Commission reviews progress on Galileo
The European Commission has adopted a communication reviewing progress on the development of Galileo, the European satellite navigation system. The Galileo project was officially launched in March 2002, and the Commission's communication takes stock of what has been achieved since then. Specifically, the document covers progress in areas such as international cooperation, technical development, and project management. Giving her verdict on the report, Loyola de Palacio, Commission Vice President with responsibility for the project, said: 'Everything is now in place to be able to move on to the deployment and operation phases in accordance with the planned deadlines, i.e. before the end of the decade.' As a general conclusion, the communication states that 'the advances made both in terms of the development of the system and its applications and in terms of international cooperation have been considerable.' The only remaining element of doubt relates to exactly how much of the estimated 2.1 billion euro required for the deployment phase of the project will eventually be borne by the private sector. The aim is that a system concession holder, consisting of a consortium of private companies, will provide the majority of this sum, and the communication notes that all four concession bids submitted would meet this objective. However, the Commission says that an 'irrevocable commitment' by the Council to the project would help to achieve this aim. Switching its attention to other areas, the communication concludes that the development phase of the project, which extends from 2002 to 2005, is progressing as planned. On the technical side, the first two experimental Galileo satellites have been ordered and should be operational by summer 2006, and the EGNOS system, designed to stimulate the development of satellite navigation services, has been 'gradually completed'. Furthermore, contracts for research and development projects related to Galileo have also been signed, following the first call for proposals under the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6). The international dimension of the project is covered in detail in the communication, and positive conclusions are drawn on the progress made to date. Initiatives are in place to ensure the participation of the new EU Member States in the project from 1 May, and a cooperation agreement has been concluded with the People's Republic of China. The Commission reveals that contacts with other major regions of the world are 'intensifying', and insists that negotiations relating to a cooperation agreement with the United States, one of its main priorities, will soon be concluded. Contacts have also been initiated with regions of the world such as the Mediterranean, Latin America and Africa, all of which are expected to be key users of the EGNOS and Galileo systems. Finally, the communication welcomes the recent establishment of the Galileo Joint Undertaking, which will oversee the development phase of the project, as well as the 'good progress' made in discussions within the Council on the future management structure and Supervisory Authority. The Commission concludes by calling on the Council to turn these discussions into legislative decisions 'without delay', and asks both the Council and the European Parliament to confirm guidelines that they have previously issued allowing the European Space Agency (ESA) to draw up the technical options that it has already adopted.