European Earth monitoring programme (GMES)

The European Union (EU) establishes the European Earth monitoring programme (GMES) and the rules relating to its initial operations during the period 2011-2013.

ACT

Regulation (EU) No 911/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 September 2010 on the European Earth monitoring programme (GMES) and its initial operations (2011-2013).

SUMMARY

The GMES operational programme shall build on the research activities carried out under the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007-2013) and the GMES Space Component Programme of the European Space Agency (ESA).

Scope of the GMES programme

The GMES programme shall comprise three components:

• the service component ensuring access to information in six areas;
• the space component ensuring spaceborne observations in the six areas referred to above;
• the in situ component ensuring observations through airborne, seaborne and ground-based installations in the six areas referred to above.

Initial operations of the GMES programme (2011-2013)

The initial operations of the GMES programme shall cover the period 2011-2013. It may comprise operational actions in the following fields:

• the service component;
• measures to support take-up of services by users;
• data access;
• support for in-situ data collection;
• the space component.

The objectives of the operational actions are defined in the Annex to the Regulation.

Organisation

The Commission shall ensure the coordination of the GMES programme with activities at national, Union and international levels, notably GEOSS. The implementation and operation of GMES shall be based on partnerships between the Union, the Member States and the European Space Agency.

The Commission shall manage the funds allocated to the activities under this Regulation. It shall ensure the complementarity and consistency of the GMES programme with other relevant Union policies, instruments and actions, relating in particular to competitiveness and innovation, cohesion, research, the European Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) programmes, data protection, the Shared Environmental Information System (SEIS), etc.

The Commission shall ensure that service specifications match user needs. To that end, it shall establish a transparent mechanism for regular user involvement and consultation. In addition, it shall be assisted by the User Forum composed of representatives of public GMES users nominated by the Member States.

Technical coordination and implementation of the GMES space component shall be delegated to ESA, relying on the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) where necessary.

The Commission shall entrust the coordination of the technical implementation of the GMES services, where appropriate, to competent Union bodies or intergovernmental organisations.

Service delivery

The Commission shall take adequate measures to ensure effective competition in the provision of GMES services and to promote the participation of SMEs.

The provision of GMES services shall be decentralised, where appropriate, to integrate at European level existing data inventories in Member States and to avoid duplication.

Funding

The reference financial envelope for the operational actions for the period 2011-2013 shall be EUR 107 million. Appropriations shall be authorised annually by the budgetary authority. Third countries or international organisations may also provide additional funding for the GMES programme.

GMES data and information policy

The data and information policy for actions financed under the GMES programme shall have the following objectives:

• promoting the use and sharing of GMES information and data;
• ensuring full and open access to information produced by GMES services and data collected through GMES infrastructure, subject to relevant international agreements, security restrictions and licensing conditions;
• strengthening Earth observation markets in Europe with a view to enabling growth and job creation;
• contributing to the sustainability and continuity of the provision of GMES data and information;
• supporting the European research, technology and innovation communities.

For the purpose of providing for a framework to ensure the attainment of the objectives of this policy while ensuring the protection of information, the Commission may adopt:

• measures establishing registration and licensing conditions for GMES users;
• measures defining criteria for restricting access to the information produced by the GMES services and to data collected through the GMES dedicated infrastructure.

GMES Committee

The Commission shall be assisted by the GMES Committee. The latter may meet in specific configurations to deal with concrete issues, notably those relating to security (the Security Board).

RELATED ACTS

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions of 28 October 2009 - Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES): Challenges and Next Steps for the Space Component [ COM(2009) 589 final - Not published in the Official Journal].

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions of 11 December 2008 - Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES): we care for a safer planet [ COM(2008) 748 final - Not published in the Official Journal].

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions of 10 November 2005 - Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES): From Concept to Reality [ COM(2005) 565 final - Not published in the Official Journal].

Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Copernicus Programme and repealing Regulation (EU) No 911/2010 COM/2013/0312 final - Not published in the Official Journal].

Copernicus is the new name for the European Earth monitoring programme, GMES. This new regulation, which should have come into force from 1 January 2014, should allow for better definition of the programme's governance, in particular the role of the Commission, the programme's objectives and indicators which will allow for its efficient implementation. The maximum funding allocated to Copernicus for the period 2014-2020 is EUR 3,786 million, at 2011 prices.

Last updated: 28.02.2014