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When disaster strikes, communication, information and location are key. With the addition of GOVSATCOM, the EU Space Programme provides all three. 

Last summer, when Greece was ravaged by wildfires, public authorities relied on Copernicus’ Earth Observation services to detect and monitor the evolving situation. On the ground, firefighters and emergency first responders used EGNOS and Galileo to safely guide themselves through the smoke, fog and flames.     

That same summer, when once-in-a-century floods in Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg rendered transportation and communication infrastructure useless, satellite communication, working in synergy with Copernicus and European GNSS (EGNSS), provided rescue teams with the spatial awareness, connectivity and highly accurate positioning and navigation they needed to save lives.  

But what happens when an incident occurs where there are no ground stations, either because they were destroyed (e.g., during an earthquake) or because they never existed in the first place (e.g., in remote regions such as the Arctic)? Or what if the end users require secure communication? Such is the case during cyber-attacks and other security-related incidents.

For situations like these, there’s GOVSATCOM. 

Adding assured, secure communication to the EU Space Programme’s current capabilities 

GOVSATCOM is the fourth pillar of the EU Space Programme. While Copernicus and EGNSS provide the necessary data and positioning, some security incidents also require a means of communication that is robustly protected against interference, interception, intrusion and other risks. GOVSATCOM bridges this gap between the need for assured and secure communication and the capabilities already offered by Copernicus, Galileo and EGNOS.

Once active, GOVSATCOM will provide secure, cost-efficient communication capabilities to security and safety-critical missions, operations and infrastructure. The European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) has been entrusted with the procurement of the secure operational ground segment (GOVSATCOM Hubs), its operations and the coordination of the user-related aspects of GOVSATCOM, all in close collaboration with Member States and other involved entities.

As a user-centric programme, GOVSATCOM is designed to meet the unique requirements of governmental applications, including those used for crisis management, surveillance and the management of key infrastructures. Further, to successfully execute their missions, governmental actors must have access to secure satellite communication services, which is something commercial satellite communication services aren’t able to provide. 

Keeping EU citizens safe and secure 

GOVSATCOM users will likely include border and maritime authorities, law enforcement agencies, civil protection forces, search and rescue services, disaster relief and humanitarian missions, authorised infrastructure operators and military forces. The service will be available to EU institutions, relevant agencies and EU Member States. 

GOVSATCOM will also serve specific use cases, such as providing connectivity to the Arctic region and for Machine to Machine (M2M) and Internet of Things (IoT) communications. Furthermore, it will be a central component to the EU’s Secure Connectivity Initiative, which is expected to provide additional EU-owned satellite communications resources to complement existing assets. 

With its multiorbital design, Secure Connectivity will allow low latency governmental communications, while its use of quantum technologies will take the security of GOVSATCOM services to the next level. With such capabilities, GOVSATCOM could play an even bigger role in the air traffic control infrastructure that will enable the autonomous and remotely piloted aircraft systems of tomorrow, including drones and air taxis.  

Most importantly, by working in synergy with Galileo, EGNOS and Copernicus, GOVSATCOM will further enhance the EU Space Programme’s ability to keep European citizens safe and secure.  

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the EUSPA website (https://www.euspa.europa.eu).

When disaster strikes, communication, information and location are key. With the addition of GOVSATCOM, the EU Space Programme provides all three. 

Last summer, when Greece was ravaged by wildfires, public authorities relied on Copernicus’ Earth Observation services to detect and monitor the evolving situation. On the ground, firefighters and emergency first responders used EGNOS and Galileo to safely guide themselves through the smoke, fog and flames.     

That same summer, when once-in-a-century floods in Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg rendered transportation and communication infrastructure useless, satellite communication, working in synergy with Copernicus and European GNSS (EGNSS), provided rescue teams with the spatial awareness, connectivity and highly accurate positioning and navigation they needed to save lives.  

