Green Light For
Establishment Of European Satellite Navigation System Galileo
(23 April 2008) The European
Parliament gave its backing to Galileo's deployment phase which paves the way
for the European satellite radio navigation system to be operational by
2013.
Parliament's rapporteur Etelka Barsi-Pataky (EPP-ED, HU)
said: Galileo will be the first common European infrastructure. Galileo and
EGNOS are made-in-Europe programmes and no programmes of a particular Member
State or a particular company. This project is a step towards a stronger
Europe."
A new regulation lays down security requirements for Galileo
and the European Geostationary Satellite Navigation Service (EGNOS), to be
managed by the Commission and the European Global Navigation Satellite System
Supervisory Authority. Galileo infrastructure contracts will be put out to
competitive tender.
The deployment phase, in which all space and
ground-based infrastructure is to be established, will run from 2008 to 2013.
The exploitation phase will follow. The compromise text, negotiated with
Council and Commission in informal meetings, took on board most of the
amendments proposed by the Industry committee on 29 January.
The text
was adopted by 607 votes in favour with 36 votes against and 8
abstentions.
Controlled access to security
technologies
The amended regulation asks the European Commission to
lay down the main technical requirements for controlling access to the
technologies that provide security to Galileo and EGNOS. Member States should
adopt national security regulations that guarantee at least the same level of
protection for EU classified information on the two programmes as is required
for the industrial security of EURATOM, says the new text. If the operation of
the systems should pose a risk to the security of the EU or the Member States,
joint action should be taken under the Common Foreign and Security
Policy.
European GNSS Supervisory Authority will monitor security
procedures
Following MEPs' criticism that the role of the European
GNSS Supervisory Authority (GSA) was not clearly set out in the Commission
proposal for the deployment phase, the agency's tasks were
revised.
Originally designed to be the licensing authority for private
undertakings within the public-private partnership first planned, the GSA will
now instead monitor the implementation of security procedures and perform
system security audits. The authority's tasks will also include the preparation
of the commercialisation of the systems, including market analysis. The
Commission is asked to formally align the structures for the programmes'
management with the GSA's new role.
The compromise also took on board
the European Parliament's call for the Commission to guarantee the protection
of personal data and privacy by integrating it into Galileo's technical
set-up.
Guarantee fair competition and minimise dependence on one
supplier
The regulation will also stipulate public procurement
rules. Infrastructure contracts will be split into six main packages (system
engineering support, ground mission infrastructure completion, ground control
infrastructure completion, satellites, launchers and operations) and additional
work packages. The competitive tendering of all packages should take place in a
single procedure and any one company or group may bid for no more than two of
the six main work packages.
In order to prevent any possible abuse of
dominance or long-term dependency on single suppliers, the amended text takes
up the European Parliament's suggestion to apply dual sourcing - i.e. using two
different suppliers for one product. The aim of this procurement procedure is
to improve the overall control of programme, cost and schedule. Moreover, at
least 40% of the total value of the activities should be subcontracted to
companies which do not belong to the prime contractor of any of the main work
packages, says another adopted EP amendment.
High-quality services at
fair prices
Galileo's deployment phase, which runs until 2013, will
be entirely funded by the EU, which, by investing Euro3.4 billion, will become
"the owner of all tangible and intangible assets created or developed under the
programmes". Member States, third countries or international organisations may
provide additional funding.
In 2010, the Commission should table a
proposal on the public funds and commitments needed for the exploitation phase
over the next financial programming period, starting in 2014, says the
compromise text. This proposal would also have to include a revenue-sharing
mechanism and objectives for a pricing policy to guarantee that customers
receive high-quality services at fair prices adds the text.
Galileo
Inter-institutional Panel
Given the uniqueness of the programmes and
the Community's ownership of the satellite radio navigation systems,
Parliament, Council and Commission agreed to set up a new inter-institutional
framework, the Galileo Inter-institutional Panel (GIP) which will be composed
of three representatives each of the Council and the Parliament, and one
representative of the Commission. The GIP will follow closely the
implementation of the GNSS programmes, the international agreements with third
countries, and the preparation of the satellite navigation
markets.
Next steps
In the course of the on-going
In-Orbit-Validation phase a first set of experimental Galileo satellites will
be launched. The first of these satellites, GIOVE-A, was successfully launched
in December 2005; the launch of GIOVE-B from the Baikonur cosmodrome in
Kazakhstan is planned for this Sunday 27 April 2008, 00:15. Thereafter, four
out of the 30 Galileo satellites will be launched to validate the functioning
of space and related ground infrastructure.
(source: European
Parliament)
