Blind in a Dark Room? The EU’s Space Capacities for Natural Resource Mapping

Is the European Union doing all it can to harness the full benefits of space for the purposes of global natural resource management? How is the EU presently utilising imagery from space to halt illegal exploitation of resources? What are the technological and political obstacles hindering further progress in this regard? This paper provides a survey of EU space activities and makes recommendations regarding the EU’s role in successfully managing natural resources across the globe from outer space including the suggestion that a European Union Geological Survey be established.