The European Commission has admitted that its plans to create a
rival satellite network to the US global positioning system (GPS)
are "stuck in a rut".
The Commission warned that it would pull the plug on Galileo, the
rival to GPS, unless the 15 member states committed to it by
February 2002.
European heads of state failed to show that commitment to Galileo
at their two-day summit in Brussels last week. Some questioned the
3.6bn euro (£2.2bn) cost, while others questioned the need for such
a satellite system. The heads of state urged the Commission to
continue its research and said they would decide whether to fund
the project by March 2002.
Like GPS, Galileo will serve primarily as a navigational aid for
commercial transport networks.
Six countries, including Germany and the UK, object to Galileo's
price tag. They want the Commission to find more private funding.
Others questioned the economic benefits of the network, which is
set to become operational by 2008 only as a rival to the US-run
GPS.
European Commission president Romano Prodi insisted that the
project was "indispensable both for scientific programs, and for
economic and social conditions". The Commission has warned that
further delays would render Galileo technology out of date.
The European Union's head office believes Galileo will create a
market for equipment and services of some 80bn euros over 15 years,
along with 140,000 jobs.