REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL on the implementation of the Galileo and EGNOS programmes and on the performance of the European GNSS Agency
Date: 2017-10-23
Institutions: Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, European Commission
Subjects: EU programme, European GNSS Agency, innovation, international cooperation, provision of services, satellite communications, satellite navigation

EN 

   EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 23.10.2017  COM(2017) 616 final   REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL on the implementation of the Galileo and EGNOS programmes and on the performance of the European GNSS Agency {SWD(2017) 346 final}  
 
 
1. 

INTRODUCTION 

On  the  occasion  of  the  60th  Anniversary  of  the  Treaty  of  Rome,  EU  leaders,  the  European 
Parliament  and  the  European  Commission  committed  to  the  Rome  Agenda,  and  pledged  to 
work towards a safe and secure Europe, a prosperous and sustainable Europe, a social Europe 
and  a  stronger  Europe  on  the  global  scene.  The  European  satellite  navigation  programmes 
EGNOS and Galileo contribute to this Agenda. 

In line with the Union's Space Strategy1 and the objectives of the GNSS2 Regulation3, Galileo 
and EGNOS focus on: 

•  maximizing  the  integration  of  space  into  the  European  society  and  economy,  by 
increasing  the  use  of  satellite  navigation  technologies  and  applications  to  support 
public policies; 
fostering  a  globally  competitive  European  space  sector,  by  supporting  research, 
innovation, entrepreneurship for growth and jobs across all Member States; 
strengthening  synergies  between  civilian  and  security  activities  in  the  field  of 
navigation, and ensuring European autonomy; 

• 

• 

•  promoting  the  role  of  the  Union  in  the  world  and  opening  up  new  business 

opportunities for the European satellite navigation industry. 

This report presents the interim evaluation of the European satellite navigation programmes, 
Galileo and EGNOS, and the evaluation of the European GNSS Agency (GSA) as required by 
Article 34 of Regulation (EU) No 1285/2013  on the implementation  and exploitation  of the 
European satellite navigation systems ("the GNSS Regulation")4 and Article 26 of Regulation 
(EU)  No  912/2010  setting  up  the  European  GNSS  Agency  ("the  GSA  Regulation")5.  The 
report is accompanied by a Staff Working Document detailing the evidence based assessment. 

1  COM(2016) 705 final of 26.10.2016. 
2  GNSS stands for Global Navigation Satellite System. 

3  Regulation (EU) No 1285/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013 on the 
implementation and exploitation of European satellite navigation systems and repealing Council Regulation 
(EC) No 876/2002 and Regulation (EC) No 683/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 
347 of 20.12.2013, p. 1). 

4  Regulation (EU) No 1285/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013 on the 
implementation and exploitation of European satellite navigation systems and repealing Council Regulation 
(EC) No 876/2002 and Regulation (EC) No 683/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 
347, 20.12.2013, p. 1). 

5  Regulation (EU) No 912/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 September 2010 setting 
up the European GNSS Agency, repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1321/2004 on the establishment of 
structures  for  the  management  of  the  European  satellite  radio  navigation  programmes  and  amending 
Regulation (EC) No 683/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 276, 20.10.2010, p. 11). 

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The interim evaluation focuses on the period from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2016. It 
covers the progress made in the European GNSS programmes Galileo and EGNOS against the 
evaluation  criteria  set  up  in  the  Better  Regulation  Guidelines6:  effectiveness,  efficiency, 
relevance,  coherence  and  EU  added  value,  specific  requirements  enshrined  in  the  GNSS 
Regulation,  and  the  overall  political  objectives  of  the  Union.  As  the  GNSS  Regulation 
entrusts the GSA with a key role in the implementation of the European satellite navigation 
programmes,  the  Commission  considered  it  is  appropriate  to  evaluate  the  GSA  jointly  with 
the evaluation of the programmes. 

