Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament -  Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) : From Concept to Reality {SEC(2005)1432}
Date: 2005-11-10
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU relations, European Space Agency, action programme, data collection, environmental monitoring, information processing, international cooperation, international security, remote sensing

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 10.11.2005 
COM(2005) 565 final 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL AND THE 
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 

Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES): 
From Concept to Reality 

{SEC(2005)1432} 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 3 

Summary .................................................................................................................................... 3 

1. 

2. 

3. 

3.1. 

3.2. 

3.3. 

3.4. 

3.5. 

3.6. 

3.7. 

The strategic dimension ............................................................................................... 4 

GMES at the service of the EU .................................................................................... 6 

Implementation ............................................................................................................ 7 

Users at the forefront.................................................................................................... 7 

Gradual introduction of pilot operational services....................................................... 7 

Candidate services for Fast Track introduction ........................................................... 8 

Funding strategy........................................................................................................... 9 

Building on existing capabilities................................................................................ 10 

Impact assessment...................................................................................................... 10 

Governance ................................................................................................................ 11 

3.7.1.  Roles and responsibilities........................................................................................... 11 

3.7.2.  Structures.................................................................................................................... 12 

4. 

Promoting GMES/Branding....................................................................................... 13 

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COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL AND THE 
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 

Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES): 
From Concept to Reality 

INTRODUCTION 

The objective of GMES is to provide, on a sustained basis, reliable and timely services related 
to environmental and security issues in support of public policy makers’ needs. GMES is an 
EU-led  initiative,  in  which  ESA  will  implement  the  space  component  and  the  Commission 
will manage actions for identifying and developing services relying both on in-situ and remote 
sensing data. 

This Communication sets out a strategy for delivering GMES, beginning with the pilot phase 
of the three first operational GMES services by 2008. It explains the process for defining the 
scope of these services, in conjunction with the users, and sets out the Commission’s goal to 
ensure  continuity  of  service.  It  discusses  the  establishment  of  appropriate  management 
structures linked to each phase of the programme.  

SUMMARY 

At  a  time  when  command  and  appropriate  use  of  information  has  important  geo-strategic 
implications,  Europe  needs  to  have  available  a  capacity  which  allows  it  independently  to 
evaluate  its  policy  responses  in  a  reliable  and  timely  manner.  A  comprehensive  Earth 
observing system, using space-borne and in situ techniques (land, air and sea) through well-
defined  operational  services,  is  key  to  ensuring  the  implementation  and  monitoring  of 
environmental and security policies in the context of sustainable development. 

Currently demand for Earth observation services in Europe is still fragmented albeit growing. 
Two  factors  can  change  this.  First,  decision  makers  at  all  levels  have  to  be  convinced  that 
services  are  reliable  as  to  their  quality  and  continuity.  Second,  they  need  to  see  from 
experience that those services will contribute sufficiently to their organisation’s objectives to 
justify meeting the cost of their long-term operation, maintenance and renewal. 

On  the  supply  side,  Europe  has  developed  world  class  assets  and  expertise.  However, 
observing systems are run independently and coverage is incomplete for both the in-situ and 
satellite observing systems. Many satellites and in-situ observing networks are experimental 
and cannot guarantee the required quality and continuity of measurement to provide the basis 
of  operational  services  now  or  in  the  future.  While  our  international  partners  are  investing 
heavily in the development of capacities for global monitoring, Europe is still working with 
different national capacities and different national standards. 

Recognising the strategic importance of Earth observation and its growing potential, Europe 
will  develop  its  own  operational  capability  through  the  GMES  programme.  GMES  aims  at 
coordinating  existing  systems,  producing  services  of  guaranteed  validity  and,  crucially, 
ensuring their future continuity. 

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GMES  will  be  developed  in  steps  through  the  introduction  of  pilot  phase  services,  starting 
with three fast track services (land, marine, emergency) by the end of 2008. A total of eleven 
initial services have already been identified, which could be successively deployed to support 
a wide range of needs. 

In the short-term, GMES will draw on existing in-situ and space-based observing capacities 
developed by EU and ESA Member States. In the longer-term, investments will be made in 
the deployment of new capacities to provide continuity of data sources and infrastructure in 
support of the development of GMES services. 

