Brussels, 17/06/2010 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 16 June, the European Parliament wound up the first reading debate on draft regulations on the management structures of the European satellite navigation programmes (report by Evzen Tosenovsky, ECR, Czech Republic) and the initial implementation (2011-2013) of the Earth observation satellite system, GMES (report by German Social Democrat Norbert Glante). With agreement having already been reached with the Council, the two texts are expected to be formally adopted without difficulty, something welcomed by European Industry Commissioner Antonio Tajani.
The Tosenovsky report, which was adopted by 623 votes to 36, with 6 abstentions, approves the main alterations proposed by the European Commission with regard to the European GNSS agency, which is responsible for the management of the EGNOS and Galileo satellite radionavigation programmes. This principally refers to changes brought about two years ago when it was decided to move from a public-private partnership to a purely public programme. As a consequence, the role of the Commission has been enhanced and Parliament has obtained a seat on the governing board of the management body, for which there is also a change of name. The GNSS supervision authority becomes the European GNSS Agency. The text introduces a full system of security procedures, with the creation of an independent authority responsible for security accreditation decisions. This accreditation committee, made up of representatives of member states and the Commission, will oversee the whole panoply of security procedures applicable to the various parts of the system, including the launch of the satellites, running the systems, the use of the protected signal (PRS) and the production of specific receivers required by the PRS.
In passing the Glante report (624 votes to 33, with 12 abstentions), Parliament subscribed to the compromise negotiated with the Council on putting in place an indicative financial envelope of €107 million for the initial phase of the GMES, which will be supplemented by €209 million from the EU seventh research framework programme's “space” theme. The text emphasises the contribution of the GMES to surveillance of the seas, the upper atmosphere and climate change and also in security (for example monitoring borders, surveillance of the oceans and supporting EU external action). (O.J./transl.rt)