2.  MAIN  FINDINGS  CONCERNING  THE 

IMPLEMENTATION  OF  THE 

EUROPEAN GNSS PROGRAMMES 

2.1.  RELEVANCE OF THE GALILEO AND EGNOS PROGRAMMES 

The  European  satellite  navigation  systems,  Galileo  and  EGNOS,  owned  by  the  European 
Union, are fundamental for both the European economy and security. Positioning and timing 
signals  provided  by  satellite  navigation  systems  are  used  in  many  critical  areas  of  the 
European  economy,  such  as  mobile  phone  networks,  in-car  navigation,  traffic  management, 
power  grid  synchronisation  or  electronic  trading.  It  is  estimated  that  almost  11%  of  the  EU 
economy  is  impacted  by  satellite  navigation  services7.  Therefore,  the  EU  clearly  needs  to 
maintain and operate independent satellite navigation programmes to secure the availability of 
those applications and services ensuring global coverage, including the circumpolar area. In 
addition,  space  capacities  are  strategically  important  to  civil,  commercial,  security  and 
defence-related  policy  objectives.  For  this  reason,  Europe  needs  to  ensure  an  autonomous, 
safe and cost-effective access to space. 

2.2.  ACHIEVING KEY OBJECTIVES 

2.2.1.  Market uptake 

Over  the  evaluation  period,  the  market  uptake  of  Galileo  and  EGNOS  has  progressed  well. 
The European GNSS industry has grown and accounted for 25% of the global GNSS market 
in 20158. European manufacturers represented the majority of manufacturers for the road and 
maritime  market  segments.  European  system  integrators  represented  the  majority  of 
integrators for the maritime, agriculture and surveying market segments. 

Driven  by  a  few  large  companies  and  a  plethora  of  innovative  SMEs  and  start-ups,  Europe 
performs strongly in the development of added-value applications9. 

6  Better Regulation. Guidelines on Evaluation and Fitness Checks. 

http://ec.europa.eu/smart-regulation/guidelines/ug_chap6_en.htm (access: 2017-04-12). 

7  Analysis of GNSS impact on the EU Economy, November 2016. Study conducted by VVA, GMV, Kontor 

Qwentes and LS. 

8  European GNSS Agency: GNSS Market Report, Issue 5 (May 2017), p.13. 
9  European GNSS Agency: GNSS Market Report, Issue 5 (May 2017), p.13. 

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The  development  of  Galileo  has  already  generated  major  benefits  in  Europe,  like  the 
development  of  services.  Thus,  following  the  declaration  of  Galileo  Initial  Services, chipset 
and  receiver  manufacturers  have  had  the  possibility  to  start  leveraging  on  more  performant 
GNSS  signals,  especially  for  smartphones  and  in-vehicle  navigation  systems.  The  vast 
majority  of  new  navigation  chipsets  include  the  processing  of  Galileo  signals  and  are 
gradually integrated in user receivers in various market segments. All new products of the two 
largest  smartphone  manufacturers  do  include  Galileo-compatible  chipsets,  which  is  a  true 
measure  of  its  success.  The  regulatory  measures  taken  by  the  EU  in  the  automotive  sector 
(eCall  and  Digital  Tachograph)  are  pushing  for  the  adoption  of  solutions  integrating  GNSS 
based technologies, whilst at the same time ensuring compatibility with Galileo and EGNOS. 
It  is  worth  pointing  out  that  Galileo  competes  with  other  GNSS  that  are  supported  by 
regulatory measures to impose or stimulate the use of these systems. 

As  for  EGNOS,  major  socio-economic  benefits  have  already  been  produced  especially  in 
three  industrial  domains  with  the  largest  market  penetration:  aviation,  agriculture  and 
surveying. In other sectors, such as maritime and rail, the GSA has been implementing market 
penetration  roadmaps.  However,  due  to  the  slower  adoption  of  new  technologies  and 
existence  of  alternative  ground  based  technologies  the  market  uptake  in  these  sectors  is 
slower. 

2.2.2.  System deployment and services 

The Galileo programme has achieved its key objective set out for the evaluation period - the 
system  was  declared  operational  and  is  providing  Initial  Services  since  December  2016, 
namely  an  initial  open  service  (OS),  search  and  rescue  support  service  (SAR)  and  public 
regulated service (PRS). 

