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23.04.2008

Today’s European Parliament ‘yes’ vote - a decisive step forwards in the EU’s implementation of the Galileo project

The Slovenian Presidency of the EU Council welcomes the result of today’s plenary session vote in the European Parliament in Strasbourg in favour of adopting the text of the ‘Galileo Implementing Regulation’, which lays down the legal basis for the implementation of both European Global Navigation Satellite Systems, defines the amount required for financing the EGNOS and Galileo programmes and establishes a management structure for the project. The European Union has thereby taken a decisive step forwards in establishing its own satellite navigation system.

“We are sending a clear signal to Europe and the whole world that we are still firmly committed to providing every citizen and enterprise in Europe with a high-quality satellite navigation service by 2013. New jobs will be created and Europe will claim its rightful place alongside the technologically most developed world powers,” stated the current President of the EU Transport Council, Slovenian Minister of Transport, Radovan Žerjav, on the occasion of the final adoption of the Regulation.

Today’s adoption of the Regulation in the European Parliament was a decisive endorsement of the resolve, expressed unanimously several times, that Europe should continue to develop the Galileo programme as it represents the greatest technological challenge for the European Union in terms of providing its own satellite navigation system and helps speed up the development of European industry in the field of satellite navigation.

The budget for the implementation of the entire European Global Navigation Satellite System (the European GNSS Programme), which consists of the Galileo programme and the EGNOS programme, amounts to EUR 3.4 billion for the period 2007-2008. It has so far been envisaged that during its establishment phase Galileo will be fully financed from EU public funds, although financial contributions from Member States and non-EU countries have not been excluded.

The European Commission is responsible for the establishment and operation of the project, while in the implementation phase it will be assisted by the GSA Agency and the European Space Agency. The project, which will be 100% owned by the European Union, will be under the direct political supervision of the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament, with the assistance of an informal body named GIP (Galileo Interinstitutional Panel.)

The Slovenian EU Council Presidency wishes to express its thanks to the European Parliament for its exceptional efforts to achieve an agreement resulting in today’s decision. In this context, it would like to highlight the constructive cooperation between all three EU institutions in harmonising the text of the Regulation. It is an important and complex proposal and today’s European Parliament decision proves again how important effective and coordinated action by all three EU institutions is for reaching the goals of the Community.

 

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Date: 25.04.2008