Report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on the Implementation of the GNSS Programmes and on Future Challenges pursuant to Article 22 of Regulation (EC) No 683/2008
Date: 2009-06-26
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Community budget, EU action, EU financing, EU programme, satellite navigation

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COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 17.9.2009 
COM (2009) 302 final/2 

CORRIGENDUM 
Cancels and replaces document COM (2009) 302 final of 26 June 2009. 
Concerns all language versions. 

REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND 
THE COUNCIL 

ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GNSS PROGRAMMES AND ON FUTURE 
CHALLENGES 

pursuant to Article 22 of Regulation (EC) No 683/2008  

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REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND 
THE COUNCIL 

ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GNSS PROGRAMMES AND ON FUTURE 
CHALLENGES 

pursuant to Article 22 of Regulation (EC) No 683/2008  

1. 

INTRODUCTION 

In  accordance  with  Article  22  of  Regulation  (EC)  No  683/2008  on  the  further 
implementation of the European satellite radio navigation programmes (EGNOS and 
Galileo) (hereinafter the ‘GNSS Regulation’)1 and with reference to the GNSS work 
programme adopted in 2008, the Commission hereby presents the first annual report 
on the implementation of the programmes and on the main challenges ahead. 

The GNSS Regulation re-profiles the European GNSS programmes by establishing a 
legal  and  financial  framework  for  the  2008-2013  period.  It  was  adopted  by  the 
European  Parliament  and  Council  on  a  proposal  that  the  European  Commission 
presented in September 2007, following the decision to end the negotiations for the 
conclusion  of  a  concession  contract  with  the  private  sector  in  accordance  with 
Council Regulation (EC) No 876/20022, and in line with the Council’s Conclusions 
of  November  2007  on  the  need  to  restructure  the  European  Global  Navigation 
Satellite System Programmes. 

2. 

Implementation of the Programmes  

2.1.  Main milestones 

In  its  new  role  as  programme  manager,  the  Commission  has  launched  important 
initiatives  to  reach  the  milestones  needed  for  the  further  achievement  of  the 
objectives of the programmes and it has successfully achieved these milestones. By 
doing  so  the  Commission  has  ensured  that  the  necessary  framework  is  in  place  in 
order to move on with the next steps in the implementation of the programmes.  

For EGNOS this means that the Commission has ensured a smooth continuation of 
operations  after  the  hand-over  of  the  system  by  the  European  Space  Agency 
(hereinafter ESA) to the Commission on 1 April 2009 by: 

–  taking over the ownership, on behalf of the Community, of the EGNOS system, 
from ESA (by arrangements with ESA and the EOIG, the EGNOS Operators and 
Infrastructure Group)3  

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OJ L196 of 24 July 2008, p.1. 
OJ L138 of 28 May 2002, p.1. 
EOIG is composed of a number of European air navigation service providers who have invested in the 
EGNOS programme: Aena, CNES, DFS, DSNA, ENAV, NATS, NAV Portugal, NMA, Skyguide 

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–  an  operations  contract  with  ESSP  SaS  (EGNOS  Satellite  Services  Provider)  that 
will  guarantee  operations  until  October  2009,  after  which  a  long-term  contract 
covering the period until 2013 will be put in place 

–  agreeing  with  ESA  that  it  will  take  on  tasks  for  the  design  and  procurement  of 
EGNOS equipment and software renewals (within the framework of a delegation 
agreement,  based  on  Article  54  (2)  of  the  Financial  Regulation4,  signed  on  31 
March 2009) 

–  establishing the main management interfaces in the management and execution of 
the  EGNOS  programme  activities  subject  to  the  Delegation  Agreement,  in  a 
Programme Management Plan developed with ESA 

–  contracting out the supply of a special satellite navigation transponder on a new 

geostationary satellite. 

For GALILEO it means that the Commission has  taken all steps necessary for the 
procurement of the Galileo system, and has: 

–  delegated  to  ESA  the  task  of  procuring  the  Galileo  infrastructure,  in  accordance 
with the GNSS regulation and the EU procurement rules (Delegation Agreement 
signed on 19 December 2008)  

–  established the main management interfaces in the management and execution of 
the  Galileo  programme  activities  subject  to  the  Delegation  Agreement,  in  a 
Programme Management Plan developed with ESA 

–  launched the competitive tendering procedure for the procurement of the Galileo 

infrastructure, divided into six work packages, in July 2008. 

–  provided to ESA, by means of a grant agreement, the funds necessary to cover the 

cost overruns incurred by ESA during the In-Orbit Validation phase (IOV).  

2.2. 

Legal framework 

The  GNSS  Regulation  provides  the  legal  and  financial  framework  for  the 
deployment  of  the  Programmes  and  defines  a  governance  structure  with  new  roles 
for the various organisations involved, based on two main principles: 

–  A  strict  division  of  responsibilities  between  the  European  Commission,  the 
European Space Agency and the GNSS Supervisory Authority, set up by Council 
Regulation (EC) No 1321/2004 of 12 July 2004 on the establishment of structures 
for  the  management  of  the  European  satellite  radio-navigation  programmes5 
(hereinafter  the  GSA  Regulation)  with  the  Commission  having  the  overall 

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Council  regulation  (EC,  Euratom)  No  1605/2002  of  25  June  2002  on  the  Financial  Regulation 
applicable to the general budget of the European Communities, OJ L 248 of 16 September 2002, p.1, as 
last  amended  by  Council  Regulation  (EC)  No  1525/2007  of  17  December  2007,  OJ  L  343  of  27 
December 2007, p. 9. 
OJ L 246 of 20 July 2004, p.1. Regulation as amended by Council Regulation (EC) No 1942/2006 of 12 
December 2006, OJ L 367 of 22 December 2006, p.18. 

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responsibility  for  the  management  of  the  programme,  including  the  security-
related aspects; 

–  The  complete  financing  of  the  Galileo  deployment  phase  (Full  Operational 

Capability - FOC) from 2008 to 2013 by the Community budget. 

Community  funding  will  furthermore  cover  activities  relating  to  the  completion  of 
the  Galileo  IOV  phase  as  well  as  the  cost  for  operating  EGNOS  and  preparatory 
activities in relation to the exploitation of the programmes. 

The total amount earmarked for these activities is EUR 3405 million, including EUR 
400  million  made  available  from  the  Seventh  Framework  Programme  for  Research 
and  Technological  Development,  the  EU's  main  instrument  for  funding  research  in 
Europe for the period 2007-2013. 

The  Regulation  sets  rules  on  the  governance  of  security  matters  and  application  of 
security  regulations.  It  also  presents  basic  principles  governing  the  procurement  in 
the  deployment  phase  of  Galileo,  aiming  at  open  access  and  fair  competition  to 
create a level-playing field for potential bidders. The procurement has been split into 
six  main  work  packages,  with  a  bidding  entity  being  allowed  to  bid  for  the  role  of 
prime contractor for a maximum of two of these work packages, while at least 40 % 
of the aggregate value of activities must be contracted out by competitive tendering 
amongst entities not forming part of the entity that is the prime contractor.  

The GNSS Regulation specifies that the European Community becomes the owner of 
the  GNSS  systems  and  programme  assets,  subject  to  the  conclusion  of  legal 
arrangements  for  the  transfer  of  ownership.  It  also  requires  that  the  deployment  of 
the  full  Galileo  constellation  will  be  procured  in  accordance  with  the  EU  rules  on 
public procurement and the Financial Regulation. 

If appropriate, the Commission will, in accordance with the Regulation, prepare and 
present, in 2010, a proposal covering the public funds and commitments needed for 
the financing programming period starting in 2014, and will present scenarios for the 
exploitation of the Galileo system. 

The activities outlined below were important steps in facilitating the achievement of 
the  objectives  of  the  GNSS  Regulation  and  the  implementation  of  the  structures 
required to ensure that the GNSS Programmes deliver in the coming years.  

2.3. 

Implementation of the new governance structure 

One  of  the  priorities  of  the  Commission  in  its  new  role  as  manager  of  the  GNSS 
Programmes  has  been  to  implement  decision-making  structures  in  accordance  with 
the governance structure established by the GNSS Regulation. This led to: 

–  establishment of the European GNSS Programmes Committee, foreseen at Article 
19  of  the  GNSS  Regulation,  whose  purpose  is  to  assist  the  Commission  in  the 
management  of  the  Programmes  and  to  reassure  Member  States  that  the 
Programmes are managed appropriately. In its first meeting, that took place on 10 
September  2008,  the  Committee  delivered  a  favourable  opinion  on  the  GNSS 
Work Programme 2008 and the GNSS Strategic Framework, two key documents 
for the planning, implementation and operation of Galileo and EGNOS. Following 

