No C 159/22 Official Journal of the European Communities 17. 6. 91 
Opinion on the proposal for a Council Decision on the Loran-C radionavigation system (!) 
(91/C 159/08) 
On 11 February 1991 the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Committee, 
under Article 84(2) of the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, on the 
abovementioned proposal. 
The Section for Transport and Communications, which was responsible for preparing the 
Committee's work on the subject, adopted its Opinion on 10 April 1991, in the light of the 
Report by Mr Colombo. 
At its 286th plenary session (meeting of 24 April 1991) the Economic and Social Committee 
unanimously adopted the following Opinion. 
The Committee endorses the Commission proposal, 
subject to the following comments: 
1. Introduction 
1.1. The aim of the proposal is to raise the level of 
maritime navigational safety to the maximum currently 
possible. 
1.2. To achieve this aim, pending the development 
of the satellite systems which are not expected to be 
operational before 1995, Loran-C has been identified 
as one of the most reliable instruments; this makes it 
essential in the necessary transitional phase. 
1.3. Even after the satellite systems have been 
brought into operation Loran-C will be of great assist­
ance to navigation, since it is a terrestrially-based sys­
tem which can naturally complement them on a regional 
scale. 
1.4. The complementarity of the systems should lead 
to a doubling of the level of safety by adding two 
independent types of technology together, bearing in 
mind also that it would be difficult to avoid the satellite 
systems being used mainly for military purposes, and 
that such systems can easily be blacked out by countries 
at war (as occurred recently during the Gulf War). 
1.5. The decision to tackle this problem at Com­
munity level is called for not only by the need to 
improve the level of maritime navigational safety but 
also by the decision of the US Coastguard service to 
cease funding and manning all Loran-C stations outside 
the US at the end of 1994. This was accompanied by 
an offer to transfer all or part of Loran-C station 
equipment to host countries free of charge once the 
stations have closed down. 1.6. The Loran-C system is based on a technology 
which, apart from involving lower operating costs than 
other available systems, offers the greatest accuracy; in 
addition, the system can easily be expanded, making it 
possible to set up regional chains to cover the whole 
European area. A wide variety of high-precision instru­
ments are commercially available at relatively low cost 
in relation to the safety they guarantee (it is possible to 
obtain an instrument giving optimum safeguards and 
accuracy for upwards of $ 1 000). 
1.7. Loran-C operates on the principle of measuring 
the difference between the times of arrival of pulses of 
radio-frequency energy radiated by a chain of synchron­
ized transmitters which are hundreds of miles apart. 
1.8. Although the Loran-C technology now makes it 
possible to obtain further information on the same 
instrument (speed of the vessel, registration of a route 
between two nautical points with automatic indication 
of vessels which have diverged from their route, etc), 
there is no doubt that the main value of this technology 
lies in the safety field. It enables any vessel to signal its 
position at any moment, with considerable accuracy, 
thus facilitating any rescue operations, for which there 
is likely to be a growing need, as a rapid increase in 
pleasure-boat traffic has been forecast. 
1.9. The Loran-C technology is not covered by 
exclusive patents. This means that continuous future 
improvement of the instruments is possible; in combi­
nation with visual navigation systems (lighthouses, 
navigation lights, buoys, etc.), it will help to raise the 
level of maritime navigational safety. 
(!) OJ No C 53, 28. 2. 1991, p. 71. 1.10. The Loran-C system can be extended to cover 
air and land use in addition to maritime navigational 
safety tasks. 
1BD.91 Official]ournal of the European Communities l^oCl^^ 
^ The Committees comments 
^.1. In the light of the general picture given above, 
the aims of maximum safety in maritime navigation 
and of protecting the marine environment are to be 
welcomed. 
^. The Committee things it essential for the deveL 
opmentoftheLoranCsystem—a technology proposed 
also by the Aiember States themselves—to involve a 
role for the Community bodies in coordinating the 
various initiatives and giving positive encouragement 
to ever broader participation of the member States at 
the European level. 
^.1. Apart from making it possible to cover increase 
ingly wideareas,itisimportanttoachievearational 
and balanced distribution of the costs between the 
various users and governments. 
PooneatBrussels,^Aprill99P 
1. The package of proposals which the Commission 
has referred to the Committee is designed to facilitate 
and encourage the use of satellite communications' 
These have been developed dramaticallydunng recent 
years and, as the European Community approaches the 
Europewide market of 199^., satellite communications 
are becoming a vital element for the transEuropean 
services and networks needed for the single European 
market, and the broadercontmental dimension which ^.^ whereas satellite technology is the most suit 
able for global coverage, adding ^ones together can 
mal^e the LoranC system also suitable for covering 
areas larger than that of Europe. 
^. The Committee things it necessary,asamatter 
of pnonty,to solve the problems arising in the Eastern 
mediterranean from the closure of the station at ^arga^ 
burunmTurleey,whichleavesalarge navigation area 
uncovered. 
^^. The Committee fully supports the European 
Community^scoordmationefforts, intended to ensure 
the development of a compatible system and its 
inclusionofthelargestpossiblenumberof European 
States. 
It regards these efforts asafundamental factor for the 
safety of maritime navigation in European and adjacent 
waters. 
is developing from the revolutionary changes in Eastern 
Europe. 
^. Introduction 
^.L In recent years the dominant trend worldwide in 
telecommunications ^including broadcasting^has been 
liberalisation, corporatisation and privatisation Some COpinionontheCommissionCommunicationentitled:TowardsEurope-widesystemsand 
services — Creen^aperonacommon approach in the field of satellite communications in 
the European Community 
^Cle^9^ 
On ^9 November 1990 the Commission decided to consult the Economic and Social Commits 
tee, under Article 198 of theTreaty establishing the European Economic Commumty,on the 
abovementioned proposal. 
The SectionforTransportandCommumcations, which wasresponsiblefor preparing the 
Committees worl^onthe subject, adopted itsCOpmion onlO Apnll991. The Rapporteur 
was Aiiss narrow. 
At is ^8^th plenary session ^meeting of^Apnll991^,the Economic and Social Committee 
adopted the following Opinion unanimously.