The Proposed Baseline European Radionavigation Plan

The European Commission, the executive body of the European Union (EU), sponsored the development of the Proposed Baseline European Radionavigation Plan (P-ERNP). The importance of this endeavour cannot be over emphasised, as the P-ERNP process served as the basis for a continuing and consistent evolution of common radionavigation strategy for Europe. The P-ERNP was only possible due to the political will, and the availability of a sufficient need and enabling technologies. The Maastricht Treaty provides a political framework for the European Union to support and enhance the functioning of the Single Market. In addition, navigation technology and services, such as satellite-based systems and LORAN-C, which can serve a European-wide user base crossing modal, sectoral and national boundaries have become available. Therefore the need for and potential success of an end-state ERNP has increased immeasurably. When coupled to the recent Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament entitled Towards a Trans-European Positioning and Navigation Network: including a European Strategy for Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), the European position on radionavigation is set an a path toward completion and harmonisation. It is the intention of this paper to provide the reader with the necessary background to understand why and how the P-ERNP was developed, the issues that it addresses and its potential impacts. Also, it is the intention of this paper to define how the P-ERNP and the new Communication from the Commission will merge in the future and become a harmonised European policy on radionavigation.