The  space  segment  of  Galileo  was  enhanced  with  14  additional  satellites  launched  in  the 
evaluation period, one of the enablers for declaring the Galileo Initial Services operational. In 
November 2016, for the first time ever, four Galileo satellites were launched together on an 
Ariane-5 rocket. The implementation of complex technology intensive programmes however 
entails  risks.  Galileo  is  no  exception.  Such  risks  materialised  in  2014  with  a  Soyuz  launch 
incident, which resulted in two satellites being injected into an incorrect orbit. It materialised 
also  with  an  anomaly  affecting  some  atomic  clocks  on  board  of  Galileo  satellites.  In  both 
cases,  the  root  cause  has  been  identified  and  the  necessary  mitigation  actions  have  been 
implemented.  The  delay  in  the  deployment  schedule  induced  by  the  launch  anomaly  was 
recovered with an accelerated ramp-up of the Galileo space segment and the two satellites are 
already  being  used  for  the  SAR  service.  As  regards  the  clocks,  a  refurbishment  programme 
for the next satellites to be launched has been implemented and operational procedures for the 
satellites in orbit established. The quality of the services provided by the system has not been 
affected  by  the  difficulties  encountered  and  the  performance  of  the  system  is  above 
expectations.  

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The EGNOS services were continuously provided and improved during the period 2014-2016. 
Thus, EGNOS now provides the highest quality guided approach services available today to 
airline  and  aerodrome  operators,  with  an  increase  in  flight  and  landing  safety,  and  benefits 
related  to  the  optimisation  of  fuel  consumption.  In  addition,  EGNOS  is  used  by  a  larger 
number of users: more than 230 airports in 20 countries are using EGNOS landing approach 
procedures at the end of 201610. 

However,  the  priority  for  EGNOS  remains  to  cover  the  entire  EU-28  territory  with  the 
EGNOS  service  and  to  extend  the  EGNOS  service  coverage  to  the  remaining  1.02%  of  the 
EU-28  territory  (eastern  part  of  Cyprus,  the  Azores,  and  the  northern  parts  of  Norway  and 
Finland). 

2.2.3.  International cooperation 

In  the  field  of  international  cooperation,  several  actions  were  undertaken  to  strenghten 
Europe's role as an international player in the field of GNSS. In particular, negotiations were 
concluded in 2016 with the Agency for Aerial Navigation Safety in  Africa and Madagascar 
(ASECNA),  laying  down  the  terms  and  conditions  for  the  provision  of  space  based 
augmentation  systems  in  Africa  based  on  EGNOS.  In  addition,  the  GNSS  agreement  with 
Korea was concluded in June 2016 for increased cooperation. 

2.3.  EFFICIENT DELIVERY - MANAGEMENT 

2.3.1.  Budget 

For  the  period  2014-2020,  the  European  Union  allocated  a  total  budget  of  EUR  7  071,73 
million  for  the  Galileo  and  EGNOS  programmes.  This  envelope  covers  programme 
management  activities,  Galileo  deployment  and  exploitation  activities,  EGNOS  exploitation 
activities and risks associated with these activities. As of end 2016, the Galileo and EGNOS 
programmes are on track to respect the budget boundaries set by the GNSS Regulation for the 
period 2014-2020. The Commission monitors the budget closely to ensure its stays within the 
limit. 

2.3.2.  Delivery mechanisms 

Over  the  period  2014-2016,  the  governance  scheme  that  was  decided  in  2013  has  been 
progressively implemented: Delegation Agreements were concluded between the Commission 
and the European Space Agency (ESA) on the Galileo deployment phase, as well as between 
the  Commission  and  the  European  GNSS  Agency  (GSA)  on  the  Galileo  and  EGNOS 
exploitation phases. Working Arrangements between the GSA and ESA for both Galileo and 
EGNOS  programmes  were  equally  concluded.  The  role  of  the  GSA  in  the  operational 
management of the programmes has gradually increased. 

