19/12/2016 (Agence Europe) – Three years after the launch of the European Earth observation programme, Copernicus (see EUROPE 11053), the Commission opened an interim evaluation on Thursday 15 December. The purpose is to assess implementation of the programme in order to improve development in the coming years. The evaluation will include a performance assessment and will last throughout 2017. It will focus on the programme’s efficiency, effectiveness, coherence and EU added value....