Brussels, 30 nov (EFE).-the European Commission (EC) proposed today to allocate EUR 7 billion to finance the two European programmes of navigation by satellite, Galileo and Egnos, an ambitious project that aims to compete with the GPS (global positioning system) system from 2014 to 2020 American.
Galileo was raised more than ten years as a future alternative to GPS to reinforce European independence but its complicated and expensive development and the reluctance of Member States to increase its budget (3.4 billion euros for the period 2007-2013) have committed its grounding point.
The European Commission has repeatedly defended the need to allocate more funds for Galileo from 2014 to 2020 in order to be able to create the 30 satellite constellation planned for 2020, so this system is really competitive with GPS and not a mere complement.
The proposal submitted today by the European Commission expected to earmark these EUR 7 billion to complete and manage the infrastructures of Galileo, a figure less than the initially defended by the CE.
Galileo – which was preceded by three satellites that are part of the program Egnos, aimed at aviation – will have applications in transportation, logistics, safety of traffic and tourism and will begin to provide service in three years, although it will not be completed until 2020.
The Vice-President of the EC and owner of industry, Antonio Tajani, insisted in a statement to launch a “key message of financial stability” for these two programs, and noted that “they are contributing greatly to the competition and European industrial innovation in key sectors with great economic potential”.
The European Commission recalled that the EU “continues to be the owner of the systems” and which must therefore, delegate the administration of the exploitation of the programmes to the Agency of the Global European satellite navigation system, and the management of its deployment to the European Space Agency.
On the other hand, the European Commission proposed finance 5,800 million for the period 2014-2020 programme global monitoring for environment and security (GMES) project that allows to observe the changes suffered by the planet and also has applications in the field of security, as the monitoring of borders.
This contribution would be held outside the financial framework of the EU, through the creation of a specific fund for the GMES similar to the European Development Fund, which would be input from the EU-27, although it remains to see if the Member States approved the initiative.
In addition, the EC proposed coordinate herself agenda and delegated financial management in the Agency of the Global System of navigation by satellite.
Tajani stressed that “to address the growing difficulties on a global scale, Europe needs its own system of Earth observation, well-coordinated and reliable”, and stated that GMES will contribute to the recovery economic.
The European Commission stressed that this system will help to mitigate climate change, respond to emergencies, monitor borders better, increase security and alert citizens if it diminishes the quality of the air, among other applications. EFE
