[6] The main mission of Eutelsat was the design, development, construction, operation and maintenance of the space segment for international public telecommunications services in Europe.

Eutelsat started by providing space segment capacity for basic telecommunications and audio-visual services and rapidly expanded its activities to the provision of services for analogue and digital television, radio broadcasting, business telecommunications, multimedia communications, messaging and positioning in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and the American continent.

On 2 July 2001, all assets, liabilities and operational activities of the intergovernmental organisation were transferred to Eutelsat S.A., a private company established in Paris for this purpose.

[7] Since its restructuring in 2001, the structure, role, mission and activities of Eutelsat IGO have evolved to reflect developments in the fields of regulation, technology and markets for Fixed Satellite Services.

Since June 2008, Eutelsat IGO has also held permanent Observer status with the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS).

[15][16] In addition, Eutelsat IGO holds Observer status in Regional Commonwealth (RCC) in the field of communications, an association of several former Soviet republics, which are now independent states.