Transport Council mandate on global navigation satellite system
Meeting in Luxembourg on 17 and 18 June 1996, the Council of EU Transport Ministers gave the European Commission a mandate to open negotiations with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation (EUROCONTROL) on the European contribution to the establishment of a global navigation satellite system (GNSS). This would enable Europe to provide a satellite navigation service which fulfils the needs of civilian users, independently of other radio navigation and radio-positioning systems. The Council also requested the Commission and the Committee of Permanent Representatives to proceed with work on aviation safety and air traffic management in parallel, and granted the Commission a mandate to open negotiations with the USA on aviation relations. In addition, the Council discussed the Commission's recent communications on public transport (citizens' networks), on fair transport pricing, in respect of the environmental and other hidden costs of transport, and on a new maritime strategy.