Brexit prompts EU to move satellite site to Spain

BRUSSELS: The EU formally decided on Wednesday to move a satellite monitoring base from Britain to Spain after Brexit to "preserve security". The back-up site for the bloc’s Galileo satnav system in Swanwick, southern England, is set to move to Madrid, where it will reportedly employ dozens of people.

It is a third major loss for Britain after the EU decided last year to shift its medicines agency to Amsterdam and its banking regulator to Paris. EU Commissioners on Wednesday endorsed a vote last week by the remaining 27 EU states to relocate the satellite centre, which backs up the main site in France.

"As a consequence of Brexit a new location for the back-up site had to be found," European Commissioner Vera Jourova told a press conference in Brussels. Industry Commissioner Elzbieta Bienkowska added: "With today’s decision the Commission is taking the necessary operational steps to ensure business continuity and preserve the security of the Galileo system."

The Galileo Security Monitoring Centre ensures the security of the EU’s satellite navigation project. The Galileo programme, when complete, will have 30 satellites in orbit by 2020. Spain beat Belgium, Italy, Portugal, Romania and Slovenia to host the British site.