PURPOSE : to define the modalities of the financial contribution of the Community for the implementation of the deployment and commercial operating phases of the European satellite radionavigation GALILEO.
PROPOSED ACT : Regulation of the European Parliament and the Council.
CONTENT : the GALILEO programme has now reached an advanced stage of maturity and goes well beyond the framework of a simple research project. It is necessary to place it on a specific legal tool, better able to satisfy its needs and respond to the requirement for good financial management. As a result, a Community Regulation is necessary to enable the implementation of the deployment and the commercial operating phases of the programme.
During the deployment and the commercial operating phases, the construction and then the management of the system will be entrusted to a private concessionaire working under the control of the Supervisory Authority. The missions of the Supervisory Authority include managing the public funds allocated to the European Satellite radionavigation programme as well as following the financial management of this programme so as to optimise the use of public money. In addition, the Supervisory Authority carries out budgetary responsibilities given to it by the Commission.
In order to ensure the continuation of the programme, the Commission must secure the financing of the deployment and commercial operating phases which will in particular include a Community contribution.
The Community contribution to the programme allocated by this Regulation is granted with the aim of co-financing:
- activities related to the deployment phase, covering the construction and the launch of satellites as well as the complete setting up of the terrestrial infrastructure;
- the first series of activities related to the launch of the commercial operating phase, covering the management of the infrastructure composed by satellites and the associated ground stations, as well as the maintenance and updating of the system.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS :
- Budget line : specific Galileo Programme budget line;
- Period of allocation : 2007-2013;
- total allocation of the action : EUR 1 billion. This amount will be transferred to the Supervisory Authority. The annual appropriations are authorised by the Budgetary Authority within the limits of the financial perspectives.