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the  European  Parliament’s  right  of  scrutiny  (on  the  Strategic  Framework)  the 
Commission adopted both documents which allowed the engagement of the 2008 
activities and corresponding credits;  

–  creation of the Galileo Inter-institutional Panel (GIP), in accordance with the Joint 
Declaration  of  the  European  Parliament,  the  Council  and  the  Commission, 
annexed to the GNSS Regulation. The GIP held its first meeting in mid-February 
2009; 

–  creation of the GNSS Security Board (Commission Decision 2009/334/EC of 20 
April  2009  establishing  an  expert  group  on  the  security  of  the  European  GNSS 
systems6). The existing Galileo Security Board, which was established by Article 
7 of Council regulation No 876/2002 of 21 May 2002 setting up the Galileo Joint 
Undertaking,7 will be phased out once its activities have been duly completed or 
transferred. On that subject, Article 23 of the GNSS Regulation provides that the 
above  mentioned  Article  7  of  Regulation  876/2002  shall  be  repealed  with  effect 
from 25 July 2009; 

–  clarification  of  the  roles  and  the  responsibilities  of  the  European  Space  Agency 
(ESA),  in  particular  through  the  above  mentioned  multi-annual  delegation 
agreement  (based  on  Article  54(2)  of  the  Financial  Regulation)  covering  the 
delegated tasks and budget implementation relating to the implementation of the 
Galileo  programme,  in  particular  the  deployment  phase.  This  allowed  ESA  to 
quickly  launch  the  procurement  of  the  FOC  infrastructure,  split  into  six  work 
packages,  in  the  name  and  on  behalf  of  the  European  Community  and  in  full 
respect of the EU public procurement rules and procedures. A separate delegation 
agreement was signed with ESA covering the latter’s role as design agent during 
the  operations of  EGNOS until  2013. The activities will include implementation 
and qualification of agreed design changes and a set of obsolescence management 
activities;  

–  adoption of a proposal to revise the mandate of the European GNSS Supervisory 
Authority  (GSA)  by  bringing  the  GSA  Regulation  into  line  with  the  GNSS 
Regulation,  which  specifies  two  core  activities  for  the  GSA,  firstly  in  security 
domain accreditation and exploitation of the Galileo Security Centre and secondly 
in  contributing  to  the  preparations  for  commercial  use  of  the  systems,  including 
the necessary market analysis; 

–  reinforcement  of  the  Commission’s  own  project  and  programme  management 
capabilities, notably by reinforcing the Galileo team with staff from the European 
GNSS  Supervisory  Authority  (GSA)  and  through  internal  redeployment  of 
resources; 

–  contracting  of  an  independent  project  management  expert  team  to  review  the 
implementation of the programmes and make appropriate recommendations on a 
regular  basis.  These  independent  external  advisors  started  their  work  in  March 
2009. 

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7 

OJ L 101 of 21 April 2009, p. 22. 
OJ L 138 of 28 May 2002, p.1 Regulation as amended by Council Regulation (EC) No 1943/2006 of 12 
December 2006, OJ L 367 of 22 December 2006, p.21.  

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2.4. 

Launch of the procurement for the full Galileo constellation 

Crucial  for  the  restart  of  Galileo,  the  procurement  for  the  deployment  of  the  full 
Galileo constellation was launched in July 2008.  

While  the  in-orbit  validation  phase  (IOV)  will  result  in  the  launch  of  the  first  4 
satellites and the development of a first part of the ground segment, the procurement 
for  full  operational  capability  (FOC)  of  Galileo  will  lead  to  the  complete 
constellation of 30 satellites and the respective launchers, ground infrastructures and 
initial operations. In total, in the procurement six work packages were identified for 
which bidders were invited to apply (system support, ground mission system, ground 
control system, satellites, launchers and operations). 

The pre-selection phase started with the release of the Tender Information Package 
(TIP)  on  1  July  2008,  followed  by  an  information  day  in  Brussels  on  17  July.  The 
TIP contained a description of the tender procedure and, for each Work Package, a 
set  of  high-level  requirements,  high-level  statement  of  work,  and  contractual 
guidelines.  

