24.7.2008 Official Journal of the European Union L 196/1 (Acts adopted under the EC Treaty/Euratom Treaty whose publication is obligatory) REGULATIONS REGULATION (EC) No 683/2008 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 9 July 2008 on the further implementation of the European satellite navigation programmes (EGNOS and Galileo) THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Commu- nity, and in particular Article 156 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee (1), After consulting the Committee of the Regions, Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 251 of the Treaty (3, Whereas: 1 The aim of European satellite navigation policy is to provide the Community with two satellite navigation systems (hereinafter the systems). These systems are established under the EGNOS and Galileo programmes (hereinafter the programmes). Each infrastructure is made up of satellites and a network of earth stations. The aim of the Galileo programme is to establish the first global satellite navigation and positioning infrastructure specifically designed for civilian purposes. The system established under the Galileo programme is completely independent of other existing or potential systems. The aim of the EGNOS programme is to improve the quality of signals from existing global navigation satellite systems (hereinafter GNSS). O] C 221, 8.9.2005, p. 28. Opinion of the European Parliament of 23 April 2008 (not yet published in the Official Journal) and Council Decision of 3 July 2008. 4) The European Parliament, the Council and the European Economic and Social Committee have consistently given their full support to the programmes. The development of satellite navigation is fully in line with the Lisbon Strategy and other Community policies, such as transport policy as set out in the Commission’s White Paper of 12 September 2001 entitled ‘European transport policy for 2010: time to decide’. In its work programme the Commission should, if appropriate, accord special attention to the development of GNSS applications and services. The programmes are among the priority projects included in the Lisbon Action Programme for Growth and Employ- ment proposed by the Commission and endorsed by the European Council. They are also considered one of the major pillars of the future European Space Programme, as described in the Commission Communication of 26 April 2007 on European Space Policy. The Galileo programme consists of a definition phase, a development and validation phase, a deployment phase and an exploitation phase. The deployment phase is set to begin in 2008 and end in 2013. The system should be operational by 2013. The definition phase and the development and validation phase of the Galileo programme, which are the phases of the programme dedicated to research, have been financed substantially by the Community budget for trans-European networks and by the European Space Agency (hereinafter ESA). The deployment phase should, in principle, be financed entirely by the Community. It may be decided at a later stage that public-private partnerships or any other form of contract with private sector entities are appropriate for the operation, maintenance, improvement and renewal of the system after 2013.