The collaboration agreement between CERN and ESA, signed in July 2019, addresses the challenge of operating in harsh radiation environments found in both particle-physics facilities and outer space. This first protocol of the CERN-ESA Cooperation Framework concerns radiation environments, technologies and facilities with potential applications in both space systems and particle physics experiments or accelerators. Two projects related to radiation testing in CERN facilities for ESA space missions have already achieved important results. In October 2019, four more projects started, with the aim of addressing assessment strategies for commercial off-the-shelf (COTS), in-orbit technology demonstrators, development of radiation detectors, monitors and dosimeters and simulation tools for radiation effects. These activities will continue and, as new challenges emerge, they will be dealt with under the coordination of the CERN-ESA Committee on Radiation Issues.