eoVox is an opportunity for all companies to voice their viewpoint on the future of the European and Canadian EO service industry. (Credits eoVox)

Corporate Sustainable Development (CSD) - also referred to as Corporate Social Responsibility - is now at the heart of business practices. (Credits ESA)

Background ** The European Space Agency (ESA) has recently concluded an in-depth survey of the European and Canadian EO service industry. Some 75 small Value-Adding Companies (VACs) participated in the survey to produce the most detailed picture to date on the state and health of this industry sector. One of the results that emerge is

In the year 2001, ships consumed 280 million metric tonnes [310 million
short tons] of fuel, compared to only 64.5 million tonnes [71.1 million
short tons] in 1950. (Credits at eurekalert)

ALOS, Japan's latest Earth Observation satellite, was successfully
launched at 02:33 CET (10:33 Japan time) on 24 January. Environmental
data and imagery from ALOS will be provided to European and African
users through a cooperative agreement between ESA and the Japan
Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). (Credits ESA)

The joint European Union/European Space Agency space programme will not
be agreed until 2007 ?± more than a year later than planned. (Credits Flight International)

The EU has published a Call for Proposals within the IST Priority of
FP6, related to Tsunami Early Warning Systems (TEWS). (Credits Cordis)

Interview with Mr. Marco Malacarne- Head of Unit for Space research and applications at European Commission

PARIS ?? British defense and space technology company QinetiQ Group plc
expects to raise 150 million British pounds ($265 million) in gross
proceeds following a planned February introduction of shares on the
London Stock Exchange, the company announced Jan. 12. (P. de Selding, Space News)

The Warsaw Conference on ?¨Integration of the new EU Member Countries
into the GMES Programme?Æ was attended by around 160 experts from space
and user institutions, infrastructure and service industry, research
centers and academia. More than 40% of the audience was from outside
the space sector, and about half of the participants came from new
Member Countries.(Credits EURISY)

EARSC Board is glad to welcome 16 new Companies and Organizations in
our Association. On EARSC behalf, we are certain that new Members will
contribute actively to the aims of EARSC enthusiastically

Register now for the Forum on Earth Observations II: Managing Risk in
the 21st Century, to be held Feb. 15-16 in La Jolla, Calif. Info at ForumOnEo

14 December 2005 - The European Sustainable Development Strategy (SDS)
was agreed at the European Council in Gothenburg in 2001. In the run-up
to the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development, the EU
also adopted a communication on the external dimension of SD to
integrate the global aspects of this strategy.(Credits EurActiv.com)

The eleventh Conference of the Parties (COP 11) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the first Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (COP/MOP 1) took place in Montreal, Canada, from 28 November to 10 December 2005. The event drew 9500 participants, including 2800 government officials, over 5800 representatives of UN bodies and agencies, intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations, and 817 accredited members of the media. (Credits IISD)

Receiving strong backing from ESA member states at this week's
Ministerial Conference in Berlin, Global Monitoring for Environment and
Security (GMES) is a joint initiative between ESA and the European
Commission to combine ground- and space-based observations to develop
an integrated environmental monitoring capability to benefit European
citizens. (Credits ESA)

(6 December 2005) Last week the historic fortified town of Campeche, in the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico, was the centre for a Conference on the use of space technologies to conserve the world??s natural and cultural heritage, including UNESCO biosphere reserves. (Credits ESA)