Considerations on COM(2011)814 - Implementation and exploitation of European satellite navigation systems - Main contents
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| dossier | COM(2011)814 - Implementation and exploitation of European satellite navigation systems. |
|---|---|
| document | COM(2011)814  |
| date | December 11, 2013 |
| (2) | The aim of the Galileo programme is to establish and operate the first global satellite navigation and positioning infrastructure specifically designed for civilian purposes, which can be used by a variety of public and private actors in Europe and worldwide. The system established under the Galileo programme functions independently of other existing or potential systems, thus contributing amongst other things to the strategic autonomy of the Union, as emphasised by the European Parliament and the Council. |
| (3) | The aim of the EGNOS programme is to improve the quality of open signals from existing global navigation satellite systems ('GNSS') as well as those from the open service offered by the system established under the Galileo programme, when they become available. The services provided by the EGNOS programme should cover, as a priority, the Member States' territories geographically located in Europe, including for this purpose the Azores, the Canary Islands and Madeira. |
| (4) | The European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions have consistently given their full support to the Galileo and EGNOS programmes. |
| (5) | Since the Galileo and EGNOS programmes are at an advanced development stage leading to systems in an exploitation phase, a specific legal instrument is required to meet their needs, particularly in terms of governance and security, to satisfy the requirement for sound financial management and to promote the use of the systems. |
| (6) | The systems are infrastructures set up as trans-European networks of which the use extends well beyond the national boundaries of the Member States. Furthermore, the services offered through these systems contribute to a wide range of economic and social activities, including the development of trans-European networks in the areas of transport, telecommunications and energy infrastructures. |
| (7) | The Galileo and EGNOS programmes are an industrial policy tool and are part of the Europe 2020 strategy, as illustrated by the Commission Communication of 17 November 2010 entitled An integrated industrial policy for the globalisation era: putting competitiveness and sustainability at centre stage. They are also referred to in the Commission Communication of 4 April 2011 entitled Towards a space strategy for the European Union that benefits its citizens. Those programmes provide many advantages for the economy and citizens of the Union, whose cumulative value has been estimated at approximately EUR 130 billion in the period 2014-2034. |
| (8) | A growing number of economic sectors, in particular transport, telecommunications, agriculture and energy, increasingly use satellite navigation systems. Public authorities can also benefit from these systems in various areas such as emergency services, police, crisis management or border management. Developing the use of satellite navigation brings enormous benefits to the economy, society and the environment. Such socio-economic benefits are broken down into three main categories: direct benefits resulting from the growth of the space market, direct benefits resulting from the growth of the downstream market for GNSS-based applications and services, and indirect benefits resulting from the emergence of new applications in, or technology transfer to, other sectors, leading to new market opportunities in other sectors, productivity gains across industry and public benefits generated by a reduction in pollution or by improved levels of safety and security. |
| (9) | It is therefore important that the Union support the development of applications and services based on the systems. This will allow the citizens of the Union to reap the benefits derived from the systems, and ensure that public confidence in the Galileo and EGNOS programmes is maintained. The appropriate instrument to finance research and innovation activities relating to the development of GNSS-based applications is Horizon 2020 – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation ("Horizon 2020") established by Regulation (EU) No 1291/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (2). However, a very specific upstream part of research and development activities should be financed from the budget allocated to the Galileo and EGNOS programmes under this Regulation, where such activities concern fundamental elements such as Galileo-enabled chipsets and receivers, which will facilitate the development of applications across different sectors of the economy. Such financing should nevertheless not jeopardise the deployment or exploitation of the infrastructures established under the programmes. |
| (10) | Given the increasing use of satellite navigation across a great number of fields of activity, an interruption in the supply of services could lead to significant harm to modern society and result in losses for many economic operators. In addition, due to their strategic aspect, satellite navigation systems are sensitive infrastructures, that could be susceptible to malicious use. These factors could affect the security of the Union, its Member States and its citizens. Security requirements should therefore be taken into account in the design, development, deployment and exploitation of the infrastructures established under the Galileo and EGNOS programmes in accordance with standard practices. |
| (11) | The Galileo programme includes a definition phase which has been completed, a development and validation phase until 2013, a deployment phase which was launched in 2008 and is due for completion in 2020, and an exploitation phase which should be launched progressively from 2014-15 in order to have a fully operational system in 2020. The first four operational satellites have been constructed and launched during the development and validation phase, while the full constellation of satellites should be completed during the deployment phase and replenishment should occur during the exploitation phase. The associated ground-based infrastructure should be developed and operated accordingly. |
