The 347th ESA Council on 17 June 2026 in Paris confirmed Rome as the venue for the Intermediate Ministerial Meeting on 15 December and signalled a fundamental repositioning of Europe's exploration strategy following NASA's downsizing of the Lunar Gateway. Director General Josef Aschbacher compared the upcoming Rome ministerial to the 2023 Seville Space Summit – a decision point that will set Europe's ambition for a decade or more.






