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Parliament approves financing for the European satellite navigation programmes until 2020

Direct News Source

20-Nov-2013 The European Commission has welcomed today's approval by the European Parliament of the financing and governance of two European satellite navigation programmes: Galileo and EGNOS, for the period 2014-2020. Their total budget of € 7 billion will be used for the completion of the satellite navigation infrastructure, operations, necessary replenishment and replacement activities, development of fundamental elements such as Galileo-enabled chipsets or receivers and, most importantly, the provision of services. The responsibility for the progress of the programmes and their overall supervision will stay with the Commission. The European GNSS Agency will gradually assume responsibility for the operational management of the programmes while the European Space Agency will remain responsible for the deployment of Galileo, and the design and development of new generation of systems.

European Commission Vice President Antonio Tajani, Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship, said: "Galileo and EGNOS are an investment in our future. The opportunities and benefits that these systems will bring to the European economy and citizens are very significant. The overall economic impact of Galileo and EGNOS is estimated to be around € 90 billion over the next 20 years. In addition to the opening up of new business opportunities, also every day users will be able to enjoy increasingly accurate satellite navigation services with every new satellite launch."

European Parliament Legislative Resolution

Memo/13/718: Galileo, Europe's GPS, opens up business opportunities and makes life easier for citizens

Satellite navigation and the EU

Cost and benefits of the "European GPS

From now until 2020, the EU will spend € 7 billion on satellite navigation. But this investment will reap considerable rewards. Independent studies show that Galileo will deliver around € 90 billion to the EU economy over the first 20 years of operation.

Today, positioning and timing signals provided by satellite navigation systems are used in many critical areas of the economy, including power grid synchronization, electronic trading and mobile phone networks, effective road, sea and air traffic management, in-car navigation, search and rescue service to mention but a few examples.

Like the Internet, a global navigation satellite system is a service enabler rather than a standalone service. It acts as a catalyst for economic activities, leading to the creation of added value and jobs in a wide range of sectors such as space, receivers and applications industries. It will also generate socio-economic benefits for society as a whole, through for example more effective transport systems, more effective rescue operations, etc.

Galileo and EGNOS

EGNOS, the European Satellite Based Augmentation System, has been fully operational since 2011. It works to increase the accuracy of the USA's GPS posi­tioning and provides information on its reliability, making it suitable for safety-critical applications. For example huge advancements in aviation were achieved by EGNOS - already available at more than 80 EU airports - enabling more precise landings, fewer delays and diversions and more efficient routes.

Galileo, the fully EU owned autonomous satellite navigation system under civil control, will provide first services from the end of 2014.

Once Galileo is fully operational (before 2020), it will provide all of the following services:

  • Open Service - a freely accessible service for positioning, navigation and timing, utilising the dual-frequency Galileo Signal in Space. The Open Service will also support position integrity monitoring for users of safety-of-life applications.

  • Public Regulated Service - an encrypted, secure service with additional advanced features designed for greater robustness and higher availability, primarily directed at public sector operations.

  • Commercial Service - will deliver authentication and high accuracy services for commercial applications.

  • Search and Rescue Service - will assist in locating people, vessels and aircraft in distress.

Next steps

The Council of the EU is expected to approve the regulation at a ministerial meeting in December 2013. It will then enter into force on 1 January 2014.