Navigation system: The EU and the US finally have patched up divisions over Europe's insistence on developing its own satellite navigation system independent of the Americans by signing an agreement on technical details to ensure the two systems are compatible.
There have been transatlantic tensions on the issue since the EU decided in 1999 to develop the Galileo system, which will now be an alternative to the existing Global Positioning System (GPS) controlled and developed by the US military.
The US had expressed concerns that the EU system could interfere with the Pentagon's GPS signals. However, the weekend agreement sets technical standards designed to ensure the systems can operate together. Satellite navigation allows users accurately to plot their position on or above the earth's surface.
The EU maintains the €3.6 billion project, which will use 30 satellites to form a global navigation system, will create up to 150,000 jobs in Europe. It is expected to start operating in 2008.