European satellite navigation systems: implementation and exploitation 2014-2020

The Council took note of the state of play on the draft Regulation defining a new financial and governance framework for the European satellite navigation systems (EGNOS and Galileo), for the period covered by the multi-annual financial framework 2014-2020.

In June 2012, the Council agreed on a partial general approach to the draft Regulation, leaving out, for the time being, the financial envelope for the satellite navigation programmes.

Parliament could accept a significant part of the Council's partial general approach, and agreement could also be reached on a number of technical issues. However, the following issues in particular remain to be settled:

• Maximisation of the socio-economic benefits from the programmes through the development of applications: Parliament considers that applications are the only way to show the citizens the socio-economic benefits they can obtain from Galileo and EGNOS and that it would not be worth to have a system up and running if it could not be used for services and related applications.
• Breakdown of activities and of the funds to be assigned to the programmes: Parliament considers that, in order to ensure transparency and accountability as regards the use of taxpayers’ money allocated to the programmes, activities and funds should be broken down in a clear and detailed manner, including the amount to be allocated to the financing of the development of applications.
• Governance of the programmes: Parliament considers that the EU GNSS Agency should play a crucial role to ensure the maximisation of the socio-economic benefits of the programmes.
• Extension of the EGNOS coverage to candidate countries, third countries belonging to the Single European Sky and countries of the European Neighbourhood Policy: Parliament attaches the utmost importance to such an extension and wants to reinforce the relevant provisions in the draft Regulation.
• The issue of powers to be delegated to the Commission for certain decisions concerning the implementation of the Regulation: Parliament considers that a number of measures and requirements should be established and amended by the Commission using only the delegated acts procedure, in order to guarantee Parliament’sfull involvement in the programmes.

The Council is invited to take note of the content of the progress report with a view to inviting the Council’s preparatory bodies to continue the negotiations with Parliament in order to reach an agreement as soon as possible on this file.

Any subsequent progress is closely linked to the result of the negotiations under way on the next multiannual financial framework (MFF). No decision can be taken for as long as the amount to be assigned in the MFF to satellite navigation remains unknown. For this reason, any agreement reached between the two colegislators may have to be reviewed.