EU Rapporteurs to EuroFora: Space project GMES threatened for costs equal to Turkey unpopular EU bid

*Strasbourg/EU Parliament/Angelo Marcopolo/- EU's probably most important and topical, High-Tech. Space program, GMES, ("Global Monitoring for Environment and Security") may be threatened by costs' reductions for sums equal to ... Turkey's controversial and unpopular EU bid, revealed the replies to "EuroFora"s Questions by Inter-Group on "Sky and Space" leading MEPs, and EU Parliament's Rapporteurs on GMES, in a Press Conference in Strasbourg where the issue started to be discussed in view of imminent, forthcoming EU developments and decisions :

A group of MEPs from various political Groups and Countries recently wrote to EU Commission's President Barroso a Letter protesting against a Draft which is going to exclude, for the 1st time, GMES from EU's Multi-Annual Financial Perspectives 2014-2020, restricting its Funding to merely annual EU Budgets' decisions, with the obvious risk to provoke uncertainties incompatible with long-term Investments, and to leave the strategic High-Tech project, totally or partly, at one or another moment, in limbo.
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     "EuroFora"'s questions to EU Parliament's Repporteurs on GMES started by reminding the fact  that "there were also in the Past some Delays on funding another landmark EU's Space Programs, such as, f.ex. GALILEO (on Satellite Navigation Systems), and Europe lost an opportunity to have, f.e. China a.o. 3rd Countries paticipate for some 400 Millions €.. So that, now China has its own Satellite Navigation System.. Do you think that there might be similar, or even worse, risks now if EU delays also its GMES program ?", we asked the Inter-Party Group of MEPs.

    => But, entering substantial issues, "EuroFora"s 2nd Question concluded by asking the competent EU Rapporteurs from various poliical groups, to clarify "How much is the Money, what kind of volume of Money are we speaking of (in the case of GMES) ? Can we compare it, f.ex., with other (EU) expenses, for which the Money apparently exists, in order to have Debates about  real and concrete Political Choices  ?".
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    Norbert Glante, experienced former EU Parliament's Rapporteur on GALILEO, and current co-Rapporteur on GMES for Industry/Research, a German Socialist MEP, started to reply to "EuroFora"s question by observing, first, that "these are 2 Differend EU Projects : GALILEO is an Infrastructure project, that the EU Commission is funding wholesale"

    - "At the beginning, the GALILEO project was meant to be a Public-Private partrneship. Two consortia competed, but afterwards they went together, they merged, and there was, therefore, no more competition. With the consent of (EU) Parliament, the Commission decided, then, to fund  itself the program.

    - Now", ²"it's true that "we had Delays", but "they were not just for the Funding : There were (also) Technical Delays, there was f.ex. a Partner in China that steped out, etc.". However, "Today, our Hope is that EU Commission is able to send out 18 Satellites in orbit by 2014, and guarantee a 1st step. This is not the original idea, but hopefully it will happen", he concluded.

    + "GMES requires 5,8 Billions €, which means that we can get Satellite configurations in Orbit. National/Private Telecommunication Satellites could be added to. They could provide Data to create (New) Services. If you put the 5,8 Billions €, this is Money which should be ready to be provided during the next Financial Perspectives Period of 2014 - 2020,  and, if we have a Budget Debate, when we look at the Financial Perspectives, we know that the (EU) Parliament has significant clouts and influence."

    - "You have to set Priorities, of course you do. But I think that when it comes to Space, when it comes to Industrial Policy, I think that we (EU) have a Competitice Advantage to the World, that we need to keep that. "We need to keep our Technological Future in our own hands. We should do it here, and I think that we should do it in the EU, and, therefore, in the EU Budget". Because, "if we start to pull away, we'll end up with a situation where an American Ambassador will come to fruition and say : - "Just let Stop everything, and buy it all from the States !", Glante warned.
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    + But Italian, ChristianDemocrat/EPP MEP, Aldo Patriciello, EU Parliament's co-Rapporteur on Satellites, gave an even more specific answer particularly to "EuroFora"s most crucial, 2nd question (See supra) :

    - "I want to remind that it's important to think about the Funding, by considering (also) what it had costed until Today : GMES has costed 3 Billions € until Today. So, if we don't invest in it, this basically means Wipping away all those enormous investments and efforts made until today", he pointed out.

    - But "GMES is critical into tackling Climate Change, Environmental degradation, Border Control, Maritime Surveillance, Civil Protection, etc. i.e. ¨Priorities which are part and parcell of our (EU)'s overall Strategies"  => In consequence, "I think that here, we need to stand Firm in the (EU) Parliament. We need to make Sure that the EU Commission includes the GMES in the 2014-2020 Multiannual Financial Framework with around 800 Millions € in order to get to the 5.8 Billions € which have been mentioned".

    - "But, let me remind you, that this Budget is important also because of the Economic Return for Europe : It is estimated that the Economic Return would be 69 Billions € in the long run. So, this is also going to help (EU's) Economic Recovery", he warned.

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    - "Just to make it clear", "EuroFora" questioned further Patriciello : - In other words, "this (GMES) means something around 900 Millions € per year, what Mr. Glande said.  i.e. just what EU gives f.ex. for simple Accession Negotiations with one Country, f.ex. Turkey", we observed.

    => -"Yes : It (GMES) is 850 to 900 Millions € per Annum", admitted Patriciello, i.e.  almost exactly what EU spends annually just for Turkey's controversial and unpopular EU bid !..
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 - "Let me give you un Example, which is the Conservation of Rain Forests", went on to add in Reply to "EuroFora" Questions, Professor Vittorio Prodi, President of the "Sky and Space" InterGroup, and EU Parliament's Rapporteur on GMES and Environment : "Those Countries where Rain Forests are allocated, if they want to help the rest of the Planet, then, they have a Right to Compensatory Payments. Now, all of this could get into the parts of the (CO2) Emissions' Trading Scheme. And this is a contribution which could mean that the GMES has a real boon in terms of Financial Resources, so that, basically, this Infrastructure will pay for itself, in very short order"...

    - "Therefore, I think that it's absolutely Right that we focus on these Points" (on comparing Funds, as "EuroFora" suggested : Comp. Supra). "Not only this program will pay for itself, but it will also have an immediate counter-cyclical impact", Prodi concluded.
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     - "On issues like GALILEO and GMES we always had the large Majority of EU Parliament with us. So, we intend to ask to (EU) Member States to put the Money where their Mouth is, and to recognize where the Value is", particularly when they speak about (EU) Industrial policy, Growth, etc., Glante anounced about forthcoming MEPs debates and Votes.

 - "These are precisely the kind of projects where there is a Time Gap between the Investment and the Return. .. So, if an IPP doesn't work, then, we have to insist on Project Bonds : This in a European Value Infrastructure !", Prodi concluded.