| (12) | The EGNOS programme has been in the exploitation phase since its open service and safety of life service were declared operational in October 2009 and March 2011 respectively. Subject to technical and financial constraints and on the basis of international agreements, the geographical coverage of the services provided by the EGNOS system could be extended to other regions of the world, in particular to the territories of candidate countries, of third countries associated with the Single European Sky and of countries in the European Neighbourhood Policy. However, such extension to other regions of the world should not be financed by the budgetary appropriations assigned to the Galileo and EGNOS programmes under Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1311/2013 (3) and should not delay the extension of the coverage throughout the Member States' territories geographically located in Europe. |
| (13) | The original design of the Galileo safety-of-life service as provided for in Regulation (EC) No 683/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council (4) has been re-profiled to ensure its interoperability with other GNSS, to respond effectively to safety-of-life user needs and to reduce the complexity, risks and costs of the required infrastructure. |
| (14) | To maximise the take-up of the EGNOS safety-of-life service, it should be provided without direct user charge. The Galileo public regulated service (PRS) should also be offered free of charge to the following PRS participants, within the meaning of Decision No 1104/2011/EU of the European Parliament and the Council (5): Member States, the Council, the Commission, the European External Action Service ("EEAS") and duly authorised Union agencies. The absence of charges should not be understood to affect the provisions regarding the costs of the functioning of a competent PRS authority as laid down in Decision No 1104/2011/EU. |
| (15) | In order to optimise the use of the services provided, the systems, networks and services emerging from the Galileo and EGNOS programmes should be compatible and interoperable with one another and, insofar as possible, with other satellite navigation systems and with conventional means of radio navigation where such compatibility and interoperability is laid down in an international agreement, without prejudice to the objective of strategic autonomy. |
| (16) | Since the Union is responsible, in principle, for financing the Galileo and EGNOS programmes in full, provision should be made for the Union to own all tangible and intangible assets created or developed under those programmes. In order to comply fully with any fundamental rights relating to ownership, the necessary arrangements should be made with existing owners, particularly with respect to essential elements of the infrastructures and their security. It should be understood that the provisions on ownership of intangible assets laid down in this Regulation do not cover intangible rights that are not transferable under relevant national laws. Such ownership by the Union should be without prejudice to the possibility for the Union, in accordance with this Regulation and where it is deemed appropriate on the basis of a case-by-case assessment, to make those assets available to third parties or to dispose of them. In particular, the Union should be able to transfer the ownership of or license the intellectual property rights arising from work under the Galileo and EGNOS programmes to third parties. In order to facilitate the market uptake of satellite navigation, there is a need to ensure that third parties can make optimum use in particular of the intellectual property rights arising from the Galileo and EGNOS programmes which belong to the Union, including at social and economic level. |
| (17) | Assets created or developed outside the Galileo and EGNOS programmes are not affected by the provisions on ownership laid down in this Regulation. However, such assets might, on occasion, be relevant to the performance of the programmes. In order to encourage the development of new technology outside the Galileo and EGNOS programmes, the Commission should encourage third parties to draw its attention to relevant intangible assets and should, where it would be beneficial to the programmes, negotiate terms as to the appropriate use thereof. |
| (18) | The deployment and exploitation phases of the Galileo programme and the exploitation phase of the EGNOS programme should be entirely financed by the Union. However in accordance with Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council (6), the Member States should be able to provide additional funding to the Galileo and EGNOS programmes or a contribution in kind, on the basis of appropriate agreements, in order to fund additional programme elements relating to the potential particular objectives of the Member States concerned. Third countries and international organisations should also be able to contribute to the programmes. |
| (19) | In order to ensure the continuity and stability of the Galileo and EGNOS programmes and considering their European dimension and their intrinsic European added value, sufficient and consistent funding is required over financial planning periods. It is also necessary to indicate the amount required between 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2020 to finance completion of the deployment phase of the Galileo programme and the exploitation phases of the Galileo and EGNOS programmes. |
