[holding answer 11 June 2007]: The European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) is a joint project of the European Space Agency (ESA), the European Commission and Eurocontrol, the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation. ESA has overall responsibility for the design and development of the EGNOS system.
The integration of EGNOS into the Galileo programme was decided by the Transport Council in its conclusions of June 2003. The failure of the current concession negotiations for Galileo has also affected the EGNOS augmentation programme since the concessionaire was to provide the long-term management and funding structure necessary for the certification of EGNOS.
At 8 June Transport Council, Ministers agreed a Council resolution which invited the Commission to continue with the implementation of a certifiable EGNOS, with initial service availability by 2008. This is to be distinguished from a service agreed for aviation use. There is not yet a timetable for certification of EGNOS for aviation use because it will first be necessary to identify clearly the funding and management structure that will guarantee an operational system in the long-term. These guarantees are dependent on the decisions to be taken in the autumn on the future of the European GNSS Programme.