Galileo Security Monitoring Centre back-up site moves to Spain

Author (Corporate)
Series Title
Series Details IP/18/389 (24.01.18)
Publication Date 24/01/2018
Content Type

Further information:

The decision followed a call for expressions of interest, which started on 1 August 2017. Six Member States (Belgium, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia and Spain) submitted proposals which the European Commission assessed according to technical, security, financial and programmatic criteria on the basis of the rules foreseen in the Galileo Regulation.

On 18 January 2018, representatives of 27 Member States in the European Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) Programmes Committee voted in favour of the Commission proposal to relocate the back-up site to Spain.

Background information:

The Galileo Security Monitoring Centre (GSMC) is a technical infrastructure which plays a key role in ensuring the security of the EU's satellite navigation programme Galileo, including its Public Regulated Service (PRS).

The GSMC had until this date its main and operational location in France and its back-up site in the United Kingdom (Swanwick). As a consequence of the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union, the GSMC's back-up site needed to be relocated from the United Kingdom to one of the 27 EU Member States.

Galileo is a key component of the Commission's Space Strategy, which focuses on fostering new services, creating business opportunities, promoting Europe's leadership in space and maintaining Europe's strategic autonomy.

The European Commission decided on 24 January 2018 to transfer the back-up site of the Galileo Security Monitoring Centre (GSMC) from the United Kingdom to Spain.

Source Link Link to Main Source http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-18-389_en.htm
Related Links
Reuters, 24.01.18: British EU space police axed by Brexit, moving to Spain https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN1FD296
The Independent, 18.01.18: Brexit: EU relocates Galileo satellite system installation from UK to Spain http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-galileo-satellite-space-industry-move-from-london-to-spain-madrid-uk-a8165841.html
The Guardian, 18.01.18: Brexit blow as satellite monitoring centre moves from UK to Spain https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/jan/18/brexit-blow-as-satellite-monitoring-centre-moves-from-uk-to-spain
Politico, 18.01.18: UK loses space data center to Spain amid post-Brexit security concerns https://www.politico.eu/article/uk-loses-space-data-center-to-spain-amid-post-brexit-security-concerns/
The Local (Spain), 19.01.18: Madrid wins bid to takeover Galileo support centre from UK post-Brexit https://www.thelocal.es/20180119/madrid-wins-bid-to-host-galileo

Subject Categories
Countries / Regions , ,