| (20) | Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1311/2013 allocates a maximum of EUR 7 071,73 million in current prices for the financing of activities relating to the Galileo and EGNOS programmes for the period from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2020. For the sake of clarity and in order to facilitate cost control, that overall amount should be broken down into various categories. Nonetheless, in the interest of flexibility and to ensure the smooth running of the programmes, the Commission should be able to re-allocate funds from one category to another. The programme activities should also include the protection of the systems and their operation, including during the launch of satellites. In this respect, a contribution to the costs of services capable of providing such protection could be financed by the budget allocated to the Galileo and EGNOS programmes insofar as possible following rigorous cost management and full compliance with the maximum amount established in Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1311/2013. Such contribution should be used only for the provision of data and services and not for the purchase of infrastructure. This Regulation lays down a financial envelope for the continuation of the Galileo and EGNOS programmes which is to constitute the prime reference amount, within the meaning of point 17 of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 2 December 2013 between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline, on cooperation in budgetary matters and on sound financial management (7) for the European Parliament and the Council during the annual budgetary procedure. |
| (21) | The activities for which the Union budget appropriations assigned to the Galileo and EGNOS programmes for the period 2014-2020 are to be granted should be specified in this Regulation. Such appropriations should be granted mainly for activities relating to the deployment phase of the Galileo programme, including management and monitoring activities for that phase, and activities relating to the exploitation of the system established under the Galileo programme, including actions preceding or in preparation for the exploitation phase of that programme, as well as for activities relating to the exploitation of the EGNOS system. They should also be granted for funding certain other activities required to manage and achieve the objectives of the Galileo and EGNOS programmes, in particular support for research and development of fundamental elements, such as Galileo enabled chipsets and receivers, including as appropriate positioning and integrity-monitoring software modules. Those elements constitute the interface between the services offered by the infrastructures and downstream applications, and facilitate the development of applications throughout various sectors of the economy. Their development acts as a catalyst for the maximisation of socio-economic benefits as it facilitates the market uptake of the services offered. The Commission should report annually to the European Parliament and the Council on the cost-management strategy pursued. |
| (22) | It is important to note that the investment and operating costs of the systems as estimated for the period 2014-2020 do not take account of unforeseen financial obligations which the Union may be obliged to assume, in particular those relating to liability arising from the performance of the services or Union ownership of the systems, especially with regard to any malfunctioning of the systems. Those obligations are the subject of a specific analysis by the Commission. |
| (23) | It should also be noted that the budgetary resources planned under this Regulation do not cover work financed by funds allocated to Horizon 2020, such as that associated with the development of applications derived from the systems. Such work will help to optimise the use of the services provided in the context of the Galileo and EGNOS programmes, to ensure a good social and economic return on the investments made by the Union and to increase the know-how of businesses in the Union with regard to satellite navigation technology. The Commission should ensure that there is transparency and clarity regarding the different sources of funding for the different aspects of the programmes. |
| (24) | In addition, the revenue generated by the systems arising, in particular, from the commercial service provided by the system established under the Galileo programme, should accrue to the Union in order to partially compensate it for the investments that it has made previously, and that revenue should be used to support the objectives of the Galileo and EGNOS programmes. A revenue-sharing mechanism might also be provided for in contracts concluded with private sector entities. |
| (25) | In order to avoid the cost over-runs and delays which have affected the progress of the Galileo and EGNOS programmes in the past, efforts need to be stepped up to control risks which might lead to excess costs and/or delays as requested by the European Parliament in its resolution of 8 June 2011 on the mid-term review of the European satellite navigation programmes: implementation assessment, future challenges and financing perspectives (8) and by the Council conclusions of 31 March 2011, and as shown by the Commission Communication of 29 June 2011 entitled A budget for Europe 2020. |
| (26) | Sound public governance of the Galileo and EGNOS programmes requires, first, that there be a strict division of responsibilities and tasks, in particular between the Commission, the European GNSS Agency and the European Space Agency (ESA) and, second, that the governance be progressively adapted to the operational requirements of the systems. |
| (27) | Given that the Commission represents the Union, which, in principle, provides financing for the Galileo and EGNOS programmes alone and owns the systems, the Commission should be responsible for the progress of those programmes and their overall supervision. It should manage the funds allocated to the programmes under this Regulation, supervise the implementation of all activities of the programmes and ensure a clear division of responsibilities and tasks, in particular between the European GNSS Agency and ESA. Accordingly, in addition to the tasks associated with these general responsibilities and the other tasks incumbent upon it under this Regulation, the Commission should be assigned specific tasks. In order to optimise the resources and competences of the various stakeholders, it should be able to delegate certain tasks by means of delegation agreements, in accordance with Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012. |
