Brussels, 28/10/2009 (Agence Europe) - After agreement in May of this year (see EUROPE 9911), the European Commission, on Wednesday 28 October, adopted a communication on the implementation of the European Global Monitoring of Environment and Security (GMES) programme. The text reviews the technical arrangements and funding of the space component programme over the initial implementation phase planned for 2011-2013. During this phase, the Commission plans to activate the first GMES services: emergency intervention (available 24 hours per day to the various players, including in the areas of civil protection, humanitarian aid and crisis management) and land monitoring, which will be available to public authorities in Europe. Other activities engaged during this implementation phase will serve to support the adoption of the services by users, activation of access to data and development of the space component of the system. The funding allocated for this phase is €107 million, to be added to investment already made to fund the development of 12 Sentinel satellite constellations and will also ensure data access schemes to the relevant EUMETSAT, ESA and national missions. This funding, implemented by the ESA, will come from the Community budget (28%, €626 million) and ESA Participating States (72%, €1,621 million). Further funding decisions will have to be taken, both by ESA and the Commission, to launch the operational phase of the GMES programme, but the Commission says that the legal basis for the continuation of the process already exists. According to the ESA long-term scenario analysis, investment of €4 billion will be required for the GMES operational phase in 2014-2020. This amount includes estimated annual costs of €430 million for the operational activities and €170 million for R&D. Maintaining the system after 2020 will require further investment. The Communication also proposes to support the implementation of a free licensing and open access policy to Sentinel satellite data, to ensure a continuous data flow towards users, and to continue international cooperation. It says, too, that, before the end of the year, the Commission will bring forward a legislative proposal on the programme and will examine the operational funding needed for GMES over the 2011-2013 period, given the constraints imposed by the existing EU budget. Decisions on funding and organisational arrangements post-2013 will be taken under the next multi-annual financial framework. (A.By./transl.rt)