Brussels, 10/12/2004 (Agence Europe) - The Transport Council on Thursday gave the green light to the launch of the deployment and operations phases of the European satellite navigation system Galileo. The Council also confirmed the technical characteristics of Galileo and the five type of service that will be provided, along with the EU's commitment to contribute funding for getting the first two phases up and running. Transport Commissioner Jacques Barrot said this was a historic council and an irrevocable commitment by Member States to continue with the Galileo programme.
In its conclusions, the Council notes that several criteria have been met enabling continuation of the Galileo programme and hence approves moving to the deployment and commercial operations phases of the programme as long as there is a sharing of risk, including the end costs, which is acceptable to the public sector. The Council confirms that the five services to be provided are an open service, a commercial service, a search and rescue service and a regulated public service.
Without quoting figures at this stage (the Commission has already suggested EUR 1 bn for the two phases from the future Financial Perspectives), the Council confirmed its interest in the two phases which will translate into a financial contribution from the EU for the period from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2013. Barrot said that although the Council had not made an explicit commitment, it would be paradoxical for the million euros not to be earmarked. Less direct, the President of the Council, Dutch minister Karla Peijs, said that it was a conditional commitment since the full costs may be too high for the public sector.
The Council also wants the Galileo joint venture to cease the selection procedure for the future operator of the system by the end of February 2005 and to ensure the contract is signed in 2005. It highlights the importance of pulling the stops out to make good the delays in the launch phase, in order to be able to start the operational phase in 2008. It also welcomed the involvement of third countries in the project and urged the Commission to unveil a directive without delay to facilitate the exchange of classified information among participants.