Institutional Aspects of a Global Navigation Satellite System

Abstract

This, and the following three papers, where first presented at GNSS 99, the Second European Symposium on Global Navigation Satellite Systems held in Genoa, Italy from 5th to 8th October 1999.

Galileo is being developed as the European contribution to the next generation of navigation satellites to replace GNSS1. Sponsored by the European Union, Galileo will be a civil, internationally controlled and operated system that will secure the long-term availability of satellite-based navigation services for multi-modal purposes throughout the European region and beyond. Galileo will be designed to support a wide variety of applications. These include professional navigation, position reference, safety, emergency, tracking, sport/leisure and governmental. Such services may be open to all, for safety-of-life applications, or for commercial users. In the case of safety and commercial applications in particular, it is imperative that the appropriate institutional control and regulatory framework is in place for purposes of safety and economic regulation. To ensure that the various parties understand their obligations and liabilities, clear legal instruments must be put in place to support the organisational framework. It is planned to attract private investment to fund elements of system development and operation through Private/Public Partnership arrangements. At present there is no institutional, regulatory or legal framework that will enable the early impetus to Galileo development to be maintained. This presents a challenge that Europe must address without delay. It has been the subject of several European Commission studies in the past twelve months. In a complementary activity under contract to the European Space Agency (ESA), a European industry consortium comprising Alcatel, Alenia, DASA and Matra Marconi Space was tasked to complete the preliminary design of the space and ground segments by the Autumn of 1999. One task of this study, led by Matra Marconi Space, relates to a study of the impact of institutional, regulatory and legal issues on the organisation and development of Galileo. This paper describes the studies undertaken into these issues within the overall Galileo development programme.