Optimum  complementarity  should  also  be  achieved  in  the  management  of  GMES-related 
activities.  The  Commission  envisages  introducing  an  organisational  structure  for  GMES 
Services  to  accelerate  the  aggregation  of  demand  and  improve  its  internal  management 
arrangements.  Investment  in  the  space  component  by  the  EU  and  by  ESA  will  be  managed 
together  by  ESA,  under  the  respective  financial  rules.  Longer-term  structures  for  managing 
GMES will be discussed with EU and ESA Member States. 

Efficient  data  management  and  information  sharing  are  a  prerequisite  for  the  producing 
GMES services. A continuous dialogue between stakeholders will be maintained to develop 
the needed spatial data infrastructures and the implementation of the INSPIRE (Infrastructure 
for Spatial Information in Europe) proposal for a directive will be supported. As such, GMES 
will contribute to facilitating access, use and harmonisation of geospatial information at pan-
European  level.  GMES  will  be  an  essential  tool  to  increase  interoperability  of  national 
systems, hence fostering the development of adequate European standards. 

GMES  will  constitute  a  growing  element  in  the  EU’s  bilateral  relations  with  international 
partners.  It  will  be  developed  taking  into  account  the  activities  of  the  Group  on  Earth 
Observations (GEO). With its federating role, GMES will be the main European contribution 
to the global 10-year implementation plan for a Global Earth Observation System of Systems 
(GEOSS). 

1. 

THE STRATEGIC DIMENSION 

The command of information on environment and security has geostrategic implications. The 
political  mandate  has  been  expressed  at  the  June  2001  Gothenburg  summit  and  in  the  later 
Council Resolution towards1 “achieving by 2008 an operational and autonomous European 
capability”. 

In  its  February  2004  Communication2  the  Commission  has  outlined  the  strategic  role  of 
GMES in the development of the EU’s role as a global actor and identified elements for its 
implementation.  The  European  Parliament  has  expressed  support  for  the  introduction  of 
GMES3. The second Space Council has confirmed that GMES will be the second EU flagship 
of space policy after Galileo. 

1 
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3 

Council Resolution 2001/C 350/02 (13.11.2001) 
Global  Monitoring  for  Environment  and Security (GMES):  Establishing  a  GMES  capacity  by  2008  – 
Action Plan 2004-2008 (COM (2004) 65 Final) 
B5-0045/2004 European Parliament resolution on the action plan for implementing the European space 
policy 

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The  need  for  reliable  and  timely  information  has  been  underlined  by  increased  demand. 
Natural  and  manmade  catastrophes  in  Europe,  America,  Asia  and  Africa,  coupled  with 
increased security needs, have further reinforced the case for improved monitoring systems. 
Global to local levels of requirements have now been identified. 

GMES  will  make  an  important  contribution  to  serve  the  EU’s  civil  security  needs4.  In 
addition, it will provide opportunities for additional capabilities for the European Security and 
Defence Policy (ESDP). All possible civil and military synergies should be pursued to ensure 
a better use of resources, in full complementarity with the EU Satellite Centre (EUSC), which 
is already operational in this area. 

GMES  will  provide  important  support  for  environmental  monitoring  and  assessment  and 
contribute  to  the  implementation  of  the  Shared  Environmental  Information  System  being 
developed  by  the  Commission  and  Member  States.  It  will  improve  the  quality  of 
environmental  information,  while  making  it  more  accessible,  and  streamline  and  rationalise 
environmental reporting. 

GMES  thus  covers  local,  regional  and  global  issues  and  is  becoming  instrumental  in  the 
further  development  of  a  European  leadership  role  in  the  practical  application  of  earth 
observation for climate and environment monitoring and civil security. 

GMES will provide the EU with a tool for participating in the international efforts consistent 
with the July 2005 G8 recommendation to strengthen the global climate observing system. It 
will  contribute  to  the  EU  Strategy  for  Africa5,  through  the  development  of  an  African 
observatory  and  the  implementation  of  the  African  Monitoring  of  the  Environment  for 
Sustainable  Development  (AMESD)  initiative.  GMES  has  been  highlighted  in  the  EU’s 
dialogues  with  the  USA,  Russia,  China  and  India6.  The  US  recently  published  its  Strategic 
Plan for an Integrated Earth Observation System. Russia and Japan are about to do the same. 

