During this Colloquium results of a five-year legal research project on the further development of space law will be presented and discussed. While in the early stages of space activities only a few states engaged in the use of outer space, as is well known, commercial space activities have grown dramatically in recent years. States, state institutions, and international governmental organisations, as well as many private enterprises are engaged in the commercial use of outer space by now.

This development is not reflected in the space law at present. The existing international instruments of space law have finalized earlier and thus only provide very few and sometimes unfitting provisions for the commercial use of outer space and particularly the use by private enterprises. Equally, many national laws do not clearly spell out the conditions for private activities in outer space. For the promotion of such commercial use of outer space, but also to clarify its parameters in the public interest, it is necessary to further develop its legal framework.

In 1997, the Institute of Air and Space Law of the University of Cologne and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) have initiated a project to respond to the above mentioned developments. Research work has been divided into the following areas, representing specific space activities as well as fields of the law:

1. Privatisation
2. Launch and Associated Services
3. Remote Sensing
4. Telecommunication
5. Space Stations
6. National Space Legislation

For each area, a Working Group (WG) of international experts has been established. The work of each Working Group is supported and organized by two Working Group Coordinators in the Institute and DLR. The administration of the entire Project is in the hands of a Project Coordinator.

During the course of the project, more than 100 renowned legal, political and technical experts have joined its Working Groups. International Workshops have been held for each area of work and documented in respective volumes of proceedings. Research work of Project 2001 took place in a beneficial atmosphere of correspondingly increased attention towards commercial uses of outer space and their players in other fora (e.g. UNISPACE III, IISL), as well as an highly increased interest of state governments in legislative initiatives on the national level. It thus profited from an unprecedented and stimulating network of discussions and exchange of information in the legal and political community.

Some of the core topics discussed in the Working Groups were: General issues of increased private activity in outer space, such as the impact of this activity on international and national obligations and responsibilities of states as well as models and structures for privatisation processes (WG on Privatisation); the international and national liability for private launch activities, standard contractual and insurance conditions, as well as safety and export control issues with regard to launch services (WG on Launch and Associated Services); the legal framework for collection, marketing, and intellectual property protection of remote sensing data on the international and national level (WG on Remote Sensing); the international allocation process of frequencies and national licensing of private telecommunication satellite providers, trade and intellectual property issues as well as the globalisation with regard to telecommunication services (WG on Telecommunication); the legal framework and conditions for acces for commercial users and service providers to the ISS (WG on Space Stations); the status quo of national legal frameworks with regard to supervision and licensing procedures as well as the topics and policy themes to be taken into account in national space legislation activities (WG on National Space Legislation).

At this International Colloquium results and proposals of each Working Group of the research project for development of space law shall be presented and discussed in panels corresponding to the research areas mentioned above, followed by the adoption of recommendations. Also, chairpersons and presidents of major institutions involved in the development of space law will report on their recent initiatives. The Colloquium will conclude with a 'Panel on International Law Making and Harmonisation of National Laws'. Opportunity for plenary discussions shall be given in each panel. The work of the Working Groups and of the Colloquium will be recorded in a publication.

Scientific Director:
Prof. Dr. Karl-Heinz Böckstiegel

Project and Conference Coordinator:
Ms. Susanne U. Reif

Working Group Coordinators:
Ms. Susanne U. Reif,
Dr. Bernhard Schmidt-Tedd
(Privatisation)

Mr. Philip Makiol,
Mr. Christian Kohlhase
(Launch and Associated Services)

Dr. Marietta Benkö,
Dr. Wulf von Kries
(Remote Sensing)

Ms. Ulrike M. Bohlmann,
Dr. Kai-Uwe Schrogl
(Telecommunication)

Mr. Wilhelm Stoffel,
Prof. Dr. Ing. Wilfried Ley
(Space Stations)

Mr. Michael Gerhard,
Dr. Kai-Uwe Schrogl
(National Space Legislation)