VZCZCXYZ0001
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHRO #0294 0701026
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 101026Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY ROME
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9953
INFO RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS 4611

UNCLAS ROME 000294 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
OES/SAT FOR RAY CLORE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TSPA TSPL TPHY PREL SENV IMO ICAO ITU IT
SUBJECT: ITALIAN PARLIAMENT RATIFIES U.S.-EU GPS-GALILEO 
COOPERATION AGREEMENT 
 
REF:  STATE 19459 
 
¶1.  Per reftel, on March 4 SCICouns spoke with Counselor 
Raffaella Campanati of the Foreign Affairs Ministry's (MFA) 
European Union (EU) External Relations Office, to follow up 
on the status of Italy's ratification of the U.S.-EU Global 
Positioning System (GPS)-Galileo Cooperation Agreement. 
Campanati replied that the Italian Parliament had approved 
the law implementing the agreement (a requirement under 
Italian law for such ratification) on February 19.  Italian 
President Napolitano is expected to promulgate the law no 
later than March 19.  The law then must be published in the 
Gazzetta Ufficiale, Italy's equivalent of the Federal 
Register.  The day after it is published, the law will 
enter into effect for domestic purposes.  However, since 
the entry into force of the agreement depends on all member 
states completing the ratification process, the law will 
only be in effect for practical purposes once others have 
completed their ratifications as well.  Italy will formally 
notify the European Commission of its ratification once the 
law has been published in the Gazzetta Ufficiale, which 
Campanati said likely will take place in April. 
 
¶2.  SCICouns noted that a plenary meeting under the 
Cooperation Agreement may be held in summer-fall 2008 to 
review progress and give broad direction to the authorized 
working groups.  Campanati, who is new to the MFA, had not 
yet heard anything about the proposed plenary meeting, but 
she welcomed the news. 
 
SPOGLI 
 
E:\ECON FILING 2008\CHRON FILES\CABLES\08-03-06 US-EU GPS- 
Galileo reply.doc