Luxembourg, 07/04/2008 (Agence Europe) - The transport ministers of EU member states reached a general approach on Monday 7 April on the proposal for a regulation on the further implementation of the European satellite radionavigation programmes, EGNOS and Galileo. The proposal for a regulation is strengthened by a joint statement by Parliament, Council and Commission establishing the interinstitutional panel on Galileo (see EUROPE 9635). Last week's consensus on this panel allowed a compromise to be reached setting out a strict division between the institutions involved in the programme (European Commission, Supervisory Authority, European Space Agency).
The Council's decision is a “step towards implementation of Galileo”, the Slovenian transport minister and president-in-office of the Transport Council, Radovan Zerjav, told the press. Nonetheless, implementation of the programme must be preceded by the conclusion of a multi-annual delegation agreement between the European Commission and the European Space Agency. The contract, which could be concluded in coming months, must specify the breakdown of tasks between the two institutions.
During the public deliberations, the vice-president of the European Commission, Jacques Barrot, welcomed the conclusion of this political agreement which satisfies the “three institutions” (Parliament, Commission and Council). He said it should be possible for the European Parliament to adopt the regulation during the April session in Strasbourg (21 to 24 April). The European transport commissioner has, moreover, announced that the second satellite of the system (GIOVE B) will be placed in orbit on 26 April from the Baïkonour cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The satellite will be controlled from the signals control centre in Fucino, Italy. Italy, for its part, has commented the text, recalling the procedure for allocating Galileo implementation contracts: the system is divided into six main segments open to competition, each in line with the principle that contracts cannot be accumulated (at least 40% of the activity should be made available to companies without links with the main contractors). Secretary of State for Transport Andrea Annunziata said during the debate that, with such a market structure, there was the risk of bringing in elements that hamper the way programmes work. He therefore called on the Commission to show proof of “vigilance”.
In addition to financing and governance (which have already been the subject of an agreement between institutions), the regulation calls on the Commission to present, by 2010 at the latest, a proposal for financing both programmes (Galileo and EGNOS) as of 2014. The Commission is also invited to establish conditions for an eventual public-private partnership during the system's operational phase (after 2013). The regulation also establishes a committee that will help the Commission as well as a group of experts for programme safety. The European Parliament's industry committee will take a stance on the text on Tuesday 8 April. (A.By.)