GALILEO involves Europe in a new generation of satellite-navigation services
It will take an investment of between 2.2 and 2.95 billion euro to create a new generation of satellite-navigation services for Europe, according to the European Commission. The Council of the European Union has taken note of the presentation by Commissioner Neil Kinnock of a Commission Communication entitled "GALILEO - Involving Europe in a New Generation of Satellite Navigation Services", which was forwarded to the Council on 5 March 1999. In 1994, the Council adopted a Resolution on the European contribution to the development of a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). The Commission's Communication entitled "Towards a trans-European Positioning and Navigation Network including a European strategy for Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS)", submitted to the Council last March, set out a strategy of which the "Tripartite agreement between the Community, ESA (European Space Agency) and Eurocontrol on GNSS" constitutes a first step. This tripartite agreement was signed last June. Satellite navigation is using data transmitted by Earth-orbiting spacecraft to pinpoint the location of aircraft, ships, trucks in transport, etc., along with a host of applications, to an accuracy within metres. In the near future, satellite navigation will be a part of daily life: - To improve the efficiency of public transport and emergency services, such as ambulance, police and fire brigade; - To be applied to all phases of flight to improve safety and services in aviation; - To enable a highly accurate navigation for boats and ships; - To explore new oil and gas finds; - Even to allow for a precise distribution of fertilizers by using satellite position-reporting systems. Two satellite-based navigation systems are operational today: the US's Global Positioning System (GPS) and Russia's Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS). Both are military networks, each based on constellations of 24 operational satellites. Europe's involvement in satellite navigation has a two-fold objective: - To enhance GPS-based and GLONASS-based services; - To ensure that Europe has a role to play in developing the next generation of systems and services. The European programme is multi-modal and multi-sectoral in scope; the resulting navigation and positioning services will be available to all potential users, notably in the air, maritime and land-transport sectors. The evolution of GNSS is expected to occur in two phases. The first is a transitional step that builds on the existing GPS and GLONASS systems. This phase, known as GNSS-1, will augment the current GPS-GLONASS signals available to the public to provide improved availability, accuracy and integrity. This augmentation is called an "overlay", and the European programme is known as the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS). The second-phase GNSS-2 - now called GALILEO- would be a second-generation satellite-navigation system, which includes satellites, user and ground equipment. This project, which would free the Community from dependence on US and Russian systems, would contribute to the implementation of a trans-European positioning and navigation network. It would enable a development of sustainable and safe mobility for persons and goods, one of the fundamental objectives of the Common Transport Policy. This strategy would also support other Community policies, such as those for employment, industry, environment, cohesion and co-operation and development. Full implementation of GALILEO would be expected over the period 2000-2008. The Commission estimates an investment will be needed of between 2.2 and 2.95 billion euro, which would be covered by public-private partnership.