Luxembourg, 10/10/2013 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 10 October, the Transport Council adopted a general approach on the European Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) regulation to work out the new system of governance. Emphasis will be on the agency's ability to carry out different tasks independently, particularly the certification of European radio navigation security systems. The European Commissioner for Transport, Siim Kallas, welcomed this guarantee, which is accompanied by flexible agency operations. The German and Dutch delegations insisted in a statement that the Director-General of the agency should be elected by the Board of Directors on the basis of a list of candidates drawn up by the Commission but without having the right of veto on this appointment.
The Lithuanian Minister for Transport, Rimantas Sinkevicius, confirmed that negotiations with the European Parliament could begin on this basis and that an agreement in a first reading could rapidly be obtained. (MD/transl.fl)