GPS-Galileo Agreement
On June 26, 2004, the United States, the European Commission, and the Member States of the European Union signed the landmark Agreement on the Promotion, Provision and Use of Galileo and GPS Satellite-Based Navigation Systems and Related Applications. Learn more at GPS.gov
Market Access Provisions
The Commerce Department played a major role in the negotiation of the agreement. Among other things, the agreement establishes several binding commitments related to GPS and Galileo market access, including:
- Consultation before establishing any standards, certification requirements, regulatory measures, etc., effectively mandating the use of any civil satellite navigation system (Article 5)
- Non-discriminatory approach with respect to trade in civil satellite navigation goods and services (Article 6)
- Open access to open service signals (Article 7)
- Non-discriminatory access to information needed to use and commercially exploit civil signals (Article 8)
- Avoidance of direct user fees for open service signals (Article 10)
The agreement recognizes the applicability of existing international commitments regarding trade and intellectual property rights (Articles 1 and 9). Such commitments include those made under the World Trade Organization (WTO) through the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), and Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).
Working Group B
The GPS-Galileo Agreement establishes four bilateral working groups, including a working group on trade and civil applications (Working Group B) co-chaired by the Commerce Department. The purpose of Working Group B is to consider, among other things, “non-discrimination and other trade related issues concerning civil satellite-based navigation and timing signals or services, augmentations, value-added services, and global navigation and timing goods” (Article 6).