Recommendation on the opening of negotiations on an agreement extending the provision of EGNOS over the European Neighbourhood Policy

Summary:

On 30 November 2018 the European Commission presented a recommendation for a Council Decision authorising the opening of negotiations on an agreement between the European Union and each individual European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) South country for the purpose of agreeing the terms and conditions for extending the provision of EGNOS over the ENP.

Further information:

The European Geostationary Navigation Overlay System (EGNOS) makes existing open satellite navigation signals suitable for safety critical applications in transport, such as flying and landing aircraft where little or no ground based radio assistance equipment is available.

EGNOS is regulated by Regulation (EU) No 1285/2013 on the implementation and exploitation of European satellite navigation systems (the GNSS Regulation). Article 2(5) of the GNSS Regulation stipulates that the geographical coverage of EGNOS may be extended to countries of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), subject to technical feasibility and on the basis of international agreements.

A specific bilateral international agreement on EGNOS with each individual ENP South country will lay down the appropriate schemes of governance, define the roles and responsibility of each party and decide upon financial responsibilities for the development and operations of the infrastructure needed for the provision of EGNOS-based services in each ENP South country.