The European Parliament has given its backing to the
Galileo satellite programme, a network of 30 satellites due to
start operating in 2008 in mid-orbit around the
world.
The European Commission believed Galileo would revolutionise the
telecommunications, transport, agriculture and fishing
industries.
MEPs stressed the "enormous significance of Galileo for the EU's
industrial, transport, technological and environmental
development".
Earlier this month, European commissioner for transport, Loyola de
Palacio said her US counterparts have softened their objections to
Galileo, and that she hoped to sign a co-operation agreement with
the US in the coming months.
US officials have doubted the need for Galileo, saying the American
Global Positioning System (GPS) can serve everyone's needs. They
viewed the European project as a rival and discouraged the EU from
pursuing it.
However, momentum behind Galileo is growing. There are no remaining
funding obstacles from EU member states, and the project was
boosted last autumn when China agreed to co-operate in its
financing and development.
De Palacio said positive statements in recent weeks by US officials
"reinforce the EU's goal of defining, together with our US
partners, the standard for the best possible civil system for the
benefit of users worldwide".
De Palacio's meetings with President Bush in Washington DC in the
next few days will address how Galileo will co-exist with GPS. One
fundamental difference between the two systems is that GPS is used
partly for military purposes, while Galileo is being designed
exclusively for civilian needs.
Until the first Gulf War in 1991, a feature of GPS, called
Selective Availability, upgraded GPS signals received by by
commercial GPS euqipment. A lack of military GPS receivers during
that war and the need to outfit some US troops with commercial
receivers, SA was turned off, resulting in an improved signal for
commercial users of GPS. In May 2000, President Clinton ordered SA
to be discontinued.
De Palacio will seek to ensure that whatever agreement she and
the US reaches, the exclusively civilian purpose of Galileo will be
maintained.
Paul Meller writes for IDG News
Service