GJU happy to proceed with joint Galileo concession
The Galileo Joint Undertaking (GJU) has confirmed that it will open negotiations on the Galileo concession contract with the Eurely and iNavSat consortia, on the basis of their joint proposal to manage the deployment and operational phases of Europe's satellite navigation system. Having first expressed an intention to submit a joint proposal in May 2005, analysis by the GJU showed that this would not pose difficulties with regard to public procurement or competition rules. The two consortia therefore submitted a joint bid on 20 June. A GJU statement on 27 June read: 'The evaluation of this joint proposal, compared to both individual offers, showed a significant reduction in the financial contribution from the public sector and an increase in the foreseen commercial revenue. It also complies with the foreseen timetable and will not lead to any delay in the programme.' Rainer Grohe, Executive Director of the GJU, added: 'The GJU's evaluation of the joint proposal clearly showed better value for the public, the overriding criterion in the decision making process. This can only be achieved with the merger, as the joint proposal combines complementarity and possibilities from the two consortia.' The GJU will now begin preparing for negotiations on the basis of the joint proposal, with the aim of concluding the process before the end of 2005. The core members of the Eurely consortium are Aena, Alcatel, Finmeccanica, and Hispasat, while the iNavSat includes EADS Space, Inmarsat and Thales.