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Planet Labs Germany

Planet

Planet Labs operates the world's largest commercial satellite fleet, imaging the entire Earth daily to make global change visible and actionable.

Lobbying Activity

Response to EU Space Law: Union law for safe, secure and sustainable space activities

6 Nov 2025

Planet Labs Germany GmbH is the European headquarters of Planet Labs PBC, a leading provider of global, daily satellite imagery and geospatial solutions. Planet has a significant customer base in the European Union, including contracts with the European Space Agency and the German government, and a recent agreement with NATO. Planet is committed to responsible satellite operations and sustainability in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and appreciates the European Union Commissions (EU Commission) efforts in the draft EU Space Act (EUSA) toward ensuring a safe and sustainable future for spacecraft in LEO. In particular, Planet supports EUSAs focus on collision avoidance, including the proposed requirements for spacecraft to be trackable and registered with a collision avoidance service. Planet also appreciates EUSAs emphasis on information sharing, including required exchange of key operational data including high-interest orbital events. However, Planet also has significant concerns about portions of the draft Act, including costs of compliance, technical rules that differ significantly from industry best practices, and timeline for implementation. Specifically: Definitional Issues: The EU should consider revising the definitions of Union Space Operator and Constellation Licensing. The terms operate and control a space object in defining who is a Union Space Operator are unclear and the current definition of a "constellation" is too rigid and does not align with modern space industry practices. Costs of Compliance: Planet anticipates substantial economic repercussions for EU space operators due to new fees, extensive compliance documentation, potential technical modifications to align with new standards, and costly environmental reporting requirements. Planet recommends significant revisions to reduce this burden, which will allow for EU space operators to pursue sustainable growth and innovation. Technical Rules: The EU should amend the proposed orbital debris standards to align with existing industry practices and adopt a technology-neutral maneuverability requirement instead of the proposed propulsion requirement for every spacecraft in a multi-satellite constellation. Regarding satellite brightness mitigation efforts, EUSA should provide a clear methodology for measuring brightness "during the entire lifetime" of a constellation that is science based, acknowledging that brightness varies even in a single satellite orbit and likely will not be below 7th magnitude at all times. Planet also recommends a longer timeline for security incident reporting. This will enable key security personnel to focus on containment and response in the initial period after an incident and to enable provision of more robust and accurate reports. Implementation Timeline: EUSAs proposed 24-month implementation timeline and the exclusion of assets launched before January 1, 2030, may not provide sufficient time for operators to adapt to new rules, especially those affecting space system design. Planet instead suggests a phased implementation approach where licensing and registration requirements become effective more quickly and substantive provisions that impact spacecraft design and operations have longer implementation periods. Process Issues: EUSA may not achieve the EUs stated goals of harmonization and streamlining due to its decentralized licensing system and the ability of member states to impose additional national rules. EUSA should also acknowledge that satellite designs and constellation configurations are modified over time and set forth a clear process to enable operators to modify registrations or authorizations. Planet appreciates the opportunity to provide its input on the draft EUSA and looks forward to working with Commission staff and member states on future iterations of the proposed regulation. For full details regarding Planet's positions, please refer to the attached comments.
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Meeting with Andrius Kubilius (Commissioner) and

20 May 2025 · Discussion on Planet labs Earth-Observation solutions, in particular in support to Ukraine.

Meeting with Indrek Kannik (Cabinet of High Representative/ Vice-President Kaja Kallas)

15 Apr 2025 · Brief of Planet Labs activities in the field of developing satellite applications.

Meeting with Indrek Kannik (Cabinet of High Representative/ Vice-President Kaja Kallas)

17 Mar 2025 · Brief of Planet Labs activities in the field of developing satellite applications

Meeting with Henna Virkkunen (Executive Vice-President) and

15 Feb 2025 · Private roundtable on transatlantic and global cooperation on tech organised on the margins of the Munich Security Conference