A  Tender  Evaluation  Board  (TEB)  has  been  created  to  support  the  overall  FOC 
procurement  process  by  reviewing  the  tender  documentation  and  evaluating 
industrial  proposals.  The  TEB  is  co-chaired  by  the  Commission  and  ESA,  and 
consists of Commission, GSA  and ESA staff. It is supported by experts and panels 
addressing  the  specific  management,  legal  and  contractual,  technical  and  financial 
aspects of each work package.  

After  pre-selection  of  suitable  candidates,  and  preparation  of  the  data  package, 
preliminary proposals were submitted by all candidates in November 2008. A series 
of competitive dialogue meetings with candidates have been held, and are continuing 
as required, in order to address and clarify elements of the proposals and to refine the 
requirements.  

Detailed specifications have been established in accordance with a time schedule for 
each work package and are sent out to the candidates in detailed invitations to tender. 
The candidates are then expected to present their refined proposals. 

This process of competitive dialogue will be finalised in the course of 2009, with the 
objective  of  having  best  and  final  offers  presented  and  most  contracts  concluded 
before the end of the year. 

2.5. 

EGNOS 

On 1 April 2009 the Commission took over the ownership of the EGNOS assets from 
ESA and it has assumed responsibility for the operation of the system. An agreement 
for  this  purpose  has  also  been  concluded  with  the  EOIG  (EGNOS  Operators  and 
Infrastructure  Group).  EGNOS  is,  from  this  date,  operated  by  ESSP  SaS  under  a 
short-term operations contract with the Commission, that will be replaced by a long-
term operations contract in October 2009. 

By  doing  this  the  Commission  has  ensured  a  smooth  continuation  of  EGNOS  after 
the system was handed over by ESA.  

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Furthermore,  the  Commission  has  concluded  a  contract  for  the  replacement  of  one 
GEO transponder by the end of 2011, while work regarding the replacement of the 
second is expected to be completed during the first semester of 2009.  

The  delegation  agreement  concluded  by  the  Commission  with  ESA  defines  ESA’s 
role  as  design  and  procurement  agent  in  the  next  few  years  for  equipment  and 
software renewals.  

2.6. 

Galileo Applications 

Increasing  efforts  have  been  devoted  to  the  expansion  of  the  markets  for  EGNOS 
applications  and  end-to-end  services.  Such  efforts  aim  at  sustaining  an  ever 
expanding  ecosystem  of  European  companies  capable  of  producing  innovative 
EGNOS-based  products  and  service  solutions  for  an  increasing  number  of  market 
segments,  acting  as  a  steppingstone  to  fully  exploiting  the  capabilities  of  Galileo 
when available. Two main streams of activity were pursued:  

(i) 

(ii) 

the promotion of innovation through Research and Technological Development 
activities within the 7th Framework Programme. As a result of a first call for 
proposals  launched  in  2007,  thirty  projects  covering  a  wealth  of  applications 
for  both  the  commodity  and  the  specialised  markets  have  already  been 
launched.  These  will  be  complemented  by  a  second  set  of  projects  to  be 
selected as a result of a second call for proposals launched in December 2008. 
Coordinated efforts are also being made to ensure the best possible exploitation 
of the project results from the 6th Framework Programme (the main common 
objective of these application projects - four on service prototypes and sixteen 
on  user  communities  during  the  period  2004-2008  -  was  to  demonstrate  the 
added  value  of  EGNOS  and  Galileo,  to  offer  support  in  the  Galileo  mission 
definition  and  to  identify  main  areas  of  interest  for  user  communities  where 
EGNOS/Galileo applications would have an impact). 

the  continuation  of  the  preparatory  works  for  a  Commission  Action  Plan  for 
fostering  the  development  of  new  GNSS  applications and services, especially 
those based on EGNOS and Galileo. The Action Plan should aim at creating a 
strategic  framework  of  multi-faceted  promotion  and  support  measures, 
including  a  suite  of  regulatory  and  financial  instruments,  for  accelerating  the 
time-to-market and the rate of penetration of  European GNSS-based products 
and services. The strategic aim will be to enhance the competitive position and 
the capability of response of the European industry, creating the conditions for 
heightening their market share on both the established and, more crucially, the 
high-value emerging GNSS-related markets.  

As  the  development  of  GNSS  applications  gains  importance  for  the  exploitation  of 
EGNOS and Galileo, the resources of the 7th Framework Programme must be used 
for  continued  support  of  such  research  activity.  The  mid-term  review  of  the 
programme, to be carried out by the Commission in 2010 in accordance with Article 
22 of the GNSS Regulation, may offer this opportunity. 

