Safe air navigation: Contributing to a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)

SUMMARY OF:

Agreement between the European Community, the European Space Agency and the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation on a European contribution to the development of a global navigation satellite system

Decision 98/434/EC concerning the Agreement between the European Community, the European Space Agency and the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation on a European contribution to the development of a global navigation satellite system (GNSS)

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE AGREEMENT AND OF THE DECISION?

The agreement creates the conditions for the European Community (now the EU), the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation (Eurocontrol) to contribute to developing a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)* to meet the needs of civil users independently of other means of radio navigation and positioning.
The decision approves the agreement on behalf of the EU.

KEY POINTS

Studies on navigation by satellite are evolving and have reached a sufficient degree of maturity for a European contribution to a global navigation satellite system to be created independent of other means of radio navigation and positioning, thereby allowing greater involvement of European industry in this field, including through projects such as Europe's 2 satellite navigation systems, Galileo and EGNOS *, as well as GNSS Market.

The agreement covers:

developing operational capability for a European contribution to GNSS 1*, using existing satellite systems and any appropriate augmentation of these systems;
coordination to achieve full operational capability for GNSS 1;
parallel preparatory work on GNSS 2*.

The parties agree to the following:

The ESA contributes by implementing its Advanced Research in Telecommunication Systems (ARTES) programme, in particular developing and operating the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) for testing and technical validation;
Eurocontrol determines the requirements of civil aviation ensuring that GNSS 1 is operationally acceptable;
The European Community (now the EU) helps to integrate the requirements of all users and provides for EGNOS to be set up, including leasing the AOR-E and IOR Inmarsat III geostationary transponders.

A Joint Tripartite Committee meets at least yearly to monitor implementation, formulate guidelines and coordinate common approaches to achieving the terms of the agreement. The EU is represented by the European Commission.

Each party must:

share all the necessary information at its disposal;
not disclose any exchanged information to any person other than those employed by it or officially entitled to handle such information;
not use such information for commercial purposes.

In addition, the agreement:

outlines the property rights of the three organisations, who undertake to make the necessary financial arrangements to implement the agreement;
sets up a liability mechanism for activities undertaken under the agreement;
obliges public relations activities to be coordinated between the parties, with roles clearly identified;
may only be amended by unanimous written agreement;
is open to the participation of relevant third parties.

Disputes between the parties may be:

submitted to the Joint Tripartite Committee for direct negotiation; or
settled by 5 arbitrators, 3 appointed by the parties and 2 by the committee.

DATE OF ENTRY INTO FORCE

The agreement entered into force on 18 June 1998.

BACKGROUND