| (28) | Considering the importance for the Galileo and EGNOS programmes of the ground-based infrastructure of the systems and its impact on their security, the determination of the location of the infrastructure should be one of the specific tasks assigned to the Commission. The deployment of the ground-based infrastructure of the systems should continue to follow an open and transparent process. The location of such infrastructure should be determined by taking into account geographical and technical limitations associated with the optimum geographical distribution of the ground-based infrastructure and the possible presence of existing installations and equipment suitable for the relevant tasks, as well as by ensuring compliance with the security needs of each ground station and with the national security requirements of each Member State. |
| (29) | The European GNSS Agency was set up by Regulation (EU) No 912/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council (9) in order to achieve the objectives of the Galileo and EGNOS programmes and implement certain tasks associated with the progress of those programmes. It is an agency of the Union which, as a body within the meaning of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012, is subject to the obligations applicable to Union agencies. It should be assigned certain tasks associated with programme security and its potential designation as a competent PRS authority. It should also contribute to the promotion and marketing of the systems, including by establishing contacts with users and potential users of the services provided under the Galileo and EGNOS programmes, and it should collect information on their requirements and developments on the satellite navigation market. Furthermore, it should perform tasks which the Commission confers on it by means of one or more delegation agreements covering other various specific tasks associated with the programmes, in particular tasks associated with the exploitation phases of the systems, including the operational management of the programmes, the promotion of the applications and services on the satellite navigation market and the promotion of the development of fundamental elements relating to the programmes. In order for the Commission, representing the Union, to exercise its power of control fully, those delegation agreements should include the general conditions governing the management of funds entrusted to the European GNSS Agency. The transfer of responsibility to the European GNSS Agency for tasks associated with the operational management of the Galileo and EGNOS programmes and their exploitation should be gradual and conditional on the successful completion of an appropriate handover review as well as on the readiness of the European GNSS Agency to take on such tasks, in order to secure those programmes' continuity. For EGNOS, the handover should take place on 1 January 2014; for Galileo, it is expected to occur in 2016. |
| (30) | For the deployment phase of the Galileo programme, the Union should conclude a delegation agreement with ESA setting out the tasks of ESA in that phase. The Commission, representing the Union, should make every effort to conclude that delegation agreement within six months of the date of application of this Regulation. In order for the Commission to exercise its power of control fully, the delegation agreement should include the general conditions for managing the funds entrusted to ESA. In respect of activities exclusively financed by the Union, such conditions should ensure a degree of control comparable to that required if ESA were an agency of the Union. |
| (31) | For the exploitation phase of the Galileo and EGNOS programmes, the European GNSS Agency should conclude working arrangements with ESA setting out the latter's task in developing future generations of the systems and in providing technical support in relation to the existing generation of systems. Those arrangements should comply with Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012. They should not cover the role of ESA as regards activities relating to research and technology, or the early phases of evolution and research activities relating to the infrastructures established under the Galileo and EGNOS programmes. Such activities should be financed outside the scope of the budget allocated to the programmes, for instance by funds allocated to Horizon 2020. |
| (32) | Responsibility for the progress of the Galileo and EGNOS programmes includes, in particular, responsibility for their security and the security of their systems and operation. Except in the case of application of Council Joint Action 2004/552/CFSP (10), which needs to be reviewed to reflect the changes in the Galileo and EGNOS programmes, their governance and the changes to the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union resulting from the Treaty of Lisbon, the Commission is responsible for security, even if certain security-related tasks are entrusted to the European GNSS Agency. It is the responsibility of the Commission to establish mechanisms to ensure suitable coordination between the various entities responsible for security. |
| (33) | In the application of this Regulation, for matters relating to security, the Commission should consult the relevant security experts of the Member States. |
| (34) | Given the specific expertise of EEAS and its regular contact with administrations of third countries and international organisations, it is in a position to assist the Commission in performing certain of its tasks relating to the security of the systems and the Galileo and EGNOS programmes in the field of external relations, in accordance with Council Decision 2010/427/EU (11). The Commission should ensure that EEAS is fully associated with its activities in implementing security-related tasks in the field of external relations. To that end, all necessary technical support should be provided to EEAS. |