10  European GNSS Agency: Summary of Achievements in 2016, p. 6. 

https://www.gsa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/2016_gsa_summary_report.pdf 

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The  new  governance  scheme  has  brought  more  robust  management  processes.  These  have 
contributed  to  maintain  the  programmes  within  budget  boundaries  and  to  mitigate  risks  and 
the impact of unforeseen events on the programmes. 

The new governance set-up required the key actors (European Commission, ESA and GSA) 
to  adapt  to  their  new  role,  a  role  which  is  not  necessarily  fully  in  line  with  their  corporate 
culture, competencies and/or structure. That adaptation however led to some inefficiency. For 
example, the organisation of responsibilities and control processes has often required lengthy 
discussions among the governance actors, thus affecting the reactivity of the decision-making 
process.  Furthermore,  the  fact  that  the  deployment  phase  and  the  exploitation  phase  run  in 
parallel  with  different  governance  set-up  required  both  agencies  to  perform  additional 
activities to ensure consensus with the Commission on the way tasks have to be executed.  

A  learning  curve  of  the  involved  entities  and  of  the  programmes  themselves  is  expected  to 
further  improve  the  situation  in  the next  few  years.  An  efficient  decision-making  process is 
particularly  important  for  operational  programmes  driven  by  services  and  users'  needs  as 
Galileo  and  EGNOS.      In  that  context,  the  interaction  between  the  entity  in  charge  of 
deployment  (ESA)  and  the  entity  in  charge  of  operations  (GSA)  will  have  to  be  looked  at 
closely. 

In  terms  of  security,  the  declaration  of  Galileo  Initial  Services  and  the  overlap  of  the 
deployment  and  exploitation  phases  have  led  to  some  challenges.  In  particular,  the 
independence  in  operation  of  different  entities  responsible  for  the  implementation  and 
verification  of  security  requirements  (European  Commission,  GSA,  ESA)  should  be 
maintained. 

However,  it  is  still  worthwhile  to  further  optimise  the  current  governance  scheme  for  the 
Galileo and EGNOS programmes, in order to reflect the entry into operational phase of such 
service-driven programmes. This may involve reducing the administrative burden for the key 
actors, as well as the complexity and length of the decision making process. Finally, it should 
evolve  to  take  into  account  new  security  challenges  such  as  cybersecurity  and  to  clearly 
define  the  roles  and  responsibilities  of  the  actors  in  charge  of  the  implementation  and 
verification of security requirements. 

2.4.  EU ADDED VALUE 

With the Declaration of Initial Services, Galileo officially moved from a testing phase to the 
provision  of  live  services.  Users  around  the  world  are  now  guided  using  the  positioning, 
navigation and timing information provided by Galileo11. 

A  few  months  after  the  Declaration  of  Initial  Services,  a  number  of  Galileo-ready  devices 
already  hit  the  mass  market.  All  main  chipsets  (sold  by  17  major  suppliers  worldwide, 

11  European GNSS Agency: GNSS Market Report, Issue 5 (May 2017), p.15. 

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representing  95%  of  the  market)  that  are  used  in  smartphones,  tablets,  cars,  professional 
survey equipment, etc. use Galileo. 

These chipsets are embedded in consumer and professional products that we can buy today. 
Based  on  the  main  products  on  sale,  the  GSA  estimates  that  more  than  100  million  user 
devices  enabled  for  EGNOS  and/or  Galileo  services  are  today  in  the  hands  of  European 
citizens. From 2018, all new car models sold in the European Union will rely on EGNOS and 
Galileo to calculate the position of emergency calls in case of accidents. 

In addition, the potential number of users is expected to become bigger: shipments of GNSS 
devices in the European Union are expected to grow from 210 million units in 2015 to almost 
290 million in 202012, representing a much larger base of users for EGNOS and Galileo. 

Thus, the implementation at EU level of the Galileo and EGNOS programmes has brought a 
high  added  value  compared  to  what  could  have  been  achieved  by  the  Member  States  at 
national,  regional  or  local  level.  The  size  and  complexity  of  the  programmes  require 
implementation at EU level, as no viable alternative exists to ensure an appropriate return on 
investment. As a result of this, all stakeholders agree that the continuation of the programmes' 
implementation  at  EU  level  is  a  condition  for  the  achievement  of  the  Galileo  and  EGNOS 
objectives. 