Meeting with Jessika Roswall (Commissioner) and

15 Feb 2025 · Space intelligence

Meeting with Andrius Kubilius (Commissioner) and

14 Feb 2025 · Bilateral meeting in the margins of Munich Security Conference

Meeting with Dusan Chrenek (Principal Adviser Climate Action)

6 Feb 2025 · Exchange of information about possible cooperation on space for climate action

Meeting with Wopke Hoekstra (Commissioner) and

23 Jan 2025 · Exchange of views on the use of satellite imagery and earth data to support climate action

Response to European Defence Industry Programme

28 May 2024

Please find attached Planet Labs Germany GmbH's Response to Proposal for a Regulation establishing the European Defence Industry Programme and a framework of measures to ensure the timely availability and supply of defence products (EDIP).
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Meeting with Florika Fink-Hooijer (Director-General Environment)

17 Apr 2024 · the role of satellite technology in EU environmental regulation

Response to GreenData4All - Revision of EU legislation on geospatial environmental data and access to environmental information

19 Mar 2024

Find attached Planet Labs Germany's feedback on the Call for Evidence on the GreenData4All Initiative.
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Meeting with Margrethe Vestager (Executive Vice-President)

17 Feb 2024 · Satellite produce & European strategy for data and artificial intelligence.

Planet Labs urges inclusion of private satellite data

2 Feb 2024
Topic — The consultation concerns a new framework for monitoring forest health and strategic planning across the EU.
Message — Planet Labs requests the inclusion of private satellite data to complement Copernicus datasets. They advocate for monthly forest reporting to identify critical events like illegal logging and pest calamities.12
Why — This proposal would ensure commercial providers' data is integrated into EU environmental monitoring procurement.3
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Meeting with Axel Voss (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur)

22 Jan 2024 · Artificial Intelligence

Response to Mid-term evaluation of the Space Programme

16 Nov 2023

Planet Labs Germany GmbH (Planet) submits the attached comments regarding the Mid-term evaluation of the Space Programme.
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Planet Labs calls for commercial satellite use in soil monitoring

3 Nov 2023
Topic — The Soil Monitoring Law aims to define healthy soil conditions and establish monitoring frameworks.
Message — Planet Labs recommends integrating commercial Earth Observation data with the Copernicus program to enhance monitoring frequency. They suggest monthly or quarterly updates to track continuous changes in European soil health.12
Why — This would allow the company to provide high-resolution imagery that exceeds current public satellite capabilities.3
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Meeting with Eglantine Cujo (Cabinet of Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius), Elena Montani (Cabinet of Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius)

23 Oct 2023 · Role of Earth Observation technology for environmental and biodiversity policy as well as provide some insights on the role of the technology in the Nature Restoration Law and the upcoming EU Framework for Forest Monitoring.

Meeting with Niklas Nienass (Member of the European Parliament)

18 Sept 2022 · Space sustainability, international cooperation, space policy

Meeting with Roberto Viola (Director-General Communications Networks, Content and Technology)

15 Jun 2022 · Presentation of Planet core competencies, earth observation capacities

Meeting with Anthony Whelan (Cabinet of President Ursula von der Leyen)

2 Jun 2022 · Green Deal, Ukraine, and Digital agendas

Meeting with Frans Timmermans (Executive Vice-President)

24 May 2022 · European Green Deal and Forestry

Planet Labs Germany urges high-resolution satellite forest monitoring

6 May 2022
Topic — The initiative develops an EU-wide framework for monitoring forest conditions and management.
Message — Planet Labs recommends integrating commercial satellite data with Copernicus to ensure high-resolution, daily monitoring of forests. They argue that frequent reporting is necessary to detect illegal logging and climate damage.12
Why — The framework would secure a major institutional role for Planet Labs' proprietary constellations.3
Impact — Illegal loggers lose their anonymity as high-frequency imaging exposes unauthorized forest changes.4
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Meeting with Florika Fink-Hooijer (Director-General Environment)