| (35) | To ensure the secure circulation of information, within the scope of this Regulation, the relevant security regulations should offer a degree of protection for EU-classified information equivalent to that provided by the rules on security as set out in the Annex to Commission Decision 2001/844/EC, ECSC, Euratom (12) and by the security rules of the Council set out in the Annexes to Council Decision 2013/488/EU (13). Each Member State should ensure that its national security regulations apply to all natural persons resident on its territory and to all legal entities established on its territory which deal with EU-classified information regarding the Galileo and EGNOS programmes. The security regulations of ESA and the Decision of 15 June 2011 of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (14) should be considered as equivalent to the rules on security set out in the Annex to Decision 2001/844/EC, ECSC, Euratom and to the security rules set out in the Annexes to Decision 2013/488/EU. |
| (36) | This Regulation is without prejudice to existing and future rules on access to documents adopted in accordance with Article 15(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). Furthermore, this Regulation should not be understood as imposing an obligation on Member States to disregard their constitutional requirements in respect of access to documents. |
| (37) | In order to allocate the Union funds attributed to the Galileo and EGNOS programmes with a ceiling total that the Commission should not exceed, effective public procurement procedures should be applied and, in particular, contracts negotiated so as to ensure optimum use of resources, satisfactory services, smooth running of programmes, good risk management and compliance with the proposed schedule. The relevant contracting authority should make every effort to meet those requirements. |
| (38) | As the Galileo and EGNOS programmes will be, in principle, financed by the Union, public procurement under those programmes should comply with Union rules on public contracts and should aim, first and foremost, to obtain best value for money, control costs, mitigate risks, improve efficiency and reduce reliance on a single supplier. Open access and fair competition throughout the supply chain and the balanced offering of participation opportunities to industry at all levels, including, in particular, new entrants and small and medium-sized enterprises ('SMEs'), should be ensured. Possible abuse of dominant position and of long-term reliance on single suppliers should be avoided. In order to mitigate programme risks, to avoid reliance on a single source of supply and to ensure better overall control of the programmes and their costs and schedules, multiple sourcing should be pursued, wherever appropriate. Moreover, the development of European industry should be preserved and promoted in all areas relating to satellite navigation, in accordance with international agreements to which the Union is Part. The risk of poor contract performance or of non-performance should be mitigated as much as possible. To that end, contractors should demonstrate the sustainability of their contractual performance with respect to the commitments undertaken and the duration of the contract. Therefore, contracting authorities should, wherever appropriate, specify requirements relating to the reliability of supplies and of the provision of services. In addition, in the case of the purchase of goods and services of a sensitive nature, contracting authorities may subject such purchase to specific requirements, particularly with a view to ensuring security of information. Union industries should be permitted to rely on non-Union sources for certain components and services where substantial advantages are demonstrated in terms of quality and costs, taking account, however, of the strategic nature of the programmes and of Union security and export control requirements. Advantage should be taken of public sector investment and industrial experience and competence, including that acquired during the definition and development and validation phases of the programmes, while ensuring that the rules on competitive tendering are not contravened. |
| (39) | In order to better evaluate the total cost of a product, service or work being tendered, including its long term operational cost, the total cost over the useful lifecycle of the product, service or work being tendered should be taken into account wherever appropriate during the procurement, by using a cost effectiveness approach such as lifecycle costing when pursuing procurement based on the criterion of the most economically advantageous tender award. For that purpose, the contracting authority should make sure that the methodology intended to compute the costs for the useful lifecycle of a product, service or work is expressly mentioned in the contract documents or the contract notice and that it allows the accuracy of the information supplied by the tenderers to be verified. |
| (40) | Satellite navigation is a complex and constantly changing technology. This results in uncertainty and risk for public contracts concluded under the Galileo and EGNOS programmes, insofar as such contracts may involve long-term commitments to equipment or services. Those characteristics require specific measures to be implemented concerning public contracts which apply in addition to the rules laid down in Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012. The contracting authority should thus be able to restore a level playing-field when one or more companies have, prior to a call for tenders, privileged information on the activities associated with the call for tender. It should be possible to award a contract in the form of a conditional stage-payment contract, introduce an amendment, under certain conditions, in the context of its performance, or even impose a minimum level of subcontracting. Finally, due to the technological uncertainties that are a feature of the Galileo and EGNOS programmes, contract prices cannot always be forecast accurately and it is therefore desirable to conclude contracts in a specific form that do not stipulate a firm fixed price and include clauses to safeguard the financial interests of the Union. |
