Brussels, 01/12/2008 (Agence Europe) - The Competitiveness Council on Tuesday 2 December in Brussels, is expected to adopt conclusions on implementation of the GMES/Kopernikus Global Monitoring of Environment and Security programme. In addition to the principles agreed by ministers in charge of space related issues during their informal meeting in Kourou last July, the Council will approve a road map for a concrete timetable for applying this system for non military-based objectives. It is also due to reaffirm the role of the European Space Agency (ESA) in the development and acquisition of Sentinelle satellites, as well as its role as coordinator for the entire space segment. Land observation infrastructure and coordination will be ensured by the European Environment Agency.
The Commission will be called on to: propose, during the third quarter of 2009, an interim administration and management system while awaiting implementation of the GMES (this system is also expected to include a Steering Board bringing together Member States; observer status is envisaged for ESA, EUMETSAT, ECMWF and Community agencies involved in the Torrejon satellite center); develop by the end of the first half of 2009, a detailed action plan for implementing GMES, including its funding until 2013 within the current financial framework; propose other funding for GMES operations; define access conditions and policy for providing GMES data and services by taking existing intellectual property rights into account, national and Community rules and security aspects; examine by the end of 2009 the possibility of including European geographic reference information (on the basis of Member State infrastructure) in the GMES services portfolio, as well as the applicability of GMES services to outermost regions and overseas territories; propose by the end of 2009, a GMES promotion policy for users (service providers and SMEs in particular), decision-makers and citizens (O.J./tr/rh)