28 Apr 2022 · space monitoring

Meeting with Niklas Nienass (Member of the European Parliament)

24 Mar 2022 · Earth Observation

Response to Soil Health Law – protecting, sustainably managing and restoring EU soils

16 Mar 2022

About Planet: Planet is the leading provider of global, daily satellite imagery and geospatial solutions. Planet designs, builds, and operates the largest fleet of Earth observation satellites, with over 200 operational today. Planet is driven by a mission to image all of Earth’s landmass every day, and make global change visible, accessible and actionable. Feedback on the call for evidence: As the European Commission has rightly pointed out, the EU Soil Strategy for 2030 touches several important strategies and objectives that Europe wants to achieve by 2030 and 2050. For these strategies to be successful and effectively implemented, understanding the classification of EU land and soils is essential. This means that not only do the forests, agricultural land, and urban land need to be mapped out (land cover, land use characteristics) but also the sub categories such as peatlands, wetlands and larger carbon sink soils. On top of this, land use is dynamic and changing at a fast pace. As climate change effects become more obvious, the urgency of tracking and understanding land use changes has become much more pronounced. New information and knowledge on agricultural practices and biodiversity are transforming soil management across the EU. European farmers are changing their practices, aiming to preserve soil nutrients and reduce the use of fertilisers whilst maintaining crop yields. This is putting strains on the food system, and affecting the whole European value chain from food producers to consumers. Entrenching sustainable soil management practices will be a gradual process but starts with the urgent need to adequately measure soil changes. In order to guarantee the success of the EU Soil Strategy for 2030, we need to ensure that effective data and monitoring systems are in place. The time left between today and 2030 gives only 8 years for achieving key goals of the strategy. To achieve these goals, it is necessary to establish a baseline and monitor progress regularly, especially as climate change has large impacts on Europe’s soils. Land use and land cover changes need to be quantified in order to prioritise corrective actions. The Commission’s LUCAS soil initiative is the only monitoring system that provides harmonised and systematic in-field measurements for all Member States. LUCAS’ update frequency (currently every 3 years) must be complemented with more frequent information sources for the purposes of effective soil monitoring to enable urgent change. Extended time lags between information updates can reduce the room for maneuver and response to change may come too late when there has already been considerable damage to the soil causing important harm to biodiversity and agricultural land and leading to desertification. This threatens the success of Europe’s soils strategy. Harmonised and timely information across all EU Member States is needed for the strategy to succeed as targeted. Having access to harmonised maps at a monthly or quarterly cadence will be crucial, enabling the timely identification of important changes such as soil nutrient losses, peatland losses and biodiversity loss as well as monitoring practices such as reduced tillage which can improve soil health. Earth Observation data as an objective and cost-effective data source is an essential tool to build the necessary frequent and informative soil monitoring systems. Copernicus data must be at the center of these efforts; however, existing complementary commercial datasets also play an important role in improving the frequency (temporal resolution) and detail (spatial and spectral resolution) of the data provided. It will be beneficial at the Commission and Member State level to lead the way in establishing measurement and reporting tools and make use of effective and available satellite systems that provide access to daily data and vast historical archives to monitor the health of the EU’s soils and in turn also support efforts globally.
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Meeting with Barbara Glowacka (Cabinet of Commissioner Kadri Simson)

24 Jan 2022 · Satelite capabilities

Meeting with Helena Braun (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans)

9 Sept 2021 · Implementation of the European Green Deal and the Earth observation potential

Meeting with Thierry Breton (Commissioner) and

11 May 2021 · Satellites and the EU Green Deal

Meeting with Helena Braun (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans)

17 Feb 2021 · European Green Deal and monitoring its implementation

Meeting with Marius Vascega (Cabinet of Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius)

3 Feb 2021 · Planet to present the "Earth observation satellite constellation", the potential of the data gathered to monitor effects of climate change and the environment; objectives of the Green Deal.

