MEPs back Galileo but call for withdrawal of private sector from joint undertaking
The European Parliament gave its backing to the Galileo satellite navigation project in a vote on 7 February, but expressed opposition to the inclusion of private companies in the joint undertaking which will head development of the initiative. By adopting a report by German MEP Norbert Glante, the Parliament gave its backing to the system, designed to rival the Glonass and GPS systems of Russia and the USA. However, MEPs are dissatisfied with the Commission's proposal that private companies could become actual members of the Galileo joint undertaking. They believe a conflict of interest would arise if private companies were directly involved in the undertaking, and want to restrict membership to the founding members, the European Communities and the European space agency (ESA), with possible future involvement by the European Investment Bank (EIB). If the private sector is to be involved in the joint undertaking, MEPs are suggesting that a development company be set up to guarantee regular and institutionalised exchanges between the private sector and the undertaking, and to publicise the Galileo programme among users and the general public. MEPs also want to set up a monitoring committee to oversee the joint undertaking and enable Member States and the Commission to supervise the programme's content and funding. The committee would monitor the implementation of the development phase and deal with privacy and security aspects of the system. The Parliament also adopted an amendment saying that the administrative board of the joint undertaking may seek the advice of an advisory panel of expert business developers, which is to be established to offer impartial advice to prepare the ground for Galileo's joint undertaking. In addition, MEPs called for the seat of the Galileo joint undertaking to be decided with reference to the taxation system in the potential country of location. They also emphasise that the joint undertaking should not exclude the possibility of using the Galileo system for military application in the form of peacekeeping missions.