Tajani meets EU space CEOs
Antonio Tajani meets the CEOs of the major European industrial actors in the space sector to discuss the Commission’s strategy on space industry and progress in the Copernicus and Galileo Programmes. The leaders of Arianespace, Thales Alenia Space, Telespazio and OHB, whose companies are involved in the Galileo project, attend the meeting. The director general of the European Space Agency, Mr Jean-Jacques Dordain also attends.
Antonio Tajani underlines the importance of the space sector for European competitiveness and strategic independence, and will reiterate his strong engagement to meet the timetable and the budget foreseen for the deployment of the Galileo constellation and for the provision of the first services by 2014.
Before taking part in the meeting Vice President Tajani said: “Galileo and space in general presents a huge opportunity for European industry, not just for companies delivering the space infrastructures but even more for downstream industry, the people who develop innovative applications or services. All of us involved in the implementation of programmes such as Galileo or Copernicus have an obligation to ensure that citizens and enterprises benefit from the public’s investment as quickly as possible. That is why I continue to insist that schedules and budgets are respected to the letter. And that is why I welcome the political deal recently reached between the European parliament and the Council on the GNSS proposal. An agreement that is all the more important as it is the first dossier closed under new the Multi Financial Framework (MFF).”
Background
A further fourteen satellites of the European satellite navigation system Galileo are expected to be deployed in 2013 and 2014, in addition to the four satellites already in orbit. In October 2014, the European Commission is expected to declare operational a set of initial services, based on a reduced constellation of satellites. Full operational capability will be attained when all 30 satellites of the constellation have been deployed.
More info on the European Commission Strategy on Space:
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-12-1085_en.htm
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-13-146_en.htm
