Galileo finally gets EU go-ahead

 

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Posted on 3 Dec 2007 at 08:59

EU governments have finally agreed to complete development of the controversial Galileo satellite navigation system, giving in to Spain's demands for a greater role in the venture.

The much-delayed project looked to have hit another roadblock on Thursday when Spain voted against continuing with the £2.6 billion satellite project.

However, the EU won consensus by agreeing that Spain's secondary ground station, initially intended to monitor Galileo's emergency channels, could be upgraded to a full blown ground control station, should the nation foot the bill.

After struggling for five years to get the project off the ground, the EU set a deadline of 31 December to gain final approval for the satellite system, which when completed in 2013 is expected to rival the US run GPS system.

The project has faced serious questions on both its funding and relevance, with opponents pointing to the existence of the current GPS system and the development of rival systems by Russia and China.

Earlier in the month the EU agreed to a taxpayer bailout of the project, after a consortium of businesses walked away over financing concerns.

Author: Stuart Turton