Five Eyes
Out of the Five Eyes partners, which consists of the U.S.A., the U.K., Canada, Australia and New Zealand; questions about UAP have been raised by members of the U.S. Congress, the Canadian Parliament and the Australian Parliament. Recently, parliamentary questions about UAP have extended to the European Parliament. The members of the European Parliament are directly elected by voters of all member states with regard to European Union law making.
European Parliament question E-002375/2023
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| Francisco Guerreiro - Brasil | MEP of the Greens/EFA |
On 28 July 2023, European Parliamentary question E -002375/2023 was posed by Member Francisco Guerreiro. It was titled "European reports and protocols on unidentified anomalous phenomena." and read:
"On 26 July 2023 David Grusch, a former US Air Force intelligence officer, David Fravor, a former navy commander, and Ryan Graves, the executive director of Americans for Safe Aerospace, claimed in a hearing of the national security subcommittee of the US House Committee on Oversight and Accountability that the US Government was concealing vital information about unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs), as well as a multi-decade secret programs to recover and reverse-engineer potential non-human technologies. These claims, by high-ranking US officials, have profound implications for governmental accountability and transparency, as well as for national and international security.
1, Does the Commission have any knowledge or documentation about UAPs that has been collected by Member States or EU agencies, such as the European Union Agency for the Space Program?
2. Does the European Defence Agency (EDA) have any reports about UAPs and does the EDA have internal protocols for receiving reports about UAPs from Member States in a transparent and accountable way?
3. With regard to civil aviation, does the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) have any reports about USAPs and does the EASA have internal protocols for receiving reports about UAPs from pilots and radar operators in a transparent and accountable way?"
The answer
The answer in writing, came dated 9 November 2023, from Mr. Breton on behalf of the European Commission.
"The European Space Program implements space activities in the fields such as Earth Observation, Satellite Navigation and Space Situational Awareness.
Th EU Space Programme is implemented in close cooperation with the EU Member States, the European Space Agency for the Space programme (EUSPA), the European Space Agency (ESA) and many other stakeholders.
Regulation (EU) 2021/696 which sets up the EU Space programme for 2021-2027 and EUSPA lays down the components and objectives of that programmer. Gathering knowledge or documentation about unidentified anomalous phenomena is however not one of these objectives.
The European Defence Agency (EDA) does not hold any documents that would correspond to the topic of unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs).
Given that EDA has never worked on UAP issues, it neither holds nor receives documents corresponding to the description given. Furthermore, EDA does not have specific protocols on this matter as it falls outside the remit of EDA's engagement with the Member States.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and EU civil aviation authorities may receive safety reports on unidentified airborne objects that may endanger civil aviation safety.
The collected safety occurrence reports are stored in a central repository and analysed for safety purposes only. Reporting storing and analysis of civil aviation occurrences are governed by Regulation (EU) No 376/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 3 April 2014 on the reporting, analysis and follow-up of occurrences in civil aviation."
European Parliament question E-000318/2024
On 31 January 2024, another question E-000318/2024, titled "UAP monitoring and reporting in the EU Space Law" was asked by Francisco Guerreiro. The question was:
"In September 2023, in her State of the Union address, President von dee Leyen set out the Commision's priorities for 2024. This included the intention to create an EU Space Law.
This important initiative 'envisages common EU rules addressing the safety, resilience and sustainability of space activities and operations' has, however, a gap that needs to be filled in the pillar of security. Specifically the EU currently lacks a harmonised and scientific system for the reporting of unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP).
This raises security concerns, which some other countries, notably he United States, have addressed. Considering this omission we would like to ask the Commission:
1. Why the preparatory work for the EU Space Law (EUSL) does not include a UAP monitoring and reporting system, given that UAP may pose a potential security threat, and such phenomena have been observed in space by trained personnel using precision instruments?
2. Whether it considers that UAP should be explicitly addressed in the space surveillance and tracking (SST) service, the SST research and development and the near-earth objects (NEO) service?
3. If the EUSL will envisage (in a similar way to NASA) an EU UAP Space Research program headed by a research director?"
As at 18 March 2024, there has not been a formal response.
5 February 2024
On 5 February 2024, Francisco Guerreiro spoke in the European Parliament during part of a full session "...dedicated to one-minute speeches on matters of public importance." A transcript reads:
"Thank you, Chair, dear Commissioner.
The European Commission is currently finalizing its upcoming proposal for an EU space law. This important initiative advises common rules to address safety, resilience, and sustainability of space activities and operations. However, in the security pillar there's a gap that needs to be filled. Currently, the EU doesn't have a harmonized scientific system to report unidentified anomalous phenomena. This topic that needs to be a serious issue needs to be addressed and is being dealt with the utmost importance in other countries. For example, in the United States, the data collection and analysis of UAP activities in space, civil and military locations is considered as a national security priority. This security concern also led to the creation of a space research program inside NASA. Therefore, it is fundamental that the EU Commission includes in the European Space Law a program to collect data on UAPs, as well as a scientific body to analyze these events in a transparent and public way. Thank you very much." Therefore, it is fundamental that the EU Commision includes in the European Space Law a program to collect data on UAPs, as well as a scientific body to analyze these events in a transparent and public way. Thank you very much."
11 March 2024 Plenary session
During a Plenary session on 11 March 2024, Member Francisco Guerreiro criticized the recent US government All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) report on UAP.
Also, on 11 March 2024 Francisco Guerreiro moved a motion for a resolution B9-0194/2024 titled "on updating the EU regulation on the reporting, analysis and follow-up of occurrences in civil aviation to include UAP reporting." The motion stated:
"Having regard to Rule 143 of its rules of Procedure,
A. whereas unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs) remain a stigmatised subject, which often inhibits methodical data collection and analysis by the scientific community;
B. whereas a significant number of UAP occurrences, including many first-hand sightings by airline pilots and their crews, remains unexplained or unreported;
C. whereas Regulation (EU) 376/2014 only allows aviation professionals to report on safety-related matters;
D. whereas bipartisan lawmakers in the United States have proposed new legislation (Bill HR6967, the Safe Airspace for Americans Act) to protect civilian pilots and aviation personnel who report UAP sightings;
1. Considers that the EU should propose guidelines for a common methodology for reporting and analysing UAP sightings, which could result in a harmonised EU database and repository and thus allow a technical exchange of information between Member States.
2. Calls on the Commission to propose updating the current legislation, namely Regulation (EU) 376/2014 to include a mechanism for consistent, transparent and stigma-free reporting and data analysis regarding UAPs in EU airspace, including where such occurrences do not pose any apparent and immediate safety risk to the aircraft concerned. "
Event being hosted
On 15 March 2024, Francisco Guerreiro, on Twitter (X) announced that:
"Next Wednesday, 20 March, from 4pm to 6pm CET, I will be hosting an event on the need for a scientific assessment on reporting of UAPs in the European Union. "Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena: EU Airspace: Reporting and scientific assessment." Speakers will be Joachim Dekkers "Unidentified anomalous phenomena: an introduction." Edoardo Russo "Historical EU Context." Dr Beatriz Villarroel "Scientific perspective on UAP.' Ryan Graves "US government developments." Christiaan Van Heust "Expert testimonies."
Update: 24 March 2024
For a summary of the 20 March 2024 event, click here.
