The Protocol was signed in Moscow on September 24, 2010.
The Protocol expands the scope of privileges granted to the European Space Agency (ESA), a major intergovernmental organisation, and its Permanent Mission in Russia, with regard to exempting the agency from the payment of taxes.
The activities of the ESA are aimed at developing and implementing long-term space policy and coordinating the member states’ national space policies. The Agency plays a crucial role in the development of European strategy for the integration in science, technology, industry and the economy.
The ESA Permanent Mission in Russia fulfils an important function of maintaining on an ongoing basis the direct communication between the ESA and its contractors among European scientific organisations, and the Russian Federal Space Agency and the Russian space industry.