report of the action team on global navigation satellite systems (gnss)

• Provide consultancy and advice to European institutions in <strong>the</strong> fields <strong>of</strong> navigation, trafficmanagement and related communication and training;• Favour, by whatever methods are possible, <strong>action</strong>s assisting in <strong>the</strong> development <strong>of</strong> panEuropean policies and strategies in <strong>the</strong> general field <strong>of</strong> navigation and trafficmanagement, and in particular in <strong>the</strong> emerging field <strong>of</strong> satellite navigation;• Foster co-operation and information exchange between its members and any competentauthorities or organizations active in <strong>the</strong> above-mentioned fields <strong>of</strong> expertise;• Provide information in its field <strong>of</strong> expertise to <strong>the</strong> public by organising conferences andsymposia; publishing books and papers; and participating in electronic methods <strong>of</strong> datadissemination; and• In general, to undertake anything which has a bearing directly or indirectly in whole or inpart on EUGIN's objectives as given here, or which would be liable to facilitate or aid<strong>the</strong>ir realisation.243. Member institutes <strong>of</strong> EUGIN are: French Institute <strong>of</strong> Navigation (IFN), German Institute<strong>of</strong> Navigation (DGON), Italian Institute <strong>of</strong> Navigation (IIN), Ne<strong>the</strong>rlands Institute <strong>of</strong> Navigation(NIN), Nordic Institute <strong>of</strong> Navigation (NNF), Royal Institute <strong>of</strong> Navigation (RIN), AustrianInstitute <strong>of</strong> Navigation (OVN), Spanish Institute <strong>of</strong> Navigation (INAVE) and <strong>the</strong> Swiss Institute<strong>of</strong> Navigation (SION).International GPS Service244. The Global Positioning System (GPS) provides unprecedented potential for preciseground- and space-based positioning, timing and navigation anywhere in <strong>the</strong> world. Extremelyprecise use <strong>of</strong> GPS, particularly for Earth Sciences applications, stem largely from activities <strong>of</strong><strong>the</strong> International GPS Service (IGS), established in 1994. More than 200 organizations in 80countries contribute daily to <strong>the</strong> IGS, which is dependent upon a cooperative global trackingnetwork <strong>of</strong> over 350 GPS stations. Data are collected continuously and archived at globallydistributed Data Centers. Analysis Centers retrieve <strong>the</strong> data and produce <strong>the</strong> most accurate GPSdata products available anywhere, e.g., GPS orbits at <strong>the</strong> 3-5 cm level 3D-wrms, sub-centimeterstation positions, velocities at <strong>the</strong> millimeter level and time transfer at <strong>the</strong> sub-nanosecond level.IGS provides users easy access to <strong>the</strong> precise international terrestrial reference frame (ITRF),generated in partnership with <strong>the</strong> International Earth Rotation and Reference System (IERS) ando<strong>the</strong>r complementary geodetic techniques such as satellite laser ranging, and very long baselineinterferometry. Since 1998 <strong>the</strong> IGS operates a pilot project based on a sub-network <strong>of</strong> GLONASSstations. Analysis Centers produce <strong>the</strong> precise relation between <strong>the</strong> GPS-GLONASS systems and<strong>the</strong> best orbits for <strong>the</strong> GLONASS constellation, ~ 25cm 3D-wrms. IGS plans to incorporateGALILEO signals when <strong>the</strong>y become available in order to derive <strong>the</strong> greatest scientific benefitfrom combined GNSS applications.245. IGS data and data products are made accessible to users reflecting <strong>the</strong> commitment <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>organizations to an open data policy. The IGS serves many thousands <strong>of</strong> users and is viewed as avery successful scientific federation and a model for international co-operation. IGS is arecognised scientific service <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> International Association <strong>of</strong> Geodesy (IAG).Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM)246. The BIPM is located at Sèvres, in <strong>the</strong> outskirts <strong>of</strong> Paris, France. The task <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> BIPM isto ensure worldwide uniformity <strong>of</strong> measurements and <strong>the</strong>ir traceability to <strong>the</strong> InternationalSystem <strong>of</strong> Units (SI). It performs this task with <strong>the</strong> authority <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Convention <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Metre, a45