ASD Welcomes EU Decision on Galileo Project

30 November 2007, 5:07pm

30 November 2007 Brussels, Belgium – European Transport Council Ministers yesterday agreed tendering rules regarding industrial work for the Galileo Satellite network. This follows a decision by ECOFIN Ministers on the 23rd of November to finance Galileo through the European Union budget, in agreement with the European Parliament. ASD, the AeroSpace and Defence Industries Association of Europe warmly welcomes these EU decisions which now allow Galileo to progress.

The AeroSpace and Defence Industries Association of Europe welcomes the agreement by European Transport Ministers to support Galileo, the European Union’s satellite navigation system, allowing the project to now move ahead by approving an industrial tendering plan on the Satellite system among EU member states. Twenty-six out of twenty-seven European Transport Ministers voted in favour of the tendering plan, proposed by the European Commission.

Yesterday’s decision by European Transport Council Ministers follows the decision by the European Union’s Economic and Financial Affairs Council meeting, on the 23rd of November, to finance the Galileo project through the European Union budget,

ASD’s Director of Space Jean-Jacques Tortora commenting on the recent EU support for Galileo said: ‘The Green light first given by European Finance Ministers and yesterday by European Transport Ministers has to be welcomed. This paves the way for the autonomy of Europe, regarding positioning and navigation by satellite. This decision is the first concrete application of the recently agreed European space policy.’

www.asd-europe.org

Geo: International