In March 2002, the European Union embarked on a $3.2 billion project to build a fee-for-service satellite navigation system, “Galileo.” The United States has operated the Global Positioning System (GPS) for nearly 25 years and, since 1983, has made GPS signals freely available to users worldwide – since 1998 without limitation on accuracy. GPS is a critical resource for a wide variety of civil and military applications, including positioning, navigation, mobile communication, the internet, and international banking.

In light of the enormous importance of GPS to the United States and hundreds of millions of users worldwide, the prospect of a second – competing and potentially interfering – global satellite navigation system could have serious military, foreign policy, and industrial implications. The Bush administration has expressed various views on Galileo and would benefit from a heightened awareness of risks and possible opportunities for the United States.

This series of Roundtable meetings has been convened to bring together high-level European and American representatives of government, industry, academia, and the policy community for constructive dialogue about global satellite navigation. Specifically, the group will address the European Union's proposed Galileo initiative and its implications for the U.S. GPS system. We will meet in the United States and Europe, in conjunction with IFRI (Institut Français des Relations Internationales). Our discussions will focus on identifying "win-win-win" situations to benefit U.S. and E.U. interests as well as the global user community.