WRITTEN QUESTION E-0416/02

by Sérgio Marques (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(21 February 2002)

Subject: Galileo

In its communication of 10 February 1999 the Commission put forward an independent satellite navigation programme, called Galileo, which it proposed to pursue in four phases, namely the definition phase, the test and validation phase, the deployment phase, and the operation phase.

Given that the definition phase has already been completed and the Commission sees no financial, economic, or technical reasons to postpone the start of the test phase again, is the Galileo programme likely to proceed according to the timetable initially laid down?

The fact that there are two independent space systems, GPS and Galileo, which, however, are compatible, will give rise to new applications and uses and also speed up the introduction of satellite navigation systems in many fields.

The Commission has been conducting bilateral negotiations with the United States in accordance with the brief given by the Member States. What progress have the negotiations made to date, and what are the prospects for effective coordination of the two systems to guarantee the high levels of safety required in order to implement satellite navigation services?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(17 April 2002)

The total cost of the Galileo satellite navigation programme is estimated at between 3,2 and 3,4 billion.

The programme is in three phases:

- a development and validation phase (2001-2005):

- development of the satellites and ground components;

- validation of the system in orbit;

- a deployment phase (2006-2007):

- building and launch of the satellites;

- establishment of the complete ground sector;

- a commercial operating phase (from 2008).

The initial definition phase has already been completed (1999-2001).

The Commission's proposals were accepted by the Transport Council of 26 March 2002 and the timetable can be respected. It is essential for commercial reasons that the services become operational in 2008.

Galileo has superior performance but is complementary to the global positioning system (GPS) in that:

- harmonious use of the two infrastructures (double source) provides real advantages for users in terms of precision, security and cost;

- the existence of two independent systems will benefit all users, who will be able to receive GPS and Galileo signals on a single receiver;

- the signals transmitted by the Galileo satellites will be relayed by ground transmitters, enabling a service to be offered inside buildings or underground, including in tunnels.

Compared with GPS, which is essentially military in character, Galileo is a civil system that will guarantee a high level of service continuity for certain applications. The system is more precise thanks to its more advanced architecture and the integrity messages added to the signal.

The Commission was given a mandate to negotiate with the USA in September 1999 and several meetings have taken place.

The negotiations essentially cover the interoperability of the two systems, the use of frequencies, standardisation and marketing. A number of meetings have taken place, the most recent in October 2001. The European negotiators submitted various documents relating to the definition of the Galileo frequencies and signals, security aspects and US/European coordination, and calculations showing the level of interference between Galileo signals and GPS signals to be acceptable. The USA is currently verifying the technical analyses carried out by European experts on the absence of radiofrequency interference between the two systems. The interoperability of the signals from the two systems could lead to a new international navigation and positioning standard, GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System); this standard could meet a common objective. The two parties hope to reach an agreement soon. Negotiations will resume in the next few weeks.