> Europe runs its space programme
Different Europe. The ESA is is not an EU agency so it runs by its own rules, its members include several non-EU countries, it has a non-European "cooperating state" and its funding is direct from member states.
https://www.esa.int/About_Us/Corporate_news/Member_States_Co...
Which are the non-member states still? Is that post Brexit UK and Norway (the EEA member)?
Full details here: https://www.esa.int/About_Us/Corporate_news/Member_States_Co...
Also, not all EU states are ESA member states.
Canada is on the ESA governing council, and takes part in projects.
In the context of Eu grants being discussed in this thread, its financing arrangements are very different from those, so its irrelevant to discussing the effectiveness or not of those.