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2.7. 

International activities  

As  part  of  its  review  of  the  international  dimension  of  the  GNSS  Programmes,  the 
Commission has reformulated its international strategy to reflect the fact that Galileo 
and EGNOS require an international network for the participation and contribution of 
non-EU countries.  

Other key players, as GNSS system providers, are the United States, China and the 
Russian Federation.  

In 2008 the Commission had several working group meetings with the USA as part 
of the bilateral agreement. A plenary meeting was hosted by the Department of State, 
which agreed to take on several actions aimed at coordinating EU and US positions 
towards third systems and initiating further working groups. 

Also  with  China  several  high-level  meetings  were  held,  inter  alia  of  the  Steering 
Committee,  as  part  of  the  bilateral  cooperation  agreement.  Compatibility  and 
interoperability between the Chinese system being built, Compass, and Galileo, was 
an important discussion topic, and will be further pursued in 2009. 

With the Russian Federation some meetings have been held, leading to the creation 
of  a  specific  working  group  on  cooperation  in  the  field  of  search  and  rescue 
capabilities of the respective systems (SAR). 

3. 

MAIN CHALLENGES IN 2009 

As  highlighted  in  the  2009  revision  of  the  GNSS  Work  Programme,  the  focus  of 
activities  in  2009  will  be  on  concluding  the  FOC  procurement,  signing  the  service 
contract  for  EGNOS,  launching  preparatory  studies  for  the  post-2013  phase  of 
Galileo and publishing the Galileo applications action plan. Further key activities in 
2009  will  be  the  revision  of  the  GSA  Regulation,  the  revision  of  the  international 
cooperation  strategy  and  a  range  of  general  measures,  including  risk  management, 
technical consultancy and communications. 

Many of these activities are crucial for both Galileo and EGNOS, and challenges in 
the following areas therefore need to be prepared for. 

3.1. 

IOV cost overruns 

When  ESA  presented  the  financial  situation  in  the  GalileoSat  programme  to  its 
Member  States  in  September  2008,  it  became  clear  that  the  costs  of  the  in-orbit 
validation  phase  had  increased  substantially  compared  with  the  financial  envelope. 
The subsequent discussions with ESA Member States did not lead to a solution for 
an estimated amount of 376 million Euros of the cost overruns.  

Given the interdependencies between the IOV and FOC phase for which it was now 
responsible, the  Commission therefore undertook to find  a  financing  solution using 
the Community budget, in agreement with EU Member States. It therefore proposed 
to  use  the  FOC  management  reserve  to  cover  a  part  of  the  additional  IOV  costs, 
subject  to  an  independent  assessment  of  the  eligibility  of  the  additional  costs 
incurred,  which  should  be  completed  in  early  April  2009.  While  using  the  FOC 

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reserve to cover the additional costs of the IOV phase has solved an urgent problem 
that  threatened  the  schedule  and  budget  of  the  deployment  of  Galileo,  it  obviously 
creates  constraints  on  the  implementation  of  the  deployment  phase  itself.  There  is 
now  little  budgetary  margin  in  the  implementation  of  Galileo  for  the  public  and 
private sector stakeholders. Efforts to stay within budget will need to be intensified. 
The Commission will continue to monitor the situation and report as appropriate if 
the  contractors  face  unexpected  technical  or  other  implementation  problems  which 
threaten the schedule and budget. 

3.2. 

FOC procurement 

During  the  competitive  dialogue  phase  intensive  work  will  continue  on  the 
specifications, the refined bids, and further clarification meetings, which will result 
in best and final offers, evaluation and contract award. Meaningful competition will 
be pursued to the extent possible. The same is true for keeping the schedule of the 
procurement process and the different steps for the various work packages. To keep 
the cost of the work packages within budget will be a challenge, as will be industry’s 
ability  to  implement  the  work  on  schedule.  The  Commission  and  ESA  will  seek 
assurances  that  industry  will  be  able  to  address  potential  unforeseen  technical 
problems  and  risks  in  the  most  suitable  and  cost-effective  way  and  with  minimum 
impact on the schedule. 

