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Improving coordination, visibility and impact of European GEOSS contributions by establishing a EUropean GEo NEtworkHome :: Project Partners :: Background & Motivation :: Objectives :: Climate SBA :: Disasters SBA :: Water SBA :: Events :: Documents :: News |
European Contributions to GEO and GEOSS |
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Europe is one of the world’s leading players in the advancement
of earth observation technologies and related environmental
applications. European remote-sensing satellites cover all of
the Earth’s climatic zones, while European ground-, air- and
ocean-based monitoring devices serve users by providing high-quality
observation data for subjects as diverse as urban planning,
adaptation to climate change, disaster reduction, disease control
and humanitarian relief. Earth observation projects are increasingly
being integrated into GEOSS. The European Commission is one of the
four GEO co-chairs together with the USA, China and South Africa.
Furthermore, two European Countries hold rotating seats in the
Executive Committee. The goal of the European GEO High Level Working Group (GEO-HLWG) is to oversee GEOSS implementation in Europe, to shape a common European view inside GEO initiative, and to give inputs to local decision makers concerning social benefits of GEOSS. It represents all the EC members states and other European countries and European GEO participating organizations. |
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In Europe's
7th framework programme for research and
technological development (FP7), four blocks toward the
establishment of GEOSS are emphasised: 1) Integration of European activities within the Group on Earth Observations (GEO), supporting European activities at global level, 2) Cross-cutting research activities relevant to GEO, understanding, modelling and predicting environmental phenomena, 3) Emerging earth observation activities, supporting the development of European earth observation systems and activities in areas of environmental research needed for GEOSS, 4) Developing capacity-building activities in the domain of earth observation, providing support to international research initiatives in which Europe would contribute to the development of observing systems. |
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The development of
GMES (Global Monitoring for Environment and
Security) is also supported through FP7. GMES is a joint
initiative of the European Union and ESA with the goal of developing
an operational European earth observation capacity. It will create
efficient information services supporting public and private
services for environment and security. GMES services for land
applications, marine environment, rapid mapping support for
emergency and crisis management, and air quality are currently in a
pilot operations phase. Further services are being developed and
will follow gradually. GMES is the second 'flagship' of European
space-based applications, alongside GALILEO. It contains Europe's
main contribution to GEOSS.
The Infrastructure for Spatial Information in Europe (INSPIRE) is the EC directive to harmonise Geo Data in Europe, which entered into force in 2007. With INSPIRE the conditions of interoperable data management and improved data are created. This is at the same time an important contribution for the harmonisation of Geo Data Infrastructures globally. |
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A number of pan-European organisations and Centres play a
major role in earth observation and Europe's participation in GEO,
such as - the European Space Agency (ESA), - the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT), - the Network of European Meteorological Services (EUMETNET), - the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), - the European Glocal Ocean Observing System (EuroGOOS), - the European Environment Agency (EEA). Furthermore, some national organisations of member states also contribute to GEO, e.g. the German GEO-Office (D-GEO) at the German Aerospace Center (DLR), also acting as EUGENE's project coordinator. EC Research on earth observation :: GEO-HLWG :: FP7 :: GMES :: INSPIRE |
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