WRITTEN QUESTION E-1111/02

by Ioannis Marínos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(18 April 2002)

Subject: Benefits of the Galileo programme

According to Commissioner Loyola de Palacio, the European satellite network Galileo will create 150 000 new, highly skilled jobs in the Union and will boost Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by EUR 10 billion a year.

When exactly will Galileo be fully operational? Has the Commission established exactly in which Member States these new jobs will be created? How will the additional GDP of EUR 10 billion a year be divided among the less wealthy cohesion countries (Spain, Portugal, Ireland and Greece)? Has an assessment been made of how the programme will benefit Greece in particular, a peripheral country separated from the main body of the Union which has a per capita GDP of less than 70 % of the Community average and a level of technology in need of upgrading? Which Greek companies have expressed an interest in taking part or could contribute towards the implementation of the Galileo programme?

Answer given by Ms de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(24 May 2002)

The Galileo satellite positioning programme will be operational from 2008.

The Commission has carried out several studies on the benefits and advantages generated by this programme for the EU as a whole.

The Commission's view is that all regions of the EU, be they central or peripheral, will benefit from the Galileo programme. By its very nature, the space technology used by the system means that less well-equipped geographical areas are able to have access to services with a high added value. It must be underlined that the numerous advantages brought by Galileo to the general public will go far beyond the financial gains made by the various investors in the programme. The latest study estimates Galileo's benefits at EUR 17,8 billion in net present value for the period 2002-2020, against an outlay of EUR 3,9 billion in net present value for manufacturing, deployment and operation costs.

In fact, the signals emitted by Galileo will offer a real public service, not only in Europe but throughout the world. Galileo will be of particular interest for areas such as civil protection, public health, environmental protection, transport safety and sustainable mobility. It will generate direct benefits for society as a whole. In Greece, the Galileo programme should benefit in particular sectors such as maritime transport, agriculture, leisure and tourism.

On a strictly commercial level, it will be essentially up to the private sector to develop and market various applications in sectors as diverse as health, vehicle guidance, safety, public works, etc. Small and medium-sized enterprises, which are very common in the peripheral regions of the EU, should benefit considerably from these opportunities.

A Greek company, Ktimatologio, took part in the definition phase of Galileo (1999-2001). Moreover, several Greek companies are participating in a contract which is currently being signed. This contract concerns the development of various experimental pilot projects to find solutions to the heightened ground and maritime security needs of cities hosting the Olympic Games, in particular Athens in 2004, by providing an initial level of service using the signals from the existing test-beds.

More generally, the Commission considers that Greek companies will be able to contribute substantially to the programme. In this respect, it is prepared to take any action which could contribute to raising the awareness of companies in all Member States as regards the advent of satellite radionavigation.