Civilian Uses of Galileo to be Debated at Conference

June 20, 2008 // Published as a news service by IHS

The conference has the following goals:

• To mobilize public actors and corporations on the very wide scope of services that will be provided by Galileo.
• To alert civil society to the technological superiority of Galileo over the Global Positioning System (GPS).
• To gather the expectations of civil society as far as individual and collectives services are concerned.
• To draw the financial services communities' attention on the considerable investment needs called for by these new developments.

On April 28, the European Council of Ministers successfully negotiated a regulation allowing the continuation of the Galileo and the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) programs.

This regulation outlines a timetable and an industrial tendering plan, as well as a clear division of roles and responsibilities between the three European Union (EU) institutions involved.

The regulation opens up a new phase geared not only to the realization of the system itself, but also to the optimal use and application of the global navigation satellite system.

Hosted by the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, and co-organized with Business Bridge Europe, the June 24 conference will focus on the economic, business and societal aspects of Galileo.

Keynote speakers will come from several government and industry organizations, including the EU, the European Investment Bank, and the European Space Agency.

For more information, see the web page for the Conference on the Civilian Applications of Galileo.

Source: European Commission.