Since 1st of October 1998 I have been assigned to the European GNSS Secretariat for half a year (till 20 April 1999). Due to this fact and problems with contacting you, as the EGS office has just moved to brand new premises, the place of the Second Meeting of CEI (Central European Initiative) Working Group on "Satellite Navigation Systems" has been changed from Olsztyn (as was decided in April, 1998 in Nice WG First Meeting) to Trieste.

I asked Prof. Dr. Giorgio Manzoni, as a co-chairman of our CEI WG on Satellite Navigation Systems, to send an invitation to the Second CEI WG SNS Meeting. I am deeply indebted to him for informing you about the WG Meeting, together with the invitation to Workshop on DGPS and GLONASS Techniques, organised by Prof. G. Manzoni, on 9-12 March 1999 in Trieste.

Now, at last, I have found myself connected to the telephone, fax and e-mail computer networks and I have started to launch some initiatives and put them into a preliminary programme of the Trieste Meeting.

First of all I would like to inform you, that the ETG - European Tripartite Group (CEU + ESA + EUROCONTROL) and EGS - European GNSS Secretariat consider the extension of GNSS EGNOS project to the Central and East European countries a priority in their external relations activities.

The another important aspect is that the EGNOS project has been designed to include Central and East Europe in its core service area. Furthermore, GNSS is an integral part of TEN (Trans-European Network) project for transport corridors and the extension of this network to the CEI region would be greatly facilitated by satellite navigation and positioning system. GNSS is also driving the creation of an European Radionavigation Plan and should facilitate the smooth integration of local/ national DGPS navigational aids (LAAS networks) into the unified European satellite navigation and positioning GNSS network.

Due to these important facts, your participation in the Meeting would be greatly appreciated.

In the event that you cannot attend the meeting, I would ask you to please forward the invitation to somebody else in your country who would be able to represent your national interest.

Enclosed is the draft agenda of the CEI Working Group on Satellite Navigation Systems Meeting. Any comments or remarks on the proposed draft agenda are kindly welcomed.

Kindest regards,

Prof. Dr. Stanislaw Oszczak
Chairman of CEI WG on
Satellite Navigation Systems
European GNSS Secretariat
Avenue de Cortenbergh 52
1000 Brussels, Belgium
Tel.:+32.2.743.30.88
Fax:+32.2.743.30.81
E-mail: soszczak@estec.esa.nl