The  Galileo  and  EGNOS  programmes  contribute  to  a  safe  and  secure  Europe  by  ensuring 
European  autonomy  in  accessing  and  using  space  in  a  safe  and  secure  environment,  and  in 
particular consolidate and protect its infrastructures, including against cyber threats, as well as 
by strengthening synergies between civilian and security activities in the fields of navigation, 
communication  and  observation,  including  through  monitoring  borders,  land  and  maritime 
security conditions. 

The  Galileo  and  EGNOS  programmes  also  promote  a  stronger  Europe  on  the  global  scene. 
Given  the  increasing  competition  with  other  GNSS  and  SBAS  systems,  it  is  crucial  that 
Europe develops its own systems, to take part in the race to the technology, to remain a world-
class actor in space and a partner of choice on the international scene. 

3.  MAIN FINDINGS CONCERNING THE GSA 

3.1.  IMPACT AND EFFECTIVENESS OF THE GSA 

Over the period 2014-2016, the GSA has successfully achieved important objectives for the 
progress  of  Galileo  and  EGNOS  programmes  and  for  the  development  of  European 
downstream  markets.  This  has  been  accomplished  through  an  effective  implementation  of 
both core tasks entrusted to the GSA directly on the basis of the GSA Regulation, and tasks 
delegated to it by the Commission through Delegation Agreements. 

12  European GNSS Agency: GNSS Market Report, Issue 5 (May 2017), p.13. 

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Key achievements of the Agency include the implementation in particular of testing activities 
that were a prerequisite for the declaration of Galileo Initial Services; the transition towards 
the Galileo exploitation phase, in particular the award of the contract to the Galileo Service 
operator  (GSOp);  the  smooth  implementation  of  FP7,  Horizon  2020  and  Fundamental 
Elements  R&D  projects;  as  well  as  downstream  market  development  through  monitoring, 
communication and promotion activities. These results have been delivered within budget. 

3.2.  EFFICIENCY  IN  TERMS  OF  SMOOTH  RUNNING,  WORKING  METHODS  AND  USE  OF 

RESOURCES 

Over the period 2014-2016, the Agency has been efficient overall in terms of smooth running, 
working methods and use of resources. 

As  regards  the  smooth  running  of  the  Agency,  the  processes  implemented  by  the  GSA  are 
primarily  defined  in  the  legal  framework  governing  the  Agency,  which  the  Agency  has 
complied with. This has contributed to the effective implementation of the programmes. 

Regarding working methods, the GSA has been proactive in improving the effectiveness and 
efficiency of its delivery process, to be able to handle properly the increasing responsibilities 
with  which  it  is  entrusted.  Thus,  the  Agency  has  been  awarded  in  the  period  the  ISO-9001 
certification, showing a quality management system. 

Concerning  the  use  of  resources,  the  GSA  has  faced  a  challenge  in  terms  of  attracting  the 
relevant  resources  and  skills.  Between  2014  and  2016  with  the  increasing  responsibilities 
entrusted to the GSA, the total budget managed by the Agency has grown by 85,9%, and the 
GSA staff has increased by 22,1%. 

3.3.  ROLE OF THE SECURITY ACCREDITATION BOARD (SAB) AND SECURITY GOVERNANCE  

The  GSA  Regulation  established  the  SAB,  which  is  responsible  for  security  accreditation 
related tasks for the European GNSS systems. It works independently with no reporting to the 
GSA Executive Director. The SAB has performed well, and constant monitoring is required to 
ensure its complete independence. 

The  evaluation  has  demonstrated  that  all  relevant  bodies  (e.g.  security  organisation  in  EC, 
ESA  and  GSA;  SAB)  and  processes  (e.g.  security  requirement  identification,  security 
accreditation, security risk identification and management, security of the operations, system 
security monitoring) are today up and running. This has allowed the relevant actors to fulfil 
their  tasks  ensuring  the  accreditation  of  all  the  deployed  elements  of  the  European  GNSS 
systems,  the  accreditation  of  the  Ariane  5  as  a  launcher  for  the  Galileo  satellites,  and  the 
declaration of the Galileo Initial Services in December 2016.  

