Galileo gets important recognition from IMO

This week, the International Maritime Organisation recognised Galileo as part of the World Wide Radio Navigation System.

With the declaration of Initial Services just months away, the Galileo programme received an
 important recognition this week from the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). The IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) voted to recognise the Galileo Open and Search and Rescue (SAR) services as part of the World Wide Radio Navigation System (WWRNS). 
According to the European GNSS Agency (GSA), this recognition marks an important milestone for the adoption of Galileo for use in commercial shipping. Not only does it encourage a broader use of multi-constellation solutions for all users, by doing so, it also improves safety at sea. “This recognition is the result of a coordinated effort at the European level, involving the European Commission and the GSA, along with strong support from the Member States,” says GSA Executive Director Carlo des Dorides. “The GSA played an important role in supporting the European Commission in the preparation of the rationale and the technical support.” 

With this recognition, Galileo joins the ranks of GPS, GLONASS and Beidou as being a part of the WWRNS. “This is a real milestone for the market uptake of Galileo in the maritime sector, and we are now ready to continue with EGNOS,” adds des Dorides.

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