A conference dedicated to Ensuring Sustanability of GMES

Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) is of vital importance for Europe. GMES ensures independent access to information relating to the environment, climate change and security. It pools European activities in Earth Observation with the aim to deliver global, regional and local information services for European users on a routine basis.

 

The course for GMES is set: Three Services are on the fast track, more are being added. Activities to develop and coordinate the necessary space and ground infrastructure are underway. Some challenges however remain and are in the focus of current activities. Most importantly, it will be necessary to implement a stable long term governance and financing scheme.

 

Germany considers GMES as a very important programme and supports it accordingly. The Presidency of the European Council in the first half of 2007 provides the framework to work together with the European Commission and all other partners in Europe to shape the way forward.

 

The main objective of the GMES Initiative of the German EU Council Presidency 2007 is to achieve a European consensus on the way forward for the GMES long term issues ?± the Munich Roadmap. The aim is to deliver this roadmap at a high level conference during the German Presidency.

 

The German GMES initiative includes a high level conference being held on 17 April 2007 in Munich. The objectives are twofold:

 

* Present the progress achieved with GMES so far and communicate a perspective on its services that will be operational from 2008 onwards.

 

* Address the aspects of sustainability and discuss the way forward ?± the Munich Roadmap.

 

More information on BMVBS