Marshall Institute Urges No U.S. Adoption of EU Code of Conduct

Jeff Kueter, President of the Marshall Institute, is urging that the United States not adopt the so-called “EU Code of Conduct.” The Code, adopted by the European Union (EU) last fall, creates a set of “rules of road” for how nations and organizations should operate to provide safety, security and sustainability in space.

While agreeing that “Responsible behavior in space is an admirable goal, just as nations acting responsibly on Earth is an admirable goal,” Kueter argues in a newly released paper that “simply stating principles” does not achieve either goal. “The EU Code is a solution in search of a problem,” he continues, and “its practical contributions to U.S. security in space are limited and potentially harmful.”

Kueter organized a panel discussion about the Code earlier this year. Somewhat surprisingly, the three panelists, all of whom served in the George W. Bush Administration, and one who stayed on and worked for the Obama Administration, thought that the U.S. should support, if not sign, the agreement. Kueter says that the Obama Administration is close to adopting the agreement through executive order.