FWC Legal and management support on the implementation of components of the European Space Programme

In the scope of the Regulation (EU) 2023/588 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 March 2023 establishing the Union Secure Connectivity Programme for the period 2023- 2027, the European Commission has signed a 12-year Concession Contract on 126 December 2024 for the development, the deployment and the operation of the Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite (IRIS²) programme. IRIS² consists in 264 LEO satellites, 18 MEO satellites and a ground infrastructure to be deployed by 2030 which aim at providing a secure, low-latency connectivity to EU Members States, Governmental users and Commercials users with a worldwide coverage. The programme will be split in 4 phases: 1. Phase 1: Supply chain consolidation This maximum 1-year phase will enable the IRIS² Concessionaire to finalise suppliers’ selection. This should also allow the creation of a Special Purpose Vehicle to handle the Concession Contract until its end in 12 years. 2. Phase 2: Development phase This 2-year phase will be mainly dedicated to the design and the development of the infrastructure. 3. Phase 3: Deployment phase This phase is expected to last 3 years and will be dedicated to the industrialisation, production and launch of the infrastructure. 4. Phase 4: Operation phase The rest of period of 12 years will consist in operating the IRIS² infrastructure and providing services. During these 4 phases, the European Commission will supervise the Concessionaire’s activities and collaborate with it to ensure the proper execution of the Concession Contract respecting the contractual performances, cost and schedule of IRIS². The envisaged Framework Contract is expected to cover these Phases 1, 2 and 3.