On January 18 2024, the 2023 update of the European Radio Navigation Plan was made available online in five languages. The publication is a European Commission Staff Working Document, written by The Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space (DG DEFIS), in cooperation with the Joint Research Centre (JRC), the European Commission’s science and knowledge service.
As stated by DG DEFIS and the JRC, the purpose of the current ERNP 2023 edition is to act as a reference document and:
Provide relevant information on PNT systems and services, their use, typical performance, strengths, weaknesses, developments, trends, challenges and opportunities. This includes conventional and emerging PNT systems (also known as alternative PNT). Facilitate the uptake of the European GNSS (Galileo and EGNOS) services by:
Providing detailed information on European GNSS current and future services and their added value with respect to other PNT/GNSS services.
Recommending, per each sector, actions to be implemented at the EU level for the uptake of EGNSS in the various market domains (e.g., legislation, standards).
Raise awareness and recommend actions to increase the resilience of PNT services in the EU.
The 2023 report’s coverage includes sections on:
PNT Landscape: Navigating through the PNT landscape, the report explores the role of PNT in society, its economic benefits, user needs, challenges, trends, and opportunities. It provides an extensive overview of existing and emerging PNT systems, encompassing GNSS, conventional methods, and next-generation technologies. Interoperability, compatibility, and international PNT policies are addressed.
EU PNT: Focus on the European Union’s stance on PNT. The EU Space Programme for 2021-2027 is outlined, with insights into Galileo and EGNOS services. These include the Galileo Open Service, High Accuracy Service, Commercial Authentication Service, and more. Recommendations for EU PNT policies and actions across diverse sectors such as critical infrastructures, aviation, maritime navigation, and agriculture are provided. The report also highlights EU cooperation on satellite navigation.
Vision for the EU PNT: A visionary perspective is presented for the future of PNT in the European Union, aligning with strategic autonomy objectives and contributing to broader EU initiatives like the European Green Deal.
Appendices: The appendices offer a wealth of supplementary information, ranging from an in-depth analysis of PNT systems to resilient services, regulations, major stakeholders, reference frames, and a comprehensive list of acronyms.
The ERNP 2023 provides a current snapshot of PNT systems and charts a course for their future evolution within the European Union. The ERNP was first published in 2018, following the 2016 Space Strategy for Europe, which tasked the European Commission to “release a European radio navigation plan to facilitate the introduction of global navigation satellite system applications in sectoral policies”.