Meeting with Florika Fink-Hooijer (Director-General Environment)

15 Jan 2021 · space technology and space data

Meeting with Carlos Morais Pires (Cabinet of Commissioner Mariya Gabriel)

10 Dec 2020 · ERA

Meeting with Thierry Breton (Commissioner)

23 Nov 2020 · Planet recent launch of satellites

Meeting with Jorge Pinto Antunes (Cabinet of Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski)

12 Nov 2020 · To introduce Planet and discuss the role of earth observation in supporting the EU’s agriculture policy and environmental objectives.

Meeting with Nele Eichhorn (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager)

9 Nov 2020 · Introduce Planet and discuss EU space policy and the development of new technologies in the earth observation industry

Meeting with Timo Pesonen (Director-General Defence Industry and Space)

3 Nov 2020 · Videoconference to discuss on EU Space Policy.

Meeting with Roberto Viola (Director-General Communications Networks, Content and Technology)

28 Oct 2020 · Destination Earth initiative (video-meeting)

Response to Action Plan on synergies and cross-fertilisation between the civil, defence and space industries

20 Oct 2020

The sentiments of the proposed roadmap are laudable, however we would like to see a roadmap that addresses the short term and longer term issues. As it stands, the roadmap seems to be focussed on achieving the long term goal which risks neglecting the short term needs European businesses (both small and larger) who will be needed to support this vision. In our experience, the main issue that prevents civilian industry doing business with Governments and Militaries are the long (and therefore expensive) sales cycles. Overly prescriptive requirements (which invariably require significant subject matter understanding that is often the preserve of large Defence industries) and drawn out tendering processes render the opportunities for business fundamentally unattractive to small businesses and businesses who would normally not serve the Defence and Government markets. As we short term measure I would recommend a model that has proved effective Internationally whereby a commercial framework (which works best when administered by a commercial entity that has experience with commercial startups) that provides a commercial vehicle to contract work is combined with an Agile approach to contracting proof of concept (POC) work. This requires a new culture where stakeholders from Military and Government organisations who have a problem, a budget and are empowered to approve the expenditure are provided direct access to industry representatives in a collaborative environment to work on solutions. These collaborative workshops are completed with industrial partners together to rapidly understand the problem and propose solutions and tender a POC contract. In the long term we suggest that significant thought is given to the Cultural and structural barriers that prevent business from working with Government and military customers. These procurement methods tend to be outdated and designed solely for the procurement of complex military equipment. A more agile approach is required or digital applications where deliverables are more service-oriented. In addition, many applications are overly classified which limits the ability for industry to offer innovative solutions – minimising the use of high classification levels will reduce the barrier of entry for many small companies currently operating outside the market. It is also important to remember that space industries are not the same as defence industries, thus should not be treated in the same way. Space technology has a lot of a civilian use and is essential to many EU initiatives such as the European Green Deal, Destination Earth, CAP, emergencies, and many more. We cannot be putting the same procurement restrictions on the procurement of space technologies as we are putting on defence technologies.
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Meeting with Anthony Whelan (Cabinet of President Ursula von der Leyen)

9 Oct 2020 · Digital issues (satellite data for Green Deal or for research, open data)

Meeting with Helena Braun (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans)

7 Oct 2020 · Green Deal policies and satellite data monitoring possibilities

Meeting with Mauro Raffaele Petriccione (Director-General Climate Action)

29 Sept 2020 · Earth observation data to inform climate policy

Response to Setting up an Infrastructure for Spatial Information (INSPIRE) - Evaluation of the Directive

