Accession of Czech Republic to ESA

Formal accession steps

• 9 January 2007 - Minister of Education, Youth and Sport submitted a formal request to ESA to accede to ESA Convention.
• 15 March 2007 - the ESA Council has approved the Principle of accession of CR to ESA Convention.
• 15 June 2007 - the first round of negotiations between the ESA and CR on the modalities for accession started and subsequently the draft Accession agreement between ESA and the CR to ESA Convention was prepared.
• Signature of the negotiated Accession Agreement approved by the Czech government and ESA Council.
• 10 – 12 October 2007 - ESA industrial audit of the Czech Republic with an objective assessment of potential of industrial and related space activities in CR.
• March 2008 - Presentation of the report from the ESA industrial audit of the Czech Republic to ESA Council. Council had no objections.
• 18 June 2008 - Voting on the accession of CR to ESA Convention at ESA Council. None of member states was against the accession.
• 8 July 2008 - ESA Director General Jean-Jacques Dordain and Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek signed the Accession Agreement of Czech Republic to the ESA Convention.
• 18 September 2008 - the Senate of Parliament CR approved the Accession Agreement of Czech Republic to the ESA Convention and recommended it to ratification.
• 25 September 2008 - Following the Senate, The Chamber of Deputies of  Parliament of the Czech Republic approved the Accession Agreement of Czech Republic to the ESA Convention too.
• October 2008 - President of the Czech Republic Václav Klaus signed the Agreement.
• 12 November 2008 - the Czech Republic has become the 18th ESA's Member State.