But what happens when an incident occurs where there are no ground stations, either because they were destroyed (e.g., during an earthquake) or because they never existed in the first place (e.g., in remote regions such as the Arctic)? Or what if the end users require secure communication? Such is the case during cyber-attacks and other security-related incidents.

For situations like these, there’s GOVSATCOM. 

Adding assured, secure communication to the EU Space Programme’s current capabilities 

GOVSATCOM is the fourth pillar of the EU Space Programme. While Copernicus and EGNSS provide the necessary data and positioning, some security incidents also require a means of communication that is robustly protected against interference, interception, intrusion and other risks. GOVSATCOM bridges this gap between the need for assured and secure communication and the capabilities already offered by Copernicus, Galileo and EGNOS.

Once active, GOVSATCOM will provide secure, cost-efficient communication capabilities to security and safety-critical missions, operations and infrastructure. The European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) has been entrusted with the procurement of the secure operational ground segment (GOVSATCOM Hubs), its operations and the coordination of the user-related aspects of GOVSATCOM, all in close collaboration with Member States and other involved entities.

As a user-centric programme, GOVSATCOM is designed to meet the unique requirements of governmental applications, including those used for crisis management, surveillance and the management of key infrastructures. Further, to successfully execute their missions, governmental actors must have access to secure satellite communication services, which is something commercial satellite communication services aren’t able to provide. 

Keeping EU citizens safe and secure 

GOVSATCOM users will likely include border and maritime authorities, law enforcement agencies, civil protection forces, search and rescue services, disaster relief and humanitarian missions, authorised infrastructure operators and military forces. The service will be available to EU institutions, relevant agencies and EU Member States. 

GOVSATCOM will also serve specific use cases, such as providing connectivity to the Arctic region and for Machine to Machine (M2M) and Internet of Things (IoT) communications. Furthermore, it will be a central component to the EU’s Secure Connectivity Initiative, which is expected to provide additional EU-owned satellite communications resources to complement existing assets. 

With its multiorbital design, Secure Connectivity will allow low latency governmental communications, while its use of quantum technologies will take the security of GOVSATCOM services to the next level. With such capabilities, GOVSATCOM could play an even bigger role in the air traffic control infrastructure that will enable the autonomous and remotely piloted aircraft systems of tomorrow, including drones and air taxis.  

Most importantly, by working in synergy with Galileo, EGNOS and Copernicus, GOVSATCOM will further enhance the EU Space Programme’s ability to keep European citizens safe and secure.  

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the EUSPA website (http://www.euspa.europa.eu).

When disaster strikes, communication, information and location are key. With the addition of GOVSATCOM, the EU Space Programme provides all three. 

Last summer, when Greece was ravaged by wildfires, public authorities relied on Copernicus’ Earth Observation services to detect and monitor the evolving situation. On the ground, firefighters and emergency first responders used EGNOS and Galileo to safely guide themselves through the smoke, fog and flames.     

That same summer, when once-in-a-century floods in Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg rendered transportation and communication infrastructure useless, satellite communication, working in synergy with Copernicus and European GNSS (EGNSS), provided rescue teams with the spatial awareness, connectivity and highly accurate positioning and navigation they needed to save lives.  

But what happens when an incident occurs where there are no ground stations, either because they were destroyed (e.g., during an earthquake) or because they never existed in the first place (e.g., in remote regions such as the Arctic)? Or what if the end users require secure communication? Such is the case during cyber-attacks and other security-related incidents.

For situations like these, there’s GOVSATCOM. 

Adding assured, secure communication to the EU Space Programme’s current capabilities 

GOVSATCOM is the fourth pillar of the EU Space Programme. While Copernicus and EGNSS provide the necessary data and positioning, some security incidents also require a means of communication that is robustly protected against interference, interception, intrusion and other risks. GOVSATCOM bridges this gap between the need for assured and secure communication and the capabilities already offered by Copernicus, Galileo and EGNOS.

Once active, GOVSATCOM will provide secure, cost-efficient communication capabilities to security and safety-critical missions, operations and infrastructure. The European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) has been entrusted with the procurement of the secure operational ground segment (GOVSATCOM Hubs), its operations and the coordination of the user-related aspects of GOVSATCOM, all in close collaboration with Member States and other involved entities.

