Galileo's future to be decided by autumn, say ministers
Meeting in Luxembourg on 8 June, EU transport ministers called on the European Commission to provide further details of alternative scenarios to finance Europe's satellite navigation project Galileo, including the various options for public funding. Ministers say they will be ready to take a decision on the project's future by early autumn. The Transport Council reaffirmed the value of the planned network of 30 Galileo satellites, which is intended to beam radio signals to receivers on the ground, enabling users to pinpoint exact locations. Ministers unanimously agreed that the project must go ahead as planned, with the deployment of the full system taking place before the end of 2012. 'With Galileo as a pillar of European space policy, we are underscoring Europe's efforts in the fields of space travel, advanced technology and innovation and ensuring European independence in this cutting-edge field,' said German Transport Minister Wolfgang Tiefensee. Galileo is a joint European Commission-European Space Agency (ESA) initiative, and was to be financed through a public-private partnership. But the project came up against a major setback in May, when the companies making up the Galileo consortium were unable to agree on how to share the financial risks involved in the project. To salvage the situation, the European Commission put forward a roadmap, outlining scenarios on how the project could be taken forward. The most realistic of these scenarios, according to the Commission, is that the public sector takes over the construction and launch of the system, and fills in the funding gap left by the failed private consortium. The question remains however as to where exactly in the public kitty the additional €2.4 billion will be found. To answer this question, ministers called upon the Commission to provide detailed alternative scenarios for the project's financing that cover all the public sector funding options. The Council also tasked the Commission with working out the public sector's implementation and procurement strategy and management structure, as well as concepts for the subsequent operation and exploitation of Galileo, involving the private sector where appropriate. These proposals will be tabled at the next Transport Council meeting, which is scheduled for September. Ministers said that they intend to make an 'integrated decision' about the funding and implementation of Galileo at that point. 'The Council and the Commission now have a reference framework for the future course of action in the implementation of Galileo, on which a decision is to be taken this autumn. I am optimistic that we will then create a good basis for avoiding further delays and keeping the financial burden on the public sector within limits,' said Mr Tiefensee.