Brussels, 04/04/2005 (Agence Europe) - On Monday, the European Commission adopted a proposal by written procedure calling on the Council for its approval to start negotiations with Argentina with a view to concluding a cooperation agreement relating to the European satellite radio-navigation system, Galileo. After the EU-Latin America summit in May 2004, several countries of the region had noted their interest in taking part in Galileo. Bilateral meetings in Buenos Aires mid December had led Argentina to officially express interest in cooperating in the European satellite radio-navigation system (see EUROPE N.8893). The agreement that the Commission envisages with Argentina is of the same kind as those already concluded with China and Israel. “Preliminary talks identified possible cooperation in the areas of market development, industrial applications, ground segments, and possibly also satellite elements, training, regional and local augmentation systems”, a Commission press release states. The Commission intends to begin talks with Argentina as soon as the Council has approved its proposal, the press release goes on to say.
Argentina is not the only country that the Commission hopes to see take part in the Galileo system. During the month of April, it hopes to receive the Council's green light for opening negotiations with Morocco, a European Commission source told EUROPE, adding that the Commission is also preparing a request for a mandate for opening talks with South Korea, which has officially expressed interest in taking part in the European system. Discussions, moreover, are underway with Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Malaysia and Australia. An information day is expected to be held in Malaysia at the end of April, to explain all the ins and outs of the Galileo programme to the Malaysian authorities, the same source states. In parallel, the Commission is pursuing talks with a view to concluding cooperation agreements with Russia, India and Ukraine. Whilst the agreements with India and Ukraine are “about to be initialled”, discussions are still underway with Russia, the same source added. As was the case with the United States, an agreement with Russia will require compatibility between the future European system and the Russian system, GLONASS.