28.5.2002 Official Journal of the European Communities L 138/1 | (Acts whose publication is obligatory) COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 8762002 of 21 May 2002 setting up the Galileo Joint Undertaking THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 171 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission ('), Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament (%), Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (%), Whereas: 1) (6) On 13 January 1999 the European Parliament adopted a Resolution on the Communication from the Commis- sion to the Council and the European Parliament ‘Towards a trans-European Positioning and Navigation Network: including a European Strategy for Global Navi- gation Satellite Systems (GNSS)' (%). On 10 February 1999 the Commission adopted the Communication ‘Galileo — Involving Europe in a new generation of satellite navigation services'. The conclusions of the European Council in Cologne (3 and 4 June 1999), Feira (19 and 20 June 2000), Nice (7 to 11 December 2000), Stockholm (23 and 24 March 2001), Laeken (14 and 15 December 2001) and Barce- lona (15 and 16 March 2002) make reference to Galileo. On 19 July 1999 the Council adopted a Resolution on the involvement of Europe in a new generation of satel- lite navigation services — Galileo — Definition phase (°). On 22 November 2000 the Commission adopted a Communication to the European Parliament and the Council on Galileo. The Council adopted a Resolution on Galileo on 5 April 2001 (9. () O] C 270 E, 25.9.2001, p. 119. () O] C 48, 21.2.2002, p. 42. (*) Opinion delivered on 7 February 2002 (not yet published in the Official Journal). () O] C 104, 14.4.1999, p. 73. () O] C 221, 3.8.1999, p. 1. (9 O] C 157, 30.5.2001, p. 1. ) (10) (12) () O] L 228, 9.9.1996, On 26 March 2002, the Council adopted conclusions on Galileo. The first research contracts and feasibility studies were funded under the fourth and fifth framework programmes for research and development. The technological development phase was funded from the appropriations assigned to the trans-European trans- port networks on the basis of Article 4(g) of Decision No 1692/96/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 July 1996 on Community guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network (7), which provides for the possibility of funding for research and development, and Article 17 of Council Regulation (EC) No 2236/95 of 18 September 1995 laying down general rules for the granting of Community financial aid in the field of trans-European networks (%). At the beginning of 2001, the management of the Galileo satellite radio-navigation programme, hereinafter referred to as the ‘Galileo programme’, entered its devel- opment phase aimed at verifying and testing the assumptions made during the definition phase, in partic- ular with regard to the various components of the archi- tecture of the system. The development phase should be followed by the deployment phase consisting of the production of satel- lites and terrestrial components, satellite launching and the installation of terrestrial stations and equipment in order to enable the system to be operational in 2008. Taking into account the number of players who will need to be involved in this process, and the financial resources and technical expertise needed, it is vital to set up a legal entity capable of ensuring the coordinated management of the funds assigned to the Galileo programme during its development phase. For reasons of legal certainty, it should be specified that this entity, which is not designed to fulfil an economic purpose and is responsible for managing a public research . 1. Decision as amended by Decision No 1346/2001/EC (O] L 185, 6.7.2001, p. 1). () OJ L 228, 23.9.1995, p. 1. Regulation as amended b Regulation (EC) No 1655/1999 of the European Parliament and of the Council (O]’ L 197, 29.7.1999, p. 1).