Brussels, 16/03/2001 (Agence Europe) - Early next week, the European Commission hopes to secure the backing of industrialists in its efforts at convincing some of the more reluctant Member States to launch the second stage of the European satellite navigation project Galileo (see EUROPE of 12/13 March, p.8). A meeting which was held on Thursday between Commissioners de Palacio and Busquin, the President of the European Space Agency and the main industrialists involved in the project apparently allowed them to push forward with the idea of a letter signed by the private sector in which the latter would refer to their firm commitment to the project. The declaration is in the process of being drawn up, one of the questions being whether or not to mention quantified undertakings. The inclusion of the Galileo project on the agenda of the Stockholm Summit has still not been confirmed. "The Commission is stepping up the pressure to have it included on the agenda; nothing has yet been decided, but it could even be counterproductive, if the issue is not well prepared" a spokesperson for the Swedish Presidency explained, adding that "the Presidency is trying to find a solution".