At the Transport Council on Tuesday 5 December, European ministers are expected to adopt conclusions on the mid-term assessment of the Galileo and EGNOS programmes in which they will emphasise the need to guarantee “sufficient resources” for both.
The conclusions have been agreed, according to our sources. Ministers reaffirm they need to ensure continuity of the infrastructure at the continuance of the services, key conditions for the long term success of Galileo and EGNOS, the conclusions state. Ministers emphasise the importance of guaranteeing sufficient resources so that they can realise their full potential and create a positive, predictable investment climate in the downstream sector, before stating that there should be no prejudice to the next multiannual financial framework.
Ministers say that these programmes have a crucial role to play in guaranteeing the strategic independence for Europe in satellite radio-navigation and call on the European Commission to encourage independence with regard to the technologies that are essential for Galileo’s spatial at terrestrial infrastructure.
Ministers restate their desire to see all parts of the member states in Europe enjoying full coverage of EGNOS services and set a deadline of 2025 for this goal to be achieved. Here, too, they call for sufficient resources to be allocated.
In a letter to the European Commission sent in September, the European space industry called for the Galileo and EGNOS programmes to be allocated at least €7 billion to be able to support and develop services (see EUROPE 11882). In fact, the space budget has been cut back by €15 million (see EUROPE 11908) – a decision that will not be without consequences for the effectiveness of the programmes, according to a specialist source.
European preference and extended role for GSA. Ministers consider that European launchers should be given priority to complete the Galileo space infrastructure. They call for the Prague-based European GNSS agency (GSA), which is responsible for the management of the programmes, to be allocated sufficient resources and for particular emphasis to be placed on the search for a sustainable solution to ensure that the GSA’s human resources are appropriate to its responsibilities.
These conclusions follow on from those adopted by the member states at the Competitiveness Council on Friday 1 December which was devoted to space. In these conclusions, ministers also called for the continuity and future development of the programme to be guaranteed (see EUROPE 11913). (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)