The EU executive said it will study the implications of the plans, unveiled by US President George W. Bush, for projects in which it participates, in particular the international projects such as the International Space Station.

"Space exploration is an area which lends itself excellently to international scientific cooperation .. So we welcome the call by President Bush for international cooperation," said EU research chief Philippe Busquin.

But he added: "Certain elements of the new strategy seem to indicate the discontinuity of current international cooperation projects, such as the International Space Station (ISS)."

A spokesman for the commissioner said Washington had indicated that US participation in some international space projects, in particular the ISS, "might be reviewed and possibly discontinued in the next few years."

"We are a little bit worried about this trend, and we'd like to see more international cooperation in this field instead of less," the spokesman, Fabio Fabbi, told AFP.

The cash-gobbling ISS has been a source of strain between the European Space Agency and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Europe has been dismayed by NASA's huge cost over-runs with the ISS.

Bush made his announcement at NASA headquarters in Washington on Wednesday, notably holding out the hand to other countries in achieving the goal.

The commission spokesman said Brussels wants a bit more explanation about references to the intention of the US to discontinue participation in some projects, adding that its concerns were not limited to funding problems.

"It's also on the technological and scientific side," said Fabbi, adding that: "We are also a little bit worried about the defence angle."

He pointed out that the US Defense Department is one of the world's major space players, adding that there "is a strong link in the space sector between the civilian research effort and the defence, military space research ability."

He declined to comment further, but an EU source explained that Brussels is concerned that Washington might be preparing to switch its emphasis towards space research with military-related ends.

"There might be the risk that the US goes it alone, but they put too much emphasis on developing military spinoffs from this drive into space," said the source, requesting anonymity.

The Brussels commissioner referred to a policy paper unveiled by Brussels last November which indicated that the expanding EU -- which is to grow from 15 to 25 states in May -- could launch its own bold push into space.

In the policy paper, called "Space: A New European Frontier for an Expanding Union", the EU executive called for an independent EU presence for space research, security and exploration.

The spokesman noted that the European Union, which is keen to develop such technologies as satellites to monitor crisis zones and to counter terrorist threats, cooperates with Russia and China on space research, as well as the US.

"There has to be competititon but (there) has to be cooperation as well. We have to work together," he said.

"We will analyze with the European Space Agency the implications of the new American strategy," added Busquin.

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