As a user-centric programme, GOVSATCOM is designed to meet the unique requirements of governmental applications, including those used for crisis management, surveillance and the management of key infrastructures. Further, to successfully execute their missions, governmental actors must have access to secure satellite communication services, which is something commercial satellite communication services aren’t able to provide. 

Keeping EU citizens safe and secure 

GOVSATCOM users will likely include border and maritime authorities, law enforcement agencies, civil protection forces, search and rescue services, disaster relief and humanitarian missions, authorised infrastructure operators and military forces. The service will be available to EU institutions, relevant agencies and EU Member States. 

GOVSATCOM will also serve specific use cases, such as providing connectivity to the Arctic region and for Machine to Machine (M2M) and Internet of Things (IoT) communications. Furthermore, it will be a central component to the EU’s Secure Connectivity Initiative, which is expected to provide additional EU-owned satellite communications resources to complement existing assets. 

With its multiorbital design, Secure Connectivity will allow low latency governmental communications, while its use of quantum technologies will take the security of GOVSATCOM services to the next level. With such capabilities, GOVSATCOM could play an even bigger role in the air traffic control infrastructure that will enable the autonomous and remotely piloted aircraft systems of tomorrow, including drones and air taxis.  

Most importantly, by working in synergy with Galileo, EGNOS and Copernicus, GOVSATCOM will further enhance the EU Space Programme’s ability to keep European citizens safe and secure.  

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the EUSPA website (http://www.euspa.europa.eu).

As of March 17, 2022, all smartphones sold in the European Union should be leveraging Galileo signals, in addition to other Global Navigation Satellite Systems. The addition of the EU positioning system to enhance the 112-calls location will result in faster response times and consequently, more lives saved.

The European 112-emergency number is operational in nearly all EU Member States, as well as other countries. People in danger can call it 24/7 to reach the fire brigade, medical assistance and the police. On February 11, which is European 112 Day, various awareness and networking activities are organised throughout the EU to promote the existence and use of Europe's single emergency number. 

The majority of phone calls to the 112-emergency number are placed from mobile phones. These calls already support the sending of location information to emergency services. However, this information was not based on Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) capabilities until recently.

Three years ago, the Commission Delegated Regulation anticipated measures to get advantage of GNSS and WiFi location capabilities in smartphones placed on the European Union market from 17 March 2022 onward. This will enable smartphones to transfer caller location information from GNSS (at least Galileo) to the appropriate emergency service.

How does 112 work in Europe?

So far, in the event of a 112 call, the caller’s location information was established through identification technology based on the coverage area of a cellular network tower (cell-ID). The average accuracy of this information varies from two to ten kilometres, which can lead to significant search errors following emergency calls, often resulting in time wasted and potentially, lives lost. In contrast, location information based on GNSS provides an accuracy of down to a few metres. This level of accuracy will have a major impact in terms of response times, ultimately allowing for quicker intervention in emergency situations in which every second counts. 

Galileo contributing to saving lives across Europe

The ability for 112 to communicate a caller’s location to emergency services automatically is already being rolled out. The protocol designed for this purpose, called Advanced Mobile Location (AML) is currently being deployed across the European Union. When a caller dials 112 from their smartphone, AML uses the phone’s integrated functionalities and data from Galileo to accurately pinpoint the caller’s location and transmit it to a dedicated end-point, usually a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), which makes the caller location available to emergency responders in real-time.

According to the European Emergency Number Association (EENA), at least 18 EU Member States have already completed the AML deployment while others are in the process of doing so. This implementation is thanks to EU initiatives and projects such as the Help 112 project, which was set up to evaluate the merits of handset-based technologies in improving the location of emergency callers..

