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Brussels, 11 september 2006.

During the EU/South Korea summit held in Helsinki today, the two parties formally signed an agreement on co-operation on the European satellite radio navigation programme GALILEO. The agreement provides for numerous areas of co-operation, including cooperative activities in the areas of scientific research and training, industrial cooperation, trade and market development, standards, certification and regulatory measures.

Welcoming the outcome of the negotiations, European Commission Vice-President Jacques Barrot declared: “We are particularly pleased to count the Republic of Korea as an important partner in satellite navigation. The country has the know-how to exploit Galileo’s state-of-the art technology, particularly in mass markets, and we plan to jointly develop activities for advanced applications which will not only benefit citizens but also increase safety and efficiency in many sectors”.

The agreement, which paves the way for the Republic of Korea’s active participation in the GALILEO programme, was signed by Commissioner Benita Ferrero Waldner, representing the European Commission, Mr Erkki Tuomioja, Minister of Foreign Affairs, representing the Finnish Presidency, and Mr Ban ki-moon, Minister of Foreign Affairs, representing the Republic of Korea.

The Republic of Korea is the fourth economic power in Asia and a country with substantial know-how in the field of space technology and its applications. Furthermore, it is a producer and user of consumer electronic goods and systems for which satellite navigation brings effective competitive advantages. The Republic of Korea is currently an active user of satellite navigation services in various sectors including transport, fleet management, science and geodesy.

GALILEO is Europe's satellite radio navigation programme. It was launched on the initiative of the European Commission and developed jointly with the European Space Agency (ESA). It will prepare for the development of a new generation of services in areas such as transport, telecommunications, agriculture and fisheries. GALILEO is optimised for civil applications and will be administered and controlled by the European Community via the European GNSS Supervisory Authority as its owner. GALILEO will offer a guarantee of quality and continuity which is essential for many applications. It is complementary and interoperable with the current GPS system and the combined use of the two systems will significantly increase the reliability and availability of navigation and positioning services worldwide.

For more information about GALILEO, please visit: