EU begins consultation on Galileo

The European commission on Friday launched a green paper on possible future uses and applications of the EU’s satellite navigation system Galileo.

Launching the consultation, commission transport chief Jacques Barrot said he wanted to raise awareness and give new impetus to what he called “the tremendous potential of this new technology”.

“[Galileo] presents a unique opportunity for new applications, economic growth and job creation in the EU.”

The green paper will begin a four-month discussion process which Barrot wants to help guide the policy and legal framework for satellite navigation applications, ahead of Galileo going live in 2011.

The French commissioner believes that the high-precision positioning and timing services that Galileo will provide, from weather tracking and time measurement to traffic navigation and security of financial transactions, are already permeating into daily activities and will in the future “be a revolution in our lives”.

And with the global market in satellite navigation services expected to reach €400bn over the next few years, “the time is now right to start a consultation on applications”, said Barrot.

Galileo will be more accurate than the rival US GPS system, says the commission, offering a positioning accuracy to within two metres, and because it has been developed under civil control, will be more reliable than the US counterpart.

Responding to questions over possible future military use, Barrot said “let’s leave that discussion open… Galileo was designed specifically for civilian use”.

The system will begin to be put through a testing regime in 2007 following the launch of a second experimental satellite, the first of which was launched in 2005.

After the full deployment of 30 satellites in 2010, initial services are expected to begin in 2011.

Barrot said the commission will publish an action plan, following the public consultation, in 2008.

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