News

Enabling synergies between Galileo, EGNOS, Copernicus & more - Cooperation with GSA extended

5 November 2019

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Communications, navigation and surveillance

Cooperation between EUROCONTROL and the European GNSS Agency (GSA), under the umbrella of the 7-year Framework Partnership Agreement, has now entered a new phase with the signing of the 3^rd Grant Agreement. Signed by EUROCONTROL DG Eamonn Brennan and GSA Executive Director Carlo des Dorides, the € 3 million grant covers a period of 32 months up to end-December 2021, and spans a wide range of aviation topics.

Topics to work on together include:

aviation requirements for Cat I and Cat II operations;
standardisation work on DFMC avionics receivers and systems at European and ICAO level;
Galileo SAR aviation missions;
EGNOS (European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service) extension studies to the European and African continent;
R&D coordination on SESAR 2020 & Horizon 2020;
European SBAS operations implementations for the commercial and regional segments but also for critical helicopter public services;
operational and safety guidance material to support EASA and national authorities.

For the GSA, which recently celebrated its 15^th anniversary, cooperation with EUROCONTROL on EGNOS and Galileo in particular has been vital.

“Fifteen years ago, no one imagined how far the GSA and the EU satellite navigation systems EGNOS and Galileo would go. Now, no one can imagine Europe without Galileo and EGNOS, or Galileo and EGNOS without Europe”

Carlo des Dorides Executive Director GSA

“The Agency’s expertise has been crucial in defining priority objectives and supporting application development from an aviation perspective. Our unique capability to engage directly with the full spectrum of aviation stakeholders and international work groups is one of the main pillars of our continuing, trust-based relationship with our colleagues from the GSA”.

Philippe Merlo Director DECMA EUROCONTROL

With the European Parliament and the European Council agreeing a new EU Space Programme Regulation that would enlarge the GSA’s responsibilities, the potential for cooperation between the GSA and EUROCONTROL is set to grow further, enabling more efficient synergies between Galileo, EGNOS and Copernicus, the Earth observation programme, that potentially could lead to the creation of new applications in aviation.