The European contribution to the SPICA project, is part of ESA's program Cosmic Vision 2015–2025 which is the current cycle of ESA's long-term planning for space science missions.

SPICA is a JAXA/ISAS led observatory, with a cooperation from ESA. It is proposed that ESA procures the telescope assembly, a ground station, contributes to the science operations and provides the SAFARI instrument.

The prime science goals of SPICA are:

Formation and evolution of planetary systems: Gas and dust in proto-planetary discs, including water, and their link to planetary formation; mineralogy of debris discs; gas exoplanets atmospheres; composition of Kuiper Belt objects.
Life cycle of dust: Physics and chemistry of gas and dust in the Milky Way and in nearby galaxies; dust mineralogy; dust processing in supernova remnants and the origin of interstellar dust in the early Universe.
Formation and evolution of galaxies: AGN/starburst connection over cosmic time and as a function of the environment; co-evolution of star formation and super-massive black holes; star-formation and mass assembly history of galaxies in relation with large scale structures; the nature of the Cosmic Infrared Background.

French participation to SPICA mission consists in providing:

the SAFARI Detector Control Unit (IRAP)
the 50 mk cooler and its electronics (CEA)
some elements of the science ground segment (TBD)