“On the occasion of European 112 Day, I would like to reiterate once again that the EU Space Programme and in this particular case, Galileo, were conceived to benefit and protect EU citizens. The EC regulation which shall enter into force late next month is another confirmation of the added value EU space data brings to our daily lives,’’ said EUSPA Executive Director, Rodrigo da Costa. ‘’On this day, let’s also praise our real-life heroes, emergency responders, across the EU for their courage and bravery,’’ he concluded.

As of 17 March 2022, all smartphones placed in the European single market should be leveraging Galileo signals, in addition to other Global Navigation Satellite Systems. The addition of the EU positioning system to enhance the 112-calls location will result in faster response times and consequently, more lives saved.

The European 112-emergency number is operational in nearly all EU Member States, as well as other countries. People in danger can call it 24/7 to reach the fire brigade, medical assistance and the police. On February 11, which is European 112 Day, various awareness and networking activities are organised throughout the EU to promote the existence and use of Europe's single emergency number. 

The majority of phone calls to the 112-emergency number are placed from mobile phones. These calls already support the sending of location information to emergency services. However, this information was not based on Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) capabilities until recently.

Three years ago, the Commission Delegated Regulation anticipated measures to get advantage of GNSS and WiFi location capabilities in smartphones placed on the European Union market from 17 March 2022 onward. This will enable smartphones to transfer caller location information from GNSS (at least Galileo) to the appropriate emergency service.

How does 112 work in Europe?

So far, in the event of a 112 call, the caller’s location information was established through identification technology based on the coverage area of a cellular network tower (cell-ID). The average accuracy of this information varies from two to ten kilometres, which can lead to significant search errors following emergency calls, often resulting in time wasted and potentially, lives lost. In contrast, location information based on GNSS provides an accuracy of down to a few metres. This level of accuracy will have a major impact in terms of response times, ultimately allowing for quicker intervention in emergency situations in which every second counts. 

Galileo contributing to saving lives across Europe

The ability for 112 to communicate a caller’s location to emergency services automatically is already being rolled out. The protocol designed for this purpose, called Advanced Mobile Location (AML) is currently being deployed across the European Union. When a caller dials 112 from their smartphone, AML uses the phone’s integrated functionalities and data from Galileo to accurately pinpoint the caller’s location and transmit it to a dedicated end-point, usually a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), which makes the caller location available to emergency responders in real-time.

According to the European Emergency Number Association (EENA), at least 18 EU Member States have already completed the AML deployment while others are in the process of doing so. This implementation is thanks to EU initiatives and projects such as the Help 112 project, which was set up to evaluate the merits of handset-based technologies in improving the location of emergency callers..

“On the occasion of European 112 Day, I would like to reiterate once again that the EU Space Programme and in this particular case, Galileo, were conceived to benefit and protect EU citizens. The EC regulation which shall enter into force late next month is another confirmation of the added value EU space data brings to our daily lives,’’ said EUSPA Executive Director, Rodrigo da Costa. ‘’On this day, let’s also praise our real-life heroes, emergency responders, across the EU for their courage and bravery,’’ he concluded.

As of March 17, 2022, all smartphones sold in the European Union should be leveraging Galileo signals, in addition to other Global Navigation Satellite Systems. The addition of the EU positioning system to enhance the 112-calls location will result in faster response times and consequently, more lives saved.

The European 112-emergency number is operational in nearly all EU Member States, as well as other countries. People in danger can call it 24/7 to reach the fire brigade, medical assistance and the police. On February 11, which is European 112 Day, various awareness and networking activities are organised throughout the EU to promote the existence and use of Europe's single emergency number. 

The majority of phone calls to the 112-emergency number are placed from mobile phones. These calls already support the sending of location information to emergency services. However, this information was not based on Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) capabilities until recently.

Three years ago, the Commission Delegated Regulation anticipated measures to get advantage of GNSS and WiFi location capabilities in smartphones placed on the European Union market from 17 March 2022 onward. This will enable smartphones to transfer caller location information from GNSS (at least Galileo) to the appropriate emergency service.

How does 112 work in Europe?

