The agreement aims to provide a cooperation framework between the United States and the European Union (EU) (the parties) in relation to their respective GPS and Galileo satellite-based navigation systems and related applications.
The decision approves the agreement on behalf of the EU.

KEY POINTS

GPS

The United States operates the Global Positioning System (GPS), a dual-use satellite-based navigation system providing precision timing, navigation and position location signals. This is used for peaceful civil, commercial and scientific uses on a continuous, worldwide basis, free of direct user fees.

Galileo

The EU-developed Galileo is a civil global satellite navigation, timing and positioning system that is radio-frequency compatible with GPS and interoperable with civil GPS services at the user level.

Working together

Through the agreement, the parties express their intention to work together to promote and facilitate the use of these signals, services and equipment for peaceful civil, commercial and scientific uses, and to further mutual security interests.

Military satellite-based navigation and timing services are outside the scope of the agreement, except in respect of radio-frequency compatibility.

Interoperability and compatibility

The parties agree to:

keep GPS and Galileo, to the greatest extent possible, radio-frequency compatible and interoperable at the non-military user level;
retain compatibility and interoperability when modernising or developing either system and in any augmentations* (subject to agreement);
standardise their geodetic coordinate (location) reference frames as closely as possible to the International Terrestrial Reference System;
transmit the time offsets between Galileo and GPS system times in navigation messages, to synchronise their different time references;
enhance signal availability and reliability through complementary system architectures, for the benefit of users worldwide.

Standards, certification, regulations and mandates

The parties agree to consult with each other before taking any measures:

establishing design or performance standards, certification requirements, licensing requirements, technical regulations or similar requirements;
having the effect of mandating the use of any civil satellite-based navigation signals or services.

Non-discrimination and trade

The parties affirm:

a non-discriminatory approach to trade in goods and services;
that measures should not be used as a disguised restriction or obstacle to international trade.

Open access and fees

The parties must:

not restrict either the use of or access to their positioning, navigation and timing information by end users, except for reasons of national security;
endeavour to provide signals intended for safety-of-life services;
make information publicly available concerning their unencrypted civil satellite-based navigation and timing signals and augmentations, to ensure equal oportunities for those who seek to use these signals, manufacture equipment or other services;
give the other party’s manufacturers, subject to applicable export controls, access to the information necessary to incorporate encryption or similar features into their equipment, through licensing at market prices;
endeavour to provide open-service navigation and timing signals without direct fees for end use or for augmentation;
be consistent with the International Civil Aviation Organization and the International Maritime Organization when charging fees for international aviation or maritime safety-of-life users;
consult each other where appropriate on cost recovery policies, taking steps to ensure transparency and accountability for fees incurred in providing their services.

National security compatibility and spectrum use

The parties must work together to:

promote adequate frequency allocations for satellite-based navigation and timing signals;
ensure radio-frequency compatibility in spectrum use between each other’s signals;
protect each other’s signals from interference;
promote the harmonised use of spectrum globally;
cooperate to identify sources of interference and take appropriate action;
prevent hostile use of their services.

Search and rescue services

The parties agree:

to cooperate on global search and rescue services planned using Galileo and future generations of GPS satellites;
that these services shall be radio-frequency compatible and, to the greatest extent possible, interoperable at the user level.

Working groups

The parties agree to establish four working groups on:

frequency compatibility and interoperability;
trade and civil applications;
the next generation of civil satellite-based navigation and timing systems;
security issues.

DATE OF ENTRY INTO FORCE

The agreement entered into force on 12 December 2011 for a period of 10 years. It was further extended for 5 years from 12 December 2021 by Decision (EU) 2022/1089.

BACKGROUND

For further information, see:

Galileo (European Space Agency)
What is Galileo? (European Union Agency for the Space Programme).

KEY TERMS

Augmentation. Civil mechanisms, which provide the users of satellite-based navigation and timing signals with input information, extra to that derived from the main constellation(s) in use, and additional range/pseudo-range inputs or corrections to, or enhancements of, existing pseudo-range inputs. These mechanisms enable users to obtain enhanced performance, such as increased accuracy, availability, integrity, and reliability.

MAIN DOCUMENTS

Council Decision 2011/901/EU of 12 December 2011 on the conclusion of the Agreement on the promotion, provision and use of Galileo and GPS satellite-based navigation systems and related applications between the European Community and its Member States, of the one part, and the United States of America, of the other part (OJ L 348, 31.12.2011, pp. 1–2).

Agreement on the promotion, provision and use of Galileo and GPS satellite-based navigation systems and related applications (OJ L 348, 31.12.2011, pp. 3–16).

EU–United States agreement on the promotion, provision and use of Galileo and GPS satellite-based navigation systems and related applications

SUMMARY OF:

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE AGREEMENT AND DECISION?

KEY POINTS

DATE OF ENTRY INTO FORCE

BACKGROUND

KEY TERMS

MAIN DOCUMENTS

RELATED DOCUMENTS