Global navigation satellite system (GNSS): rules for access to the public regulated service

Transport ministers took stock of progress achieved on detailed rules for access to the Public Regulated Service (PRS) provided by the European global navigation satellite system under the Galileo programme.

All Member States support the general objective of giving a legal framework and establishing clear rules for access to PRS. In this context, several delegations underlined the need to reiterate, also in this text, the principle that "Galileo is a civil system under civil control", as stated in Regulation N° 683/2008 (recital 2).

One delegation expressed concerns as regards the legal base and it is still examining whether the proposed Article 172 is appropriate. Some delegations pointed out that the Commission proposal combines rules both for PRS technology and for the service itself, often in the same paragraph, and argued that these two issues should be clearly separated to avoid any possible confusion.

However, the work already done in the Council's preparatory bodies shows that some issues still need to be further discussed, in particular:

• the protection of classified information,
• the establishment of common minimum standards to be complied with by the PRS authorities, and
• the delegation of decisions to the Commission as regards these two issues.

Moreover, some Member States expressed the wish to further clarify the costs entailed by the PRS and who will bear them.

The Council invited its preparatory bodies to pursue its examination of the proposal.