MEPs protest against EC’s U-turn on GSA expansion agreement

Several MEPs have issued a joint statement criticizing the European Commission for allegedly back- peddling on a planned expansion of the Prague-based European Global Navigation Satellite Systems Agency (GSA) which runs the EU’s satellite navigation programmes.

Czech MEP Evžen Tošenovsky said the EC had made a last minute U-turn on the planned expansion, agreed on by representatives of the EC itself, the European Parliament and individual member states and was now blocking the deal.

The EC said shortly after the agreement was concluded that it had strong reservations about a number of points and did not consider the negotiated compromise final.

At present, GSA is responsible for the EU's Galileo satellite navigation system. In line with the agreement reached this week its scope would be extended to include also the Copernicus European system for monitoring the Earth.