The  efforts  to  optimise  security  will  have  to  continue,  in  particular,  with  regard  to  the 
appropriate  management  of  cyber  threats  and  the  need  to  improve  the  independence  of 
security  accreditation  activities  from  other  programme  activities.  The  GSA  will  have  to 
monitor its ability to maintain the security processes through the exploitation phase. 

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4.  WAY FORWARD 

4.1.  MARKET UPTAKE OF GALILEO AND EGNOS 

Continuing  to  reinforce  the  market  uptake  of  Galileo  and  EGNOS  services  is  essential  to 
ensure  the  return  on  the  Union’s  investment  in  the  programmes  and  to  maximise  the  socio-
economic  benefits  that  these  services  can  generate.  There  is  a  need  to  continue  working  on 
ensuring an appropriate regulatory framework for the uptake of GNSS services. This will also 
require reinforcing available legal mechanisms. 

At  EU  level,  EU  policies  have  to  take  into  account  the  benefits  of  Galileo  and  EGNOS 
positioning,  navigation  and  timing  services  through  concrete  measures,  including regulatory 
measures, development of standards and future sectoral strategies. The emphasis needs to be 
on  key  sectors  with  the  highest  added  value  such  as  mobile  phones,  Internet  of  Things, 
autonomous and connected cars, aviation and unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) and critical 
infrastructure  using  timing  synchronisation.  The  Commission  will  release  a  European  radio 
navigation plan to facilitate the introduction of global navigation satellite system applications 
in sectoral policies. At national level, these efforts should also be supported by encouraging 
the use of Galileo and EGNOS services in national policies and government applications. 

Devices  and  applications  using  Galileo  and  EGNOS  are  developed  by  SMEs  and  start-ups. 
European companies are facing fierce competition from US and Chinese companies and they 
are dependent on non-European critical components and technologies. There is a need to step 
up the support for increasing the competitiveness of European downstream industry aimed at 
improving their global market share, and creating jobs. Support for research and development 
activities,  SMEs  and  start-ups  in  the  area  of  satellite  navigation  through  EU  funding 
programmes are to be monitored. 

Galileo and EGNOS services must continue to develop based on the needs of users to deliver 
state-of-the-art  satellite  navigation  services  with  higher  robustness  and  new  innovative 
features. This is especially important in an ever more competitive international environment 
where other constellation providers have ambitious modernisation plans. The Commission is 
already working on the next generation of Galileo and EGNOS infrastructure that will allow 
for  modernised  services.  To  ensure  that  developments  are  driven  by  user  needs,  including 
security-related  requirements,  the  Commission  will  strengthen  the  user  consultation  process 
and set up dedicated user platforms. 

4.2.  GALILEO AND EGNOS SERVICES 

After  the  Initial  Services  phase,  the  Commission  will  ensure  that  Galileo  services  are 
gradually improved with the aim of reaching full operational capability by the end of 2020. 
To  reach  this  objective,  the  space  and  ground  infrastructure  of  Galileo  will  continue  to  be 
deployed. The Commission will procure necessary launch services to ensure the launch of all 
procured satellites. 

The Galileo Commercial Service will also be introduced before 2020 consisting of innovative 
high accuracy and authentication features, both expected to be differentiators for the adoption 

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of Galileo by users. In addition, the Commission has launched the work on the evolution of 
the system, in full consultation with Member States and end users' communities to ensure that 
future services continue to be fully in line with their needs. 

Emphasis  should  also  be  put  on  cyber  security  to  ensure  that  protection  mechanisms  are  in 
place, and are commensurate with the evolving cyber threats.  