So far, in the event of a 112 call, the caller’s location information was established through identification technology based on the coverage area of a cellular network tower (cell-ID). The average accuracy of this information varies from two to ten kilometres, which can lead to significant search errors following emergency calls, often resulting in time wasted and potentially, lives lost. In contrast, location information based on GNSS provides an accuracy of down to a few metres. This level of accuracy will have a major impact in terms of response times, ultimately allowing for quicker intervention in emergency situations in which every second counts. 

Galileo contributing to saving lives across Europe

The ability for 112 to communicate a caller’s location to emergency services automatically is already being rolled out. The protocol designed for this purpose, called Advanced Mobile Location (AML) is currently being deployed across the European Union. When a caller dials 112 from their smartphone, AML uses the phone’s integrated functionalities and data from Galileo to accurately pinpoint the caller’s location and transmit it to a dedicated end-point, usually a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), which makes the caller location available to emergency responders in real-time.

According to the European Emergency Number Association (EENA), at least 18 EU Member States have already completed the AML deployment while others are in the process of doing so. This implementation is thanks to EU initiatives and projects such as the Help 112 project, which was set up to evaluate the merits of handset-based technologies in improving the location of emergency callers..

“On the occasion of European 112 Day, I would like to reiterate once again that the EU Space Programme and in this particular case, Galileo, were conceived to benefit and protect EU citizens. The EC regulation which shall enter into force late next month is another confirmation of the added value EU space data brings to our daily lives,’’ said EUSPA Executive Director, Rodrigo da Costa. ‘’On this day, let’s also praise our real-life heroes, emergency responders, across the EU for their courage and bravery,’’ he concluded.

As of 17 March 2022, all smartphones placed in the European single market should be leveraging Galileo signals, in addition to other Global Navigation Satellite Systems. The addition of the EU positioning system to enhance the 112-calls location will result in faster response times and consequently, more lives saved.

The European 112-emergency number is operational in nearly all EU Member States, as well as other countries. People in danger can call it 24/7 to reach the fire brigade, medical assistance and the police.

The majority of phone calls to the 112-emergency number are placed from mobile phones. These calls already support the sending of location information to emergency services. However, this information was not based on Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) capabilities until recently.

Three years ago, the Commission Delegated Regulation anticipated measures to get advantage of GNSS and WiFi location capabilities in smartphones placed on the European Union market from 17 March 2022 onward. This will enable smartphones to transfer caller location information from GNSS (at least Galileo) to the appropriate emergency service.

How does 112 work in Europe?

So far, in the event of a 112 call, the caller’s location information was established through identification technology based on the coverage area of a cellular network tower (cell-ID). The average accuracy of this information varies from two to ten kilometres, which can lead to significant search errors following emergency calls, often resulting in time wasted and potentially, lives lost. In contrast, location information based on GNSS provides an accuracy of down to a few metres. This level of accuracy will have a major impact in terms of response times, ultimately allowing for quicker intervention in emergency situations in which every second counts. 

Galileo contributing to saving lives across Europe

The ability for 112 to communicate a caller’s location to emergency services automatically is already being rolled out. The protocol designed for this purpose, called Advanced Mobile Location (AML) is currently being deployed across the European Union. When a caller dials 112 from their smartphone, AML uses the phone’s integrated functionalities and data from Galileo to accurately pinpoint the caller’s location and transmit it to a dedicated end-point, usually a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), which makes the caller location available to emergency responders in real-time.

According to the European Emergency Number Association (EENA), at least 18 EU Member States have already completed the AML deployment while others are in the process of doing so. This implementation is thanks to EU initiatives and projects such as the Help 112 project, which was set up to evaluate the merits of handset-based technologies in improving the location of emergency callers..

“On the occasion of European 112 Day, I would like to reiterate once again that the EU Space Programme and in this particular case, Galileo, were conceived to benefit and protect EU citizens. The EC regulation which enters into force today is another confirmation of the added value EU space data brings to our daily lives,’’ said EUSPA Executive Director, Rodrigo da Costa. ‘’On this day, let’s also praise our real-life heroes, emergency responders, across the EU for their courage and bravery,’’ he concluded.