15 Sept 2020

Geodata is the core element of digitization in the public domain. Frequent high-resolution satellite data is also a catalyst in climate and environmental research. With access to commercial data, the EU should remove the hurdles that stand in the way of the contemporary use of daily satellite data. It should replace cumbersome procurement procedures for hundreds of individual and pilot projects with a central service. It should create prerequisites for using geospatial applications with satellite data in the daily operations of authorities. That will open up new research opportunities to scientists with access to worldwide data sets. In addition, start-ups will be encouraged to develop innovative software solutions. Given that there is an urgency to act, commercial frequent EO monitoring needs to be considered as an important tool for meeting the European Green Deal objectives. The European Commission should continue to recognise the strategic role space and Earth observation play in meeting European and global challenges, such as sustainability and climate change. The remote sensing sector is committed to leveraging its infrastructure and offering our tools and insight to help decision-makers navigate through this crisis. Green transition needs to be data-driven and development must be evidence-based. EO data is a perfect tool to ensure that defined EU Green Deal indicators are reported in an accurate and timely manner. Coverage: The ability of EO to monitor the whole Earth and provide measurements every day is unprecedented in comparison to any other technology or methodology, in-situ or aerial. Data is collected on all scales from global, national to regional and local. It includes remote areas, hard to be reached by humans and vehicles, that e.g. might have a huge importance for ecosystems. Cadence and timeliness: Commercial data can be collected every day, up to 12x a day on a global scale. It gives a detailed situational awareness and enables identification and monitoring of natural and man-made phenomena as they occur, so that smart decisions might be made to prevent negative consequences of emergency situations. Continuity and comparability over time: Commercial EO data have been collected in a continuous and ensured way since many years (pre Sentinel). The rich archive of data that is processed using AI and machine-learning delivers powerful information about the past trends, present situation and allows us to predict the future. In addition, EO data are compatible with other sources of data, incl. survey and inventory and provide the most-appealing information interface in form of a map. Costs optimization: EO data are significantly lower cost than ground-based monitoring and reduce the need for frequency of surveys, respondent burden and other costs needed for informed decision making. Ethical way of measurements: Civil satellites even in Very High Resolution (VHR) do not cause any ethical or privacy violation issues. Data of this kind, and at this scale, has never existed before—and more people are becoming educated on the technology’s importance and historical significance. Our ecosystems are changing, the cities are growing, supply chains are global, extreme weather is increasing, and our clean air and fresh water commons are under threat. The EU community needs to take action to create a sustainable tomorrow, and our data and tools can contribute to that positive change.
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Response to Commission Delegated Regulation amending Annex IV to the LULUCF Regulation

14 Sept 2020

Accounting for the emissions and removals from forestry and other land use sectors within European Union climate policy is critical to its integrity and effectiveness. Globally, forestry and other land use sectors (AFOLU) account for ~20% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Appropriately measuring an mitigating these emission sources is critical to effective climate action, and also ensures the sustainable stewardship of forestry, agriculture, and other natural resources. Regulation (EU) 2018/841 (Greenhouse gas emissions from land use / forestry - CO2 offsets) has the potential to spur sustainable innovation, job creation, and economic opportunity in European Union member states. Measuring, reporting, and verifying forestry- and other land use related emissions and sequestration requires technical innovation and execution, including the application of Earth observation and remote sensing technologies, ground data acquisition, and analyses. Regulation (EU) 2018/841 therefore has the potential to not only meet climate policy objectives, but also create sustainable innovation and economic opportunity in fields as diverse as: research, science, and education; Earth observation and remote sensing; data science and analyses; agriculture, forestry, and resource management. The implementation of Regulation (EU) 2018/841 can learn from and build on the work of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Emissions sinks and sources in Agriculture, Forestry, and Other Land Uses (AFOLU) have been a part of international climate policies for years, particularly advancing Measurement, Reporting, and Verification methodologies for Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+). In this sense, the EU would not need to ‘re-invent the wheel’ but could instead continue to advance proven science and policy for global climate solutions.
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Meeting with Anthony Whelan (Cabinet of President Ursula von der Leyen)

8 Jul 2020 · Relevance of Planet Labs satellite imaging to complement Copernicus Sentinel (resolution, frequency) in supporting policy on sustainability, biodiversity, agriculture, security. Relevance to open data policy.

Meeting with Elżbieta Bieńkowska (Commissioner) and

20 Jun 2019 · Aerospace Industry