The EGNOS services are provided to end users in Europe with a high degree of stability and 
performance.  The  key  user  community  of  EGNOS  is  the  aviation  sector.  To  guarantee  the 
continuity  of  the  EGNOS  services,  recurrent  activities  will  continue  to  be  implemented  and 
system updates prepared. The Commission will ensure that full coverage of the targeted area 
is achieved in line with the EGNOS Service Evolution plan. 

In parallel, the development of the next generation of EGNOS is well under way. This new 
version  will  augment  both  GPS  and  Galileo  signals  on  dual  frequencies,  which  will  bring 
major improvements to the EGNOS services and increase user uptake. 

Finally, the safeguard the resilience of the services, the Commission will assess measures to 
secure the provision of critical components for both satellite navigation systems, in particular 
through diversification of the supply chain.  

4.3.  INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION 

The  promotion  and  use  of  Galileo  and  EGNOS  services  worldwide  is  important  to  increase 
the  use  of  European  technologies  worldwide  and  to  open  up  new  market  opportunities  for 
European  companies.  The  adoption  of  EGNOS  technology  and  services  in  the  Western 
Balkans, in the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) countries and on the African continent 
is  expected.  As  regards  Galileo,  promising  markets  which  would  greatly  benefit  from  its 
services and applications will be targeted, such as for example Asia and South America. 

Galileo and EGNOS programmes are also means for reinforcing the role of the EU as a global 
actor. The representation of the programmes’ interests in international organisations and fora 
needs to  be reinforced, in particular on subjects related to compatibility and interoperability 
with other global satellite navigation systems and proper use of frequency bands. 

4.4.  GOVERNANCE OF THE PROGRAMMES 

The public governance of the programmes put into place for the period 2014-2020 ensured a 
smooth  transition  from  the  deployment  to  the  exploitation  phase  of  the  Galileo  programme. 
The GSA is progressively settling into its new role in the operational management of Galileo. 

The experience with the operational management of EGNOS shows that an approach where 
design, construction,  operations and service provision  are most efficiently delivered in  fully 
integrated management. 

In  the  governance  of  security  related  issues,  adequate  mechanisms  are  in  place  to  ensure 
smooth  management  of  requirements  during  the  overlapping  deployment  and  exploitation 
phases  up  to  2020.  The  independence  of  operation  of  the  organisations  (the  Commission, 

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GSA and ESA) responsible for security requirement implementation and verification should 
be  maintained  and  the  independence  of  the  security  accreditation  activities  from  other 
programme activities could be further improved. 

The  Commission  will  monitor and,  if  necessary,  adjust  the interactions with  the  GSA,  ESA 
and other stakeholders of the Galileo programme in particular in order to ensure that the needs 
of the exploitation phase of Galileo are met. 

Ahead of the proposals for the next multi-annual financial framework, the Commission will 
initiate a review of the overall governance to address the shortcomings identified during this 
evaluation process.  

5.  CONCLUSIONS 

in 

the 

interim  evaluation  demonstrated 

the 
The  evidence  presented 
implementation of the GNSS Regulation and of the GSA Regulation has shown good results 
in  the  light  of  the  general  evaluation  criteria  and  specific  requirements  for  the  European 
GNSS programmes.  The Galileo and EGNOS programmes have achieved all the milestones 
that were set for the period concerned and progress is being made towards delivering on all 
the programme implementation objectives set for 2020. 

that  overall 

Looking  to  the  future,  the  Commission  aims  to  provide  a  long-term  vision  for  the 
programmes,  allowing  businesses  and  users  to  reap  the  benefits  of  the  European  satellite 
navigation systems. In this context, the Commission will strive for greater synergies between 
space and defence programmes, in line with the recently adopted Space Strategy for Europe 
and Defence Action Plan. 

The  growing  demand  for  precise  location  information,  in  combination  with  the  ongoing 
evolution  of  satellite  navigation  technology,  means  that  the  European  market  for  users  of 
Galileo and EGNOS  will expand.  Also, the  traditional  GNSS  market will be complemented 
with the field of Internet of Things, smart cities and Big Data. 

Therefore, the next years will be crucial for consolidating the achievements and preparing the 
evolution of the programmes.  

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