A4-0088/94

Resolution on the communication from the Commission concerning the draft Council resolution on the European contribution to the development of a Global Satellite Navigation System

The European Parliament,

- having regard to Titles XIII, XV and XVI of the EC Treaty,

- having regard to the Commission Communication concerning a draft Council Resolution on the European contribution to the development of a Global Satellite Navigation System (COM(94)0248 - C4-0034/94),

- having regard to the Commission Communication to the Council and the European Parliament 'The European Community and Space: challenges, opportunities and new actions' (COM(92)0360),

- having regard to the proposal for a European Parliament and Council Decision on Community guidelines for the development of a Trans-European Network for Transport, and in particular Article 24 thereof on Satellite Navigation (COM(94)0106 - C4-0001/94) ((OJ C 220, 8.8.1994, p. 1.)),

- having regard to the Council Resolution on Telematics in the Transport Sector, adopted during the Transport Council of 24 October 1994 ((OJ C 309, 5.11.1994, p. 1.)),

- having regard to its previous resolutions of 25 April 1979 on Community participation in space research ((OJ C 127, 21.5.1979, p. 42.)), 17 September 1981 on European space policy ((OJ C 260, 12.10.1981, p. 102.)), 17 June 1987 on European space policy ((OJ C 190, 20.7.1987, p. 78.)), 22 October 1991 on European space policy ((OJ C 305, 25.11.1991, p. 26.)), 6 May 1994 on the Community and space ((OJ C 205, 25.7.1994, p. 467.)) and 27 September 1994 on air traffic control (ATC) in Europe ((OJ C 305, 31.10.1994, p. 24.)),

- having regard to the report of the Committee on Transport and Tourism and the opinions of the Committee on Budgets, the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs and Industrial Policy and the Committee on Research, Technological Development and Energy (A4-0088/94),

A. underlining the increasing importance of space technology and its civilian applications and the continuing technological progress in these and related fields,

B. insisting that Europe must not be left behind in the development of technological capabilities which are essential for its economic growth, social and cultural development, peace and environmental protection,

C. considering that positioning by satellite system is a new phenomenon that will revolutionize many activities exploiting location identification or navigation, create markets for new equipment and services and phase out infrastructures which are very costly to operate and maintain,

D. drawing attention to the need for a coherent and consolidated European strategy in this field which clearly requires action at Union level for the coordination of programmes undertaken by the European Space Agency, Member States, space organizations and industry,

1. Welcomes the Commission initiative to promote the European Union's participation in the existing satellite navigation systems through close cooperation and coordination of actions with Eurocontrol, the European Space Agency, European operators of telecommunications, the Member States and the industry;

2. Underlines that Europe must be present in the next step of deployment of the INMARSAT III-based network, which will complement the existing systems by meeting the safety, availability and accuracy requirements needed for European civil users (GNSS 1);

3. Stresses the need for and the wide-ranging importance of the development of a completely civil multimodal system that forms part of the trans-European transport and telecommunications network and will meet the requirements of industry and users throughout Europe (GNSS 2);

4. Points out that the research required is already included in the fourth research framework programme and calls on the Commission to propose, at a later stage, a binding framework for the definition of a European space industry and the applications for European space technologies in air, road and maritime navigation, as well as in telecommunications, environmental protection and farming;

5. Repeats its proposal for the establishment of a European Space Council, to be set up by the Commission in conjunction with relevant organizations, which will ensure cross-application, coordination and coherence in European space projects, and considers the proposed creation of a coordinating group as a first step towards this objective;

6. Draws the Commission's attention to the need to involve in such a coordinating group all interested parties in the Member States so that the latest research findings can be reflected and all user requirements properly taken into account.

7. Welcomes, in this context, the Commission proposal to negotiate such an agreement with the ESA in order to proceed towards closer coordinated research and feasibility projects; stresses, however, the need for the European Commission to maintain the political and strategic direction;

8. Calls on the Commission to report on progress made in European participation in satellite navigation systems and the coordination achieved with the European Space Agency and other relevant organizations, as well as the outcome of negotiations with the USA and Russia in these fields;

9. Calls on the Commission to set up, as a result of the proposed research coordination programme, a European Strategy for Satellite Navigation, aimed at providing access to transponders in the international INMARSAT III navigation satellites, and to provide training in space technology at Community level;

10. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and Commission.