CONSIDERING the common interest in the development of a global navigation satellite system (hereinafter referred to as "GNSS") specifically designed for civilian purposes,RECOGNISING the importance of the European GNSS programmes as a contribution to navigation and information infrastructure in the European Union and Switzerland,
CONSIDERING the increasing development of GNSS applications in the European Union, Switzerland and other areas in the world,
CONSIDERING the common interest in the long-term cooperation between the European Union, its Member States and Switzerland in the field of satellite navigation,
RECOGNISING Switzerland’s close participation in the Galileo and EGNOS programmes since their definition phases,
CONSIDERING the resolutions of the Space Council, in particular on the "European Space Policy" adopted on 22 May 2007 and "Taking forward the European Space Policy" adopted on 29 September 2008, that recognize the European Union, the European Space Agency (hereinafter referred to as "ESA") and their respective Member States as the three key players in the European Space Policy, as well as on "Global Challenges: Taking Full Benefit of European Space Systems" adopted on 25 November 2010, that invites the European Commission and ESA to facilitate the process for Member States not members of both the European Union and ESA to participate in all phases of collaborative programmes,
CONSIDERING the Communication from the Commission "Towards a space Strategy for the European Union that benefits its Citizens" of 4 April 2011,
DESIRING to formally establish collaboration in all aspects of European GNSS programmes,
RECOGNISING Switzerland’s interest in all GNSS services, as provided by EGNOS and Galileo, including the Public Regulated Service (hereinafter referred to as "PRS"),
CONSIDERING the Agreement of 25 June 2007 on scientific and technological cooperation between the European Community and the European Atomic Energy Community, of the one part, and the Swiss Confederation, of the other part,
RECOGNISING the Agreement of 28 April 2008 between the Swiss Confederation and the European Union on the security procedures for the exchange of classified information (hereinafter referred to as "Security Agreement"),
CONSIDERING the benefits of an equivalent level of protection of the European GNSS and their services in the territories of the Parties,
RECOGNISING the obligations of the Parties under international law, in particular the obligations of Switzerland as a permanent neutral State,
RECOGNIZING that Regulation (EC) No 683/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 July 2008 on the further implementation of the European satellite navigation programmes (EGNOS and Galileo) (1) states that the European Community shall be the owner of all tangible and intangible asset created or developed under the European GNSS programmes as defined in that Regulation,
CONSIDERING Regulation (EU) No 912/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 September 2010 setting up the European GNSS Agency (2),
CONSIDERING Decision No 1104/2011/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2011 on the rules for access to the public regulated service provided by the global navigation satellite system established under the Galileo programme (3),