The  completion  of  the  IOV  phase,  which  will  run  in  parallel  with  the  deployment 
phase  for  considerable  time,  and  the  assimilation  of  IOV  results  in  the  FOC 
deployment  activities,  is  a  delicate  exercise  that  would  be  affected  if  there  were 
further  delays  in  IOV.  At  the  same  time,  the  necessary  technical  improvements 
during  IOV  will  improve  the  risk  profile  for  FOC  deployment  and  contribute  to 
schedule discipline.  

The budget situation for FOC, after coverage of the IOV cost overrun, does not allow 
much flexibility with regard to the overall cost of FOC. Therefore the Commission 
will  monitor  and  manage  the  process  carefully  and  report  to  the  Council  and 
Parliament if the cost of the FOC contracts goes beyond what has been foreseen. In 
such a case the Commission would present proposals to remedy the situation. 

3.3 

EGNOS 

Important milestones have been and will be reached in 2009, in particular the start of 
operations  under  Community  responsibility  on  1  April  2009.  While  a  short-term 
contract  with  an  operator  for  the  EGNOS  service  has  been  in  place  from  that  date, 
further work needs to be done to come to a more permanent solution by autumn 2009 
and  also  to  achieve  certification  of  EGNOS  for  aviation.  This  should  be  concluded 
by  the  first  quarter  of  2010,  taking  into  account  the  requirements  of  the  Single 
European  Sky  regulation8.  Equally,  compliance  with  the  performance  requirements 
of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) will need to be ensured.  

As  referred  to  in  the  Work  Programme  2009,  significant  marketing  activities  will 
have to be deployed for EGNOS to facilitate its acceptance and use by the aviation 

8 

Regulation (EC) No 550/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 March 2004 on the 
provision of air navigation services in the single European sky – OJ L96 of 31 March 2004, p.10. 

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sector and other areas such as road, rail, maritime and agriculture. The same is true 
for the promotion of the Commercial Data Distribution Services (CDDS)9. 

Work  on  full  EGNOS  coverage  in  Europe,  and  on  an  extension  beyond  European 
territory, notably into Africa, remains an important activity in 2009.  

3.4 

Post-FOC studies 

The Commission will launch a comprehensive feasibility analysis in 2009 in order to 
identify and develop the best option for operating and exploiting the Galileo system. 
On  the  basis  of  the  results  of  the  analysis,  and  in  accordance  with  the  GNSS 
regulation, the Commission will make a proposal to the Council and Parliament next 
year. 

Because of the vastness and complexity of the elements involved, early work on the 
feasibility  assessment  will  be  important  in  order  to  obtain  a  clear  and  timely 
identification of the possible scenarios and means for operation and exploitation after 
2013.  Many  of  those  elements  require  a  long  preparation  period  and  need  to  be 
resolved  well  in  advance  of  FOC.  This  includes  all  commercial  aspects  of  the 
exploitation as well as the legal, contractual and financing structures of the different 
exploitation models.  

3.5 

International activities 

The main challenge for the international activities of the GNSS Programmes in 2009 
will be to ensure the compatibility and interoperability with Galileo, to access global 
GNSS-related resources and set worldwide standards, to ensure security of the space 
segment and network of ground stations, while ensuring a stricter control of sensitive 
GNSS  technologies  developed  with  European  funding,  to  join  in  an  international 
effort  to  develop  innovative  applications  and  specialised  applications  of  supra-
regional  interest.  An  important  objective  will  be  to  create  market  opportunities  for 
the European GNSS technology and applications industries. 

The cooperation with China will undergo a major test at the next steering committee, 
jointly set as a key milestone to assess the progress made in the 2008/2009 timeframe 
on the critical issue of COMPASS/Galileo compatibility. The European side expects 
positive reactions on the proposals made by the experts. If the problem is not solved 
promptly,  it  cannot  be  excluded  that  the  cooperation  with  China  will  get  a  major 
reshaping. 

3.6 

Concluding remarks 

The report highlights the status of implementation of some important decisions that 
were  taken  in  2008  in  close  cooperation  between  the  Commission,  the  European 
Parliament and the Council. The Commission will seek to ensure close involvement 
of  the  other  institutions,  as  appropriate.  Their  continued  support  for  the  further 

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CDDS  consists  in  the  provision  to  authorised  customers  (e.g.  added  value  application  providers)  of 
EGNOS augmentation messages in real time and of raw data measurements from ground stations in real 
time. 

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implementation of the programmes, in line with a shared commitment, is key to the 
success of the programmes. 

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