EC Assesses GALILEO Satellite Radio Navigation Programme
June 12, 2006
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The European Commission (EC) adopted a communication taking stock of the GALILEO satellite radio navigation programme. The communication outlines the key components of this ambitious European project and includes an updated timetable for its implementation. It will be sent to the European Parliament, the European Union (EU) Council of Ministers, the Economic and Social Council, and the Committee of the Regions.
"GALILEO is perfectly in line with the Lisbon growth strategy. It is the largest industrial project ever organised on a European scale, the first European public-private partnership, the first European public infrastructure. The project will generate jobs as well as innovation and improvement for European citizens," said EC Vice President Jacques Barrot.
As of 2010, the 30 satellites in the planned constellation will provide optimum coverage throughout the world, offering positioning accuracy to within approximately a metre. The range of the five GALILEO services will be capable of meeting the needs of all potential users, wherever they may be in the world. The five services are the open service, commercial service, safety-of-life service, search and rescue service, and public regulated service (PRS) - the governmental service.
The communication goes on to examine the main elements of the programme:
- The installation of the space and ground infrastructure began on Dec. 28, 2005 with the launch of the first experimental satellite, GIOVE A.
- Since the beginning of 2006, negotiations for the system concession contract have entered a decisive phase. The candidate for the concession is a consortium with the following eight members: Aena (ES), Alcatel (FR), EADS (FR/D), Finmeccanica (I), Hispasat (ES), Inmarsat (UK), Thales (FR) and TeleOp (D). The critical aspects of the negotiations should be decided by the end of 2006. This will be followed by the procedure of budgetary authority approval and financial verification ("due diligence"). The contract is expected to be finalised in 2007.
- The Supervisory Authority, the European agency tasked with managing the public interests connected with the European global satellite navigation system (GNSS) programmes and acting as regulatory authority for them, is being set up quickly. A number of member states have already expressed interest in hosting the authority.
- The EC has also proposed that the activities of the GALILEO joint undertaking be transferred to the Supervisory Authority and that the joint undertaking should wind up its operations by Dec. 31, 2006. Procedures to do so are underway.
- At the same time, the EC is making ready for future GALILEO applications by actively undertaking research under European R&D programmes.
- The EGNOS system, which was the precursor to GALILEO, is now in operation and has successfully passed its first operational readiness review.
- Of the five services offered by GALILEO, PRS is restricted to the use of EU or member state public bodies. Access to the service is restricted for security reasons. The policy on access to the public regulated service is currently being drawn up.
- The EC is also committed to promoting the use of satellite radio navigation. At the end of the year, it is to present a green paper on GALILEO applications. A number of European legislative texts have already recommended the use of satellite radio navigation in a variety of sectors.
- It is still too early to determine the precise share of programme funding to be borne by the European Community budget. The exact amounts that will ultimately be fixed for the duration of the concession – a period of 20 years – will depend on the risk-sharing arrangements determined by the concession contract negotiations.
- International cooperation is an essential component of GALILEO, which is designed for worldwide use. Cooperation agreements have been concluded with China, Israel, the U.S., Ukraine, India, Morocco and South Korea. Others are in preparation.
An outline of the phases of the GALILEO programme and its updated timetable are appended to the communication (COM (2006) 272). For further information on GALILEO, see the GALILEO European Satellite Navigation System and the European Space Agency's Navigation web pages.
Source: European Commission.