BAKGRUNN (fra kommisjonsbeslutningen)

(1) Article 67(1) of Regulation (EU) 2021/696 provides that the ground segment of the European Union Governmental Satellite Communications (GOVSATCOM) component of the Union Space Programme is to include infrastructure necessary to enable the provision of services (2) to GOVSATCOM users, particularly the GOVSATCOM Hub.

(2) The GOVSATCOM Hub is to be the main element of the ground segment; it is to incorporate all central functions to organise and manage demand and supply. The hub is to connect, in a secure manner, the GOVSATCOM users to the providers of GOVSATCOM capacity and services. In order to mitigate risks to service continuity a GOVSATCOM Hub should be implemented in several physical locations.

(3) To attract the best possible bids, the selection of the location for the GOVSATCOM Hub was subject to an open and transparent process. For that purpose, the Commission sent a call for expression of interest to all Member States to host the hub. Mirorring the procedures set in the Union Financial Regulation (3), a committee composed of representatives of the Commission and of the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (‘the committee’) has evaluated those proposals on the basis of operational and financial criteria relating to technical requirements of the GOVSATCOM Hubs, security (including the general security requirements referred to in Article 34(2) of Regulation (EU) 2021/696 and set out in Commission Decision C(2023) 3204), risks, the schedule for deployment and costs. That evaluation was intended to achieve the most advantageous price-quality ratio.

(4) Germany, Greece, and Italy proposed to base the GOVSATCOM Hub in, respectively, Cologne, Agios Ioannis and Fucino. Following the evaluation of the proposals and the withdrawal of the Italian proposal, the committee recommended that the sites in Agios Ioannis and Cologne should host the hubs.

(5) The entry into force of this Decision should be on the day following publication in order to ensure the smooth implementation of the Programme; Member States need to be notified as soon as possible to ensure the timely and operational deployment of the infrastructure for the GOVSATCOM Hub for it to be operational in time for GOVSATCOM final operational capability.

(6) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Programme Committee, established by Article 107 of Regulation (EU) 2021/696, in the GOVSATCOM configuration,