| ESPI - The European Space Policy Institute |
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bridges vol. 9, April 2006 / Institutions & Organizations by Irene Eckart Vienna, Schwarzenbergplatz 6, Palais Fanto - a neoclassical Ringstraßenpalais, formerly seat of the Austrian Federal Alcohol Monopoly. This, rather unexpectedly, is the place from which the European Space Policy Institute (ESPI) provides Europe with an independent source of policy analysis with respect to the needs, capabilities, and long-term perspectives in space. Austria is unlikely to show up on anybody's short list for space powers, and Vienna is not the first place to look for a think tank devoted to space issues. Nevertheless, the country's geographical situation in the heart of Europe makes it attractive for a variety of international organizations with space involvement: the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the Wessenar Arrangement on export controls for conventional arms and dual-use goods and technologies, and - the youngest of them all - ESPI.
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