GMES  will  become  the  main  European  contribution  to  the  global  10-year  implementation 
plan for the GEOSS. GMES will generate data and services related to both environment and 
security. The EU’s participation in the GEOSS will facilitate data exchange with international 
partners, in the area of environment monitoring, and will encourage the increased use of Earth 
observation, as well as the development of a system of worldwide observation systems. 

As an initiative of the EU, GMES will be at the centre of a series of partnerships. These need 
to  be  defined  at  the  EU  level,  including  the  role  of  agencies,  Member  States,  value  added 
services industry (including SMEs), user communities etc. 

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Report from the Panel of Experts on Space and Security (March 2005) 
‘EU Strategy for Africa’ COM(2005)489 Final (12.10.2005) 
The  EU  US  summit  (‘The  European  Union  and  the  United  States  Initiative  to  Enhance  Transatlantic 
Economic Integration and Growth’ EU-US Joint Declaration.) concluded “to promote cooperation using 
civilian space based technologies for sustainable development, science, exploration and deepening the 
knowledge society”. The EU Russia summit in May 2005 adopted a set of road maps for four Common 
Spaces.  In  the  road  map  for  the  Common  Economic  Space,  the  EU  and  Russia  agree  “to  provide 
appropriate environment for fruitful cooperation on GMES programme.” On the occasion of the China 
EU  summit  in  September  2005  both  parties  agreed  “to  strengthening  the  EU-China  Cooperation  in 
Space, namely in joint activities in Earth Observation and Earth Science […]”. 

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GMES will stimulate economic growth by facilitating the creation of innovative added value 
services. It has been selected as one of the quick start projects in the Commission’s Initiative 
for Growth7.  GMES should stimulate the industrial sector to expand its service offer and to 
develop the innovative observing, communications and information technologies that will be 
required  within  a  dynamic  and  evolutionary  GMES  capacity,  creating  opportunities  for 
increased private sector usage of information sources. The European industrial base will be an 
important  asset  to  maintain  a  European  autonomous  capacity  and  political  independence  in 
decision making. 

2. 

GMES AT THE SERVICE OF THE EU 

GMES will substantially increase the ability of geospatial information to support a variety of 
EU policies, in particular: 

–  Europe’s environmental commitments, within EU territory and globally, by contributing to 
the  formulation,  implementation  and  verification  of  the  Community  environmental 
policies8, national regulations and international conventions; 

–  other  EU  policy  areas  such  as  agriculture,  regional  development,  fisheries,  transport, 

external relations, development aid and humanitarian assistance; 

–  Common  Foreign  and  Security  Policy,  including  the  European  Security  and  Defence 

Policy; 

–  other  policies  relevant  to  European  citizens’  security  at  Community  and  national  levels9, 
notably  justice,  home  affairs  and  customs,  including  surveillance  and  management  of 
external borders10. 

European  Commission  Services  spend  some  tens  of  million  Euros  annually  on  the  use  of 
geospatial  data  across  a  wide  range  of  policies;  the  EU  Satellite  Centre  similarly  acquires 
Earth Observation data to extract information in support to the CFSP including the ESDP11. 
Based on current and foreseen policy development, these expenditures are bound to increase 
significantly in the near future. 

Some concrete examples include: 

–  in agriculture: the area acreage checks and agri-environmental measures; 

–  in fisheries: the Vessel Monitoring and Vessel Detection systems; 

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“A  European  initiative  for  growth:  Investing  in  networks  and  knowledge  for  growth  and  jobs:  Final 
report to the European Council” COM(2003) 690 final/2 (21.11.2003) 
The 6th Environmental Action Plan (2004 to 2010) addressing climate change, nature and biodiversity, 
environment and health, natural resources and waste 
"A secure Europe in a better world–European Security Strategy" Javier Solana 12/12/2003 
Including  the  work  of  the  European  Agency  for  the  Management  of  Operational  Cooperation  at  the 
External Borders of the Member States 
See  the  Council  Joint  Action  of  20  July  2001  on  the  establishment  of  a  European  Union  Satellite 
Centre, Article 2, Point 1: (2001/555/CFSP) The Centre shall support the decision-making of the Union 
in the context of the CFSP, in particular of the ESDP, by providing material resulting from the analysis 
of  satellite  imagery  and  collateral  data,  including  aerial  imagery  as  appropriate,  in  accordance  with 
Articles 3 and 4. 

