Brussels, 16/09/2008 (Agence Europe) - Speaking at the opening of the GMES (Europe's Global Monitoring for Environment and Security) Forum on Tuesday 16 September, European Industry Commissioner Günter Verheugen announced that three studies were being launched to prepare the way for the funding of the programme after funding for its development expires in 2010. The Commission will unveil its proposals in 2009. The programme, which is now to be known as Kopernikus, will be financed from public funds, from the European Commission and space agencies (national and the European Space Agency) and, by 2014, should provide the European Union with independent access to information on the environment, climate change and security. Speaking on behalf of the French Presidency, French Research Minister Valérie Pécresse proposed the development of a legal framework to ensure the certification of Kopernikus data, with a view to extending its applications and enhancing the programme's “security” chapter.
At the informal meeting in Kourou in July, European Space Ministers agreed that the GMES Earth observation system should be built up. To ensure continuity in the programme's services and infrastructure, and avoid the slippages that took place when Galileo was being implemented, ministers called for the programme's long-term financing to be from the European Union. The Space Council which meets on 26 September is expected to approve this decision. To take the project forward, the Commission will have to release the funding necessary for the programme beyond 2010, for both operational costs and research and development. “At this point, I can say that the EU's financial contribution will take the form of an operational programme funded from the EU budget and financed research funds of the research framework programme,” said Verheugen. Concrete proposals will be made in the course of next year with a view to establishing “an overall financing strategy before the end of 2009” organising the financing of all the segments (spatial, “in situ” and services) between the EU budget and member states, he said. It will be for the new Commission to negotiate and incorporate the necessary funding in the new financial perspective, for after 2013. To determine the precise amount to be asked of member states, the European Commission, in cooperation with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Environment Agency, has just launched three studies, the results of which will be known at the end of this year or the start of next. According to unofficial estimates, the programme could cost some €500 million per year, with an estimated spin-off of some €100 billion.
At present, €1.2 billion comes from the 7th framework programme for research for GMES services and its spatial infrastructure. A further €1.2 billion comes from ESA which is responsible for the system's spatial segment. ESA member states will have to make additional contributions by the end of the year. A small operational budget is also planned for 2009-2010. “I managed to persuade the Council and (European) Parliament to approve the first operational budget through GMES preparatory action in 2008. I intend to have the same success in future,” the Commissioner said, highlighting that, before speaking about long-term financing, the Commission also had to find the way to fill a financial gap between 2011 and 2013.
The Commissioner will also put proposals to the College before the end of the year on the structure of the system's governance. Verheugen says the European Commission should coordinate the overall strategy of partners at national and European levels and have central responsibility for the programme as managing authority. In this, it will be assisted by a steering body, made up of member states and user representatives for the coordination of the programme and by a programme committee for putting in place the budget. European and national agencies and inter-governmental centres will be responsible for the services provided by Kopernkus: ESA for the development of spatial infrastructure, acquisition of the necessary equipment and coordination; ESA and EUMETSAT (the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites for operations and the European Environment Agency for coordinating the in situ component (network of terrestrial and airport data; and socio-economic data).
The programme as a whole will comprise some 40 satellites some of which designed by ESA. They will be divided into five families: observation (with launches planned in 2011 and 2014), optic satellites (launches in 2012-2014), oceanic observation satellites (launches in 2012 and 2014) and geostationary satellites (2014, 2017 and 2019). The system will also receive data from other national and international satellites such as the French Pléiades, the German TerraSAR-X, the Italian CosmoSkyMEd, a British DMC constellation, the Canadian Radarsat, and the Jason-2 altimetry and oceanic observation satellite. (A.By.transl/rt)