect Michel Polak at the request of the successful Belgian businessman Lucien Kaisin. It was the largest apartment complex in Europe. It came to be because Kaisin wanted to offer a solution to the housing crisis that had broken out after the Great War which plagued the Belgian capital.

Space Ministerial Meetings 16

Following the Group picture, delegations will be escorted to the Residence Palace, situated adjacent to the Europa building. A seated lunch will be provided for all HoDs. This lunch will be organised in a way that will accommodate both the HoDs who will be attending the EU Competitiveness (Research) Council in the afternoon, and those who will not. All other delegates will be offered a walking lunch in the patio.

As with each aspect of the programme, delegations (through their DAOs) are kindly requested to register for the lunch directly through the Novento accreditation platform to facilitate seamless coordination.

9. Liaison Officers

A Liaison Officer will be assigned to accompany your HoD throughout Wednesday 22 May and provide any logistical assistance required on site.

Supervised by a Coordinator, the Liaison Officer will be responsible for:

• Welcoming and accompanying delegations during the day, • Assisting delegations to ensure a smooth participation, • Providing logistical assistance and administrative support, • Distributing accreditation pins, badges, vouchers, and vehicle passes.

The Liaison Officer will be at your disposal within the framework of the official programme: from 12:00 to 22:00 on Wednesday 22 May.

As of Tuesday 21 May, the Liaison Officer will liaise with your point of contact (DAO or POC at the Embassy / diplomatic mission) to exchange on all organisational aspects, for instance, to coordinate the hand-over of the pin, badges and vehicle passes.

Contact details of the assigned Liaison Officers will be communicated to each delegation in due course. Until then, should you have any further questions, please contact EU2024helpcenter@diplobel.fed.be or +32 2 423 26 24.

On 23 May, when arriving at the Council premises, HoD of non-EU Member States and Cooperating States will be accompanied by EU Protocol. Other non-EU delegations (ESA, EUSPA, EUMETSAT) will be accompanied by a Liaison Officer.

10. Interpretation

The social events and Gala dinners on May 22 will be conducted in English. Please indicate in the Novento accreditation platform if your HoD will be accompanied by a personal interpreter.

Simultaneous interpretation in 23 languages will be provided for the EU Competitiveness (Space) Council.

A 6/6 regime (English, French, German, Dutch, Spanish, and Italian) is foreseen during the ESA Council at Ministerial level, the Eleventh Space Council and the Press Conference.

Space Ministerial Meetings 17

11. Website / Social Media

Belgian EU Presidency: The Belgian EU Presidency website contains information on all topics regarding the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Website     www.belgium24.eu

X    https://www.x.com/EU2024BE

Threads https://www.threads.net/EU2024BE

Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/EU2024BE

Instagram    https://www.instagram.com/EU2024BE

LinkedIn   https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/eu2024be/

YouTube    https://www.youtube.com/@EU2024BE

Flickr    https://www.flickr.com/photos/EU2024BE/albums

Hashtag    #EU2024BE #BELSPO #SpaceCouncil #ESA

Live streaming on 23 May will be available on:

Streaming https://video.consilium.europa.eu/home/en

12. Media & Press

Press will be welcome to attend the side events held at the Fine Arts Museum on 22 May.

Press will be present at the Press Conference on 23 May in Council premises.

13. Photographs and video footage

Photographs and video footage from events organised by the Belgian Presidency will be available on its official channels and the channels of the EU institutions.

Live broadcasting, photos and video footage from ministerial meetings and other Presidency events in Belgium will be provided by the official broadcaster.

Photos will be published on the official Flickr account of the Belgian Presidency and may be used free of charge with a clear mention of the photographer.

Videos will be available on the official YouTube channel.

Space Ministerial Meetings 18

14. List of Acronyms

BELSPO : Belgian Science Policy Office

DAO : Delegation Accreditation Officer

EEAS : European External Action Service

ESA : European Space Agency

EU : European Union

EUMETSAT : The European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites

EUSPA : European Union Agency for the Space Programme

GDPR : General Data Protection Regulation

GSC : General Secretariat of the Council

HoD : Head of Delegation

PIN : Practical Information Note

POC : Point of Contact

Annex 1. Emergency contacts

112 : European Emergency number for fire brigade / ambulance

101 : Urgent police assistance

Annex 2. Accreditation guide for events outside the Council premises

Step 1 - Identification of the accreditation officer

Each delegation is kindly requested to inform the Belgian Presidency of the identity of its Diplomatic Advisor to the Organisation (DAO). The details of the person responsible for accreditation of the delegation (including surname, first name, mobile phone number, and email) should be sent to SMM@belspo.be at the delegation’s earliest convenience from 29 April. Please ensure that the subject of the email containing this information is "BE_EU2024_041".

Once the aforementioned information has been transmitted, the designated person responsible for accrediting the delegation will receive an email containing the web address and connection details for registering the members of their delegation.

Space Ministerial Meetings 19

Step 2 - Access to the Novento platform

When you access the Novento platform, you must first confirm the personal information you have entered. Please note that this is a preliminary step that does not count as an accreditation.

Once these have been confirmed, you will be taken to a page where you can enter the personal details of a HoD and the delegates.

Step 3 - Accreditation of the delegation

In order to accredit your delegation, it is imperative to fill in the different tabs (Profile - Transport - Hotel) for each member of the delegation. 

The Profile tab - You are asked to provide:  

• Full name, position, date of birth, nationality of the delegates.  • A photo in official format.  • Number, type and expiration date of their identity document.

Similarly, we would be grateful if you could provide us with any information that you feel the Presidency needs to know regarding food preferences and health concerns, or any important special needs. If you feel that no particular information needs to be shared with the Presidency in these two sections, please fill in the section by a comment to that effect.

• The Transport tab - The Presidency will rely on your diplomatic mission in Belgium to welcome your HoD and the members of their delegation upon their arrival and until their departure. We would be grateful however to obtain information on the arrival and departure of your delegation in the “Transport” tab.   • Hotels tab - Please select the “The Hotel” or “NH Brussels Grand Sablon” option, to confirm that your HoD /the delegate will be staying in one of the pre- booked rooms: a room has been pre-booked for the HoD and one delegate for the nights of 22 May 2024. This confirmation is essential to guarantee the rooms. 

Additional expenses such as drinks, minibar items, lunches, dinners, and other incidentals will be the responsibility of the delegation.

Similarly, the accommodation expenses for other members of the delegation, as well as any additional costs incurred during their stay, will also be borne by the delegation.

Delegations are invited to reach out to the hotels directly in case they have any questions or should they need additional rooms or nights. When sending an email please add in the subject of the email “SMM –“.