Galileo’s success attracts more countries on board

International cooperation on Galileo is developing rapidly. The Commission has now asked Council’s approval to start negotiations with Argentina.

In Latin America, discussions on Galileo are already underway with Brazil, Chile and Mexico. Now, the Commission intends to respond to Argentina’s wish to start negotiations once it has Council’s approval to do so. 

Elsewhere in the world, agreements have already been signed with China and Israel and negotiations are ongoing with India, Russia, Ukraine, South Korea, Malaysia and Australia. 

Currently, satellite radio navigation technology is only available through the United States’s GPS (Global Positioning System) system and the Russian GLONASS (Global Navigation Satellite System), both of which are financed and controlled by military authorities. 

The equivalent EU programme, Galileo, will be administered and controlled by civilian authorities. It will be up and running in 2008. 

Read more with Euractiv

EU investigates accidental release of unauthorised GMO

The Commission and member states are investigating the potential risks from the unintended distribution of unauthorised genetically modified maize Bt10 in the EU.