| (41) | It should be noted that, in accordance with Article 4(3) of the Treaty on European Union ("TEU"), the Member States should not take measures which could be detrimental to the Galileo and EGNOS programmes or the services. It should also be made clear that the Member States concerned should take all necessary measures to ensure the protection of the ground stations established on their territories. In addition, Member States and the Commission should work together and with appropriate international bodies and regulatory authorities to ensure that the radio spectrum necessary for the system established under the Galileo programme is available and protected to allow for the full development and implementation of applications based on that system, in compliance with Decision No 243/2012/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council (15). |
| (42) | In view of the global nature of the systems, it is essential that the Union enter into agreements with third countries and international organisations in the context of the Galileo and EGNOS programmes under Article 218 TFEU, in particular to ensure their smooth implementation, deal with certain questions relating to security and charging, optimise the services provided to citizens of the Union and meet the needs of third countries and international organisations. It is also useful, where necessary, to adapt existing agreements to changes in the Galileo and EGNOS programmes. When preparing or implementing those agreements, the Commission may have recourse to the assistance of EEAS, ESA and the European GNSS Agency, within the limits of the tasks allocated to them under this Regulation. |
| (43) | It should be confirmed that the Commission, in performing certain of its tasks of a non-regulatory nature, may have recourse, as required and insofar as necessary, to the technical assistance of certain external parties. Other entities involved in the public governance of the Galileo and EGNOS programmes may also make use of the same technical assistance in performing tasks entrusted to them under this Regulation. |
| (44) | The Union is based on respect for fundamental rights and in particular Articles 7 and 8 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union expressly recognize the fundamental right to privacy and to the protection of personal data. Protection of personal data and private life should be ensured under the Galileo and EGNOS programmes. |
| (45) | The financial interests of the Union should be protected through proportionate measures throughout the expenditure cycle, including the prevention, detection and investigation of irregularities, the recovery of funds lost, wrongly paid or incorrectly used and, where appropriate, administrative and financial penalties in accordance with Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012. |
| (46) | It is necessary to ensure that the European Parliament and the Council are kept regularly informed about the implementation of the Galileo and EGNOS programmes, in particular with regard to risk management, cost, schedule and performance. In addition, the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission will meet in the Galileo Interinstitutional Panel in accordance with the Joint declaration on the Galileo Interinstitutional Panel published together with this Regulation. |
| (47) | Assessments, based on agreed indicators, should be carried out by the Commission in order to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of the measures taken to achieve the objectives of the Galileo and EGNOS programmes. |
| (48) | In order to ensure the security of the systems and their operation, the power to adopt acts in accordance with Article 290 TFEU should be delegated to the Commission in respect of the high level objectives necessary to ensure the security of the systems and their operation. It is of particular importance that the Commission carry out appropriate consultations during its preparatory work, including at expert level. The Commission, when preparing and drawing up delegated acts, should ensure a simultaneous, timely and appropriate transmission of relevant documents to the European Parliament and to the Council. |
| (49) | In order to ensure uniform conditions for the implementation of this Regulation, implementing powers should be conferred on the Commission. Those powers should be exercised in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council (16). |
| (50) | As sound public governance requires uniform management of the Galileo and EGNOS programmes, faster decision-making and equal access to information, representatives of the European GNSS Agency and ESA should be able to take part as observers in the work of the European GNSS Programmes Committee ("the Committee") established to assist the Commission. For the same reasons, representatives of third countries and international organisations who have concluded an international agreement with the Union should be able to take part in the work of the Committee subject to security constraints and as provided for in the terms of such agreement. These representatives of the European GNSS Agency, ESA, third countries and international organisations are not entitled to take part in Committee voting procedures. |
| (51) | Since the objective of this Regulation, namely the establishment and exploitation of satellite navigation systems, cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States since it exceeds the financial and technical capacities of any single Member State, and can therefore, by reason of its scale and effects, be better achieved by action at Union level, the Union may adopt measures, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as set out in Article 5 TEU. In accordance with the principle of proportionality, as set out in that Article, this Regulation does not go beyond what is necessary in order to achieve that objective. |
| (52) | The Galileo Joint Undertaking created by Council Regulation (EC) No 876/2002 (17) ceased its operations on 31 December 2006. Regulation (EC) No 876/2002 should therefore be repealed. |
| (53) | Given the need to evaluate the Galileo and EGNOS programmes, the extent of the changes to be made to Regulation (EC) No 683/2008, and in the interests of clarity and legal certainty, Regulation (EC) No 683/2008 should be repealed, |