—the further development of a coherent system of environmental accounts as ‘satellite accounts’ to the main national accounts, providing information on atmospheric emissions, energy consumption, flows of natural resources, trade in raw materials, environmental taxation and environmental protection expenditure, possibly including green growth/procurement.

The Commission’s review highlighted serious concerns for certain satellite subsystems (Telemetry Tracking Control or “TTC” and radar altimeters), but Alcatel and Alenia were able to address these concerns by offering a license for both subsystems, in addition to agreeing to price monitoring for TTCs.

In that context, has the government studied the United States Department of National Defence news release number 642-02, which states that the missile defence system will take advantage of technological developments, one of which is the development and testing of space-based defences, specifically space-based kinetic energy called " hit-to-kill" interceptors and advanced target tracking satellites, meaning weapons in space, and thus an end to Canada's policy of no weapons in space if we support the missile defence system?

In tandem with its expressed wish to participate in the Galileo programme, China is independently developing a regional system adapted to its own needs and has applied to the International Telecommunication Union for access to frequencies dedicated to satellite navigation.

The sides recognise the importance they attach to pursuing the cooperation initiated between the Russian and European satellite navigation systems (GLONASS/GALILEO).

6. Environment and climate The environment and climate programme will continue the efforts to structure European environmental research by establishing networks of excellence and RTD in the following three areas: - "Research into the natural environment, environmental quality and global change" the aim of which is to understand the basic mechanisms of the climate and natural systems and to assess the impact of human activities on these systems and on natural resources (water, forests, agriculture, desertification, coastal areas); - "Environmental technologies" in order to develop environmental monitoring and protection technologies (bio ...[+++]sensors, waste treatment, etc.), the restoration of deteriorated sectors of the environment, and the management of natural hazards (forest fires, seismic and volcanic risks, flooding, etc.); - "Space technology applied to Earth observation and environmental research" in order to determine the planet's state of health from satellite data, necessitating the development of specific space instruments (advanced sensors).