The European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) is launching a testing campaign for INAV improvements implementation and hereby invites external stakeholders to express their interest in participating in such testing campaign. 

The testing will cover any of the three I/NAV improvements (SSP, FEC-2, RedCED), that will be tested in laboratory using simulated realistic scenarios, including open sky as well as impaired environments. The tests will allow the participants to have confirmation of the correct implementation of the OSSISICD 2.0. In case of specific interest, legacy receivers (e.g. not implementing I/NAV improvements) could be also tested, solely at the scope of confirming that they are not impacted anyhow by the introduction of the new I/NAV capabilities (backward compatibility is in any case guaranteed “by design” for any receiver that is fully compliant with the Galileo OS SIS ICD provisions, and referring in particular to section 4.1.2). 

The characteristics of the testing campaign are described here.

The interested participants may be invited to provide their product(s) before 15 March, 1 May or 1 August to the premises indicated below according to the terms and conditions that will be communicated by the agency and be ready to provide any remote technical assistance needed during the testing as well as all the necessary interface documentation required for the testing. Any further detailed provision, including the possibility to provide the testing laboratories with ad-hoc receiver development platforms facilitating the testing activities, will be discussed with the interested participants.

The tests will be executed at the laboratories of the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre in Ispra, Italy, and of the European Space Agency ESA/ESTEC in Noordwijk, The Netherlands. Each applicant will be assigned by EUSPA to any of the two laboratories depending on the specific conditions and availability.

Testing is currently foreseen to be done in three batches, starting on 15 March, 1 May and 1 August 2022. The EUSPA reserves the right to change the scope, and timeline of the procedure.

Express your interest 

If you are interested in participating in the testing campaign above, please express your interest by sending an email before 25/02/2022, 17:00 (Prague local time) to the following email address: market@euspa.europa.eu. The subject of the email shall be “INAV improvements implementation testing campaign”.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the EUSPA website (http://www.euspa.europa.eu).

The European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) is launching a testing campaign for INAV improvements implementation and hereby invites external stakeholders to express their interest in participating in such testing campaign. 

The testing will cover any of the three I/NAV improvements (SSP, FEC-2, RedCED), that will be tested in laboratory using simulated realistic scenarios, including open sky as well as impaired environments. The tests will allow the participants to have confirmation of the correct implementation of the OSSISICD 2.0. In case of specific interest, legacy receivers (e.g. not implementing I/NAV improvements) could be also tested, solely at the scope of confirming that they are not impacted anyhow by the introduction of the new I/NAV capabilities (backward compatibility is in any case guaranteed “by design” for any receiver that is fully compliant with the Galileo OS SIS ICD provisions, and referring in particular to section 4.1.2). 

The characteristics of the testing campaign are described here.

The interested participants may be invited to provide their product(s) before 15 March, 1 May or 1 August to the premises indicated below according to the terms and conditions that will be communicated by the agency and be ready to provide any remote technical assistance needed during the testing as well as all the necessary interface documentation required for the testing. Any further detailed provision, including the possibility to provide the testing laboratories with ad-hoc receiver development platforms facilitating the testing activities, will be discussed with the interested participants.

The tests will be executed at the laboratories of the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre in Ispra, Italy, and of the European Space Agency ESA/ESTEC in Noordwijk, The Netherlands. Each applicant will be assigned by EUSPA to any of the two laboratories depending on the specific conditions and availability.

Testing is currently foreseen to be done in three batches, starting on 15 March, 1 May and 1 August 2022. The EUSPA reserves the right to change the scope, and timeline of the procedure.

Express you interest 

If you are interested in participating in the testing campaign above, please express your interest by sending an email before 25/02/2022, 17:00 (Prague local time) to the following email address: market@euspa.europa.eu. The subject of the email shall be “INAV improvements implementation testing campaign”.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the EUSPA website (http://www.euspa.europa.eu).