At a time of extreme austerity, the EU knows no cuts, and simply asks for more and more....
Galileo is the EU's global satellite navigation system. The project has been beset with problems, and appears to be floundering. Therefore, the taxpayer is expected to fork out an extra €1.9 billion in order to bring the project up to speed. Of course, I voted against this.
Galileo is 100% taxpayer funded, as attempts to attract foreign investment failed. At one point, China became involved, and there was discussion about allowing the Chinese to use Galileo as part of its missile targetting system. When common sense prevailed and this idea was jettisoned, the Chinese moved ahead with their own system - the Beidou/Compass satellites - which are already being deployed whilst the EU's project languishes in the bureaucratic doldrums.
