Europe’s 2 satellite navigation systems moving forward

 

SUMMARY OF:

Regulation (EU) No 1285/2013 on the implementation and exploitation of European satellite navigation systems

Decision No 1104/2011/EU – rules for access to the public regulated service provided by the global navigation satellite system established under the Galileo programme

Decision 2014/496/CFSP on aspects of the deployment, operation and use of the European Global Navigation Satellite System affecting the EU’s security

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE REGULATION AND THE DECISIONS?

• Regulation (EU) No 1285/2013:
  • sets out the rules for the management and financing of the EU’s 2 satellite navigation systems, Galileo and EGNOS (European geostationary navigation overlay service). Each set of infrastructure consists of satellites and a network of ground stations.
  • aims to meet the needs of the 2 programmes, particularly in terms of governance and security, ensure their financial management is sound and their use is promoted.
• Decision No 1104/2011/EU lays down the rules on access to the public regulated service (PRS) provided by the global navigation satellite system established under the Galileo programme.
• Decision 2014/496/CFSP concerns aspects of the deployment, operation and use of the European Global Navigation Satellite System affecting the EU’s security.

KEY POINTS

Galileo

• aims to set up and operate the first global satellite navigation and positioning infrastructure (system providing navigation, time and location data) specifically designed for civilian purposes, which can be used by a variety of public and private actors in Europe and worldwide. The new system is being designed to function independently of other existing systems — such as the United States’ global positioning system (GPS), Russia’s Glonass system or China’s BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) — or other potential systems;
• apart from the open service (OS), offers a public regulated service (PRS) restricted to government-authorised users (for sensitive applications which require a high level of service continuity), as well as contributes to the search and rescue support service (SAR) of the COSPAS-SARSAT system;
• is designed to be interoperable with other global satellite navigation systems. This interoperability will allow manufacturers to develop terminals processing more than one system.

Implementing Decision (EU) 2016/413 sets out the location of the various ground-based components comprising Galileo’s infrastructure, including:

• 2 control centres — in Germany and Italy;
• a security monitoring centre divided between 2 locations — in France and the United Kingdom (UK) (1);
• a reference centre — in the Netherlands.

In light of the UK (1) withdrawal from the EU, Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/115 amended Decision (EU) 2016/413 launching the process of transfer of the security monitoring centre from the UK (1) to Spain.

EGNOS

• aims to improve the quality of open signals from existing global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) as well as those from the open service offered by the Galileo system;
• offers certain sophisticated safety-critical applications such as for guiding aircraft both vertically and horizontally during landing approaches or navigating ships through narrow channels.

Financing

The EU is making around €7 billion of funding available for related activities from 2014 until 2020. The European Commission has overall responsibility for the 2 programmes and manages the funds.

The funding is used for:

• the completion of the deployment phase of the Galileo programme by 31 December 2020 (e.g. the construction and protection of space-based and ground-based infrastructure);
• the exploitation phase of the Galileo programme (e.g. management, maintenance, improvement and protection of space-based and ground-based infrastructure);
• the exploitation phase of the EGNOS programme (e.g. management, maintenance, improvement and protection of space-based and ground-based infrastructure);
• the management and monitoring of the Galileo and EGNOS programmes.

Implementation report

In 2017, the Commission published a report on the implementation of the Galileo and EGNOS programmes. The report concludes that 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.

European GNSS Agency and European Space Agency (ESA)

The regulation determines the roles of the European GNSS Agency and the European Space Agency, emphasising the principle of a strict division of tasks and responsibilities between the entities (in particular the Commission, the European GNSS Agency and ESA, under the overall responsibility of the Commission) involved in the governance of the Galileo and EGNOS programmes.

GNSS

In the context of the GNSS, 2 additional decisions deserve mention:

• Decision No 1104/2011/EU sets out the rules under which the EU countries, the Council, the Commission, the EEAS, EU agencies, non-EU countries and international organisations may access the PRS provided by the GNSS established under the Galileo programme. The PRS is a secure and encrypted service for sensitive applications and must remain operational even in crisis situations when other services may be interrupted. Access must be restricted to authorised users, mainly public authorities, such as the police, authorities responsible for border controls or authorities responsible for civil protection.
• Decision 2014/496/CFSP deals with aspects of the deployment, operation and use of the GNSS affecting the EU’s security. It sets out the responsibilities of the Council and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy to avert a threat to the security of the EU or 1 or more EU countries or to mitigate serious harm to the essential interests of the EU or of 1 or more EU countries arising from the deployment, operation or use of the European GNSS, in particular as a result of an international situation requiring action by the EU or in the event of a threat to the operation of the system itself or its services.

FROM WHEN DO THE REGULATION AND THE DECISIONS APPLY?

Rgulation (EU) No 1285/2013has applied since 1 January 2014.

Decision No 1104/2011/EU has applied since 5 November 2011.

Decision 2014/496/CFSP has applied since 22 July 2014.

BACKGROUND

For more information, see:

• Space (European Commission).

MAIN DOCUMENTS

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, pp. 1-24)

Decision No 1104/2011/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2011 on the rules for access to the public regulated service provided by the global navigation satellite system established under the Galileo programme (OJ L 287, 4.11.2011, pp. 1-8)

Council Decision 2014/496/CFSP of 22 July 2014 on aspects of the deployment, operation and use of the European Global Navigation Satellite System affecting the security of the European Union and repealing Joint Action 2004/552/CFSP (OJ L 219, 25.7.2014, pp. 53-55)

RELATED DOCUMENTS

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 (COM(2017) 616 final, 23.10.2017)

Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2016/413 of 18 March 2016 determining the location of the ground-based infrastructure of the system established under the Galileo programme and setting out the necessary measures to ensure that it functions smoothly, and repealing Implementing Decision 2012/117/EU (OJ L 74, 19.3.2016, pp. 45-49)

Successive amendments to Implementing Decision (EU) 2016/413 have been incorporated in the original text. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.

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. 11-21)

See consolidated version.

last update 16.07.2020

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(1) The United Kingdom withdrew from the European Union and became a third country (non-EU country) as of 1 February 2020.