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–  in external relations: imagery acquisition in the frame of specific Community Instruments 

(eg Rapid Reaction mechanism); 

–  in  environment:  land-use  and  land-use  changes,  natural  hazards  (eg  forest  fires,  floods, 

tsunami response) and global climate change monitoring; 

–  in development policy: water, vegetation and food security monitoring activities; 

–  in research: environmental research. 

3. 

IMPLEMENTATION 

3.1. 

Users at the forefront 

The  goal  of  the  current  development  phase  is  to  build  a  strong  user  base  for  GMES 
information services. This implies that needs are identified and updated and that the services 
provided will be reliable and effective.  

Users  of  GMES  information  services  are  involved  in  the  development,  implementation  and 
monitoring of environmental and security policies from global to local scales. The European 
Commission is one key user. Its own needs are being identified and demand is progressively 
being aggregated.  

Users need to be assured that the services will be available on a long-term basis. This requires 
action  to  guarantee  the  availability  of  the  space-based,  in-situ  and  data  management 
infrastructures. 

Assessment mechanisms have to be set up to validate quality, relevance and performance of 
services. The introduction of each service will be subject to a number of key milestones. The 
corresponding roadmaps will include the individual start up costs and the operating costs. 

3.2. 

Gradual introduction of pilot operational services  

By its nature GMES is complex: it will require, as appropriate, the integration of data from 
space-based and in-situ (airborne, water-based and ground-based) earth observation capacities 
into user-driven operational application services. 

It is essential to move forward from the current project-based approach. The capacity has to 
be  built  up  gradually,  based  on  clearly  identified  priorities  and  by  using  existing  elements 
wherever possible. 

The gradual introduction of services will be based on: 

•  their maturity; 

•  uptake by the user communities (relevance for policy making and policy implementation); 

and 

•  long-term sustainability of demand and supply. 

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Pilot services and the required infrastructures will be funded by aligning Community, national 
and regional resources. The speed at which services are introduced will depend largely on the 
efficient leveraging and pooling of these funding resources. 

The challenges are to achieve increased interoperability of acquisition systems; to harmonise 
and to foster the standardisation of data structures and interfaces; to overcome policy barriers 
to  data  sharing;  to  design  quality  assurance  mechanisms;  to  achieve  fusion  of  data  from 
different sources at different levels; and to provide innovative, user-friendly services that are 
cost effective and sustainable. These developments should become part of a coherent, single 
overall programme, without losing the benefits of decentralised management and investments. 

Near  term  opportunities  need  to  be  selected  and  their  scope  has  to  be  defined.  To  meet  the 
goal of operational services by 2008, these must receive fast track treatment. 

3.3. 

Candidate services for Fast Track introduction 

In the first step, the Commission judges that three fast track services are likely to satisfy these 
criteria and proceed into a pilot operational phase. It has established a process for confirming 
these and defining their exact scope and modalities. This process includes thematic workshops 
(to  be  held  in  October-November  2005)  aimed  at  strengthening  the  participation  and 
commitment of the relevant user communities. The three services already proposed to the EU 
and  ESA  Member  States  in  the  GMES  Advisory  Council  are:  Emergency  Response,  Land 
Monitoring, and Marine Services. They are described in Annex A. 

The  overall  goal  remains  to  develop  an  extended  range  of  GMES  services  which  meet  user 
requirements and for which the economic and societal benefits justify the investment. Support 
to the deployment of further of these services will therefore be prepared in the course of 2005-
6. Using the same validation process as for the Fast Tracks (see Annex B), further pilots will 
be introduced progressively with a view to providing a broader range of services, as indicated 
in  Annex  C.  These  will  include,  for  example,  services  such  as  atmospheric  monitoring, 
external  border  surveillance  and  crisis  prevention,  to  which  some  Member  States  have 
emphasised the importance that they attach. 

