Paris hosted last 22-23 April the 39th session of the EUTELSAT IGO Assembly of Parties (AP), for the second straight time chaired by Portugal.
The AP reviewed and approved the procedures with a view to naming a new Executive Secretary (ES) of the organisation, to be elected at AP40 within two years, given that the current ES (Christian Roisse of France) will end his third consecutive term in July 2017. On the proposal of a working group that met on the AP sidelines, the announcement requesting candidates for the position was revised and will include the amount of the annual salary to be earned by the organisation’s new head. To increase transparency, it was also agreed that in the future the AP will be responsible for making decisions that determine the salary level, ending the procedure in place until now whereby that decision was made by the chair of the AP after consulting the organisation’s Advisory Committee (AC).
Nine months before the end of the current term, i.e. by October 2016, the AP chair must ask the parties to put forward candidates for the post. The AP also approved the possibility of a period of overlapping functions between the current ES and the next one, to facilitate the handover.
The AP approved the signing by the ES of an amendment to article 4.1 of the Arrangement in force between the operator and EUTELSAT IGO, with a view to increasing Eutelsat SA’s financing of the organisation after July 2015 for a five-year period.
The Assembly acknowledged the activities undertaken by the Secretariat since the last AP two years ago, noted fulfilment of the Basic Principles by the operator Eutelsat SA, adopted the budgets for the July 2015/June 2016 and July 2016/June 2017 financial years and endorsed renewal of the current external auditors (Ernst & Young).
One of the main points on the Assembly’s agenda concerned the need, strongly felt by the satellite industry, to protect the frequency band designated as the C band for fixed satellite service (FSS) against proposals that may be made at the 2015 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-15) of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) this coming November. The aim is to open the entire C band to future generation terrestrial mobile services. During his usual presentation to the AP, the Eutelsat SA executive director (CEO) asked for a strong commitment by the Parties on that issue.
The AP was also informed of deliberate interference (by Iran, Syria, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, Libya or Tajikistan) affecting satellite emissions of TV and radio programmes by Eutelsat SA; cases of piracy action were also recently identified. In collaboration with Eutelsat SA, the ES has been sending the Parties quarterly reports on this matter, which constitutes a situation of political censorship.
The AP revised the AC’s mandate and approved all proposals to that end (including the adjustment in accordance with the Assembly’s rules of procedure) contained in the report to the AP from the previous Committee, namely regarding the status of France as ‘notifying administration’ (thereby having the right to enjoy a fixed term on the AC), rotation of its members, maximum number of members and observers admitted, responsibilities of the Committee, procedures and candidate deadlines. Those amendments took force immediately.
The AP appointed the new AC, which will be composed of the following parties: France, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland. In the last four years Portugal opted to actively participate in the AC, though as an observer, in order to respect the rotation principle.
The Assembly noted that EUTELSAT IGO was accepted as an observer in the Regional Commonwealth in the Field of Communications (RCC) in July 2014 and approved that participation. As recommended by the AC, the AP held that Eutelsat SA should only integrate the IGO’s delegation with a precise and predefined mandate to be delegated to a representative, but not to the company.
The next AP, which will appoint the organisation’s new ES, has been scheduled for 15-16 March 2017.