The  objective  is  to  gradually  develop  and  validate  a  number  of  pilot  operational  services, 
based on selected R&D projects extending and strengthening the current actions. Accordingly, 
the  Commission  is  ensuring  that,  under  FP6,  the  ongoing  GMES  projects  support  the 
implementation  of  potential  operational  services.  Remaining  FP6  resources,  yet  to  be 
committed,  will  be  focused,  as  far  as  possible,  on  the  fast  track  services,  including  the 
integration of the components parts – in-situ, space and data management – and the build-up 
of the GMES space component. The pilot phase of the fast track services should be ready for 
early delivery in 2008. 

Crucial  to  the  success  of  the  GMES  service  component  is  the  development  of  a  European 
Spatial  Data  Infrastructure  as  envisaged  by  the  INSPIRE  proposal  for  a  directive.  Pilot 
services shall therefore in effect act also as INSPIRE pilots and be integrated in the INSPIRE 
Implementation Programme. Data policies will need to be developed, which should facilitate 
acquisition and exploitation by both service providers and users. 

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3.4. 

Funding strategy 

Over  the  past  5  years  about  230  Mio  Euro  have  been  spent  at  a  European  level  on  GMES 
related demonstration services: the EU is mobilising via FP 6 about 100 Mio Euro (from 2003 
to 2006); ESA is investing over the 5 years 130 Mio Euro for the space, ground and service 
segments. 

Whilst in the long-term, services should be funded by the users, the critical infrastructure and 
enabling technologies will need upfront investment for pilot services to be introduced. 

The  Commission  is  preparing  the  specific  programme  of  FP  7.  RTD  activities  through  the 
framework  programme  of  community  research,  in  particular  in  the  domain  of  environment, 
depend heavily on the availability of Earth observation data. As the second flagship of the EU 
space policy, it is envisaged that GMES will be allocated a substantial majority of the funding 
available  for  Space  under  the  Seventh  Framework  Programme  for  Research,  Technological 
Development  and  Demonstration  Activities12  (FP7).  From  this  allocation,  it  is  envisaged 
funding  a  significant  proportion  of  the  budget  for  the  space  component  for  which  ESA  has 
estimated an investment of €2.3bn for 2006-201313. Member States of the EU and of ESA are 
already planning to complement this investment with an ESA programme and, in some cases, 
programmes to develop national satellite systems. 

The research projects funded through the “Environment” thematic priority of FP 7 will further 
assist  to  identify  future  GMES  operational  services.  They  will  generate  data  and  models 
which will contribute to the implementation of the nine societal benefit areas of GEOSS. The 
“Information  society  technologies”  thematic  priority  will  contribute  to  the  data  and 
information management element of GMES, to the implementation of INSPIRE and, hence to 
GEOSS. 

An overall funding strategy for the in-situ and data management components is more complex 
to develop due the diversity and scattered responsibilities over many different agencies in the 
Member States. This will require better alignment of the financial resources and the leverage 
of new ones where gaps in infrastructure need to be filled. 

The use of non-R&D Community instruments will be explored in relation to both in-situ and 
space components. 

For  the  time  being,  bringing  GMES  to  operational  status  involves  a  series  of  public-public 
partnerships on the supply side, supported by the intervention of research budgets. These will 
continue  to  play  a  major  role  but,  in  the  future,  where  services  become  integral  to 
development or implementation of public policies, they should be supported by the relevant 
institutional  users.  In  some  areas,  GMES  may  also  attract  private  sector  customers,  with 
appropriate  cost-recovery  mechanisms.  This  may  make  public-private  partnerships  possible, 
in due course. 

This can only be achieved if Europe capitalizes on its strength through better coordination and 
pooling of all available resources. 

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COM(2005) 119 final 6.4.2005 
Programme proposal by the ESA Director General to the ESA Member States 

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3.5. 

Building on existing capabilities 

GMES will use to the maximum extent possible existing capacities, national or European. It is 
necessary to map these, including actual and planned infrastructures that could contribute to 
fulfil  the  requirements,  and  to  ensure  their  interoperability.  Remaining  gaps  need  to  be 
identified and, along with the replacement needs of existing capacities, be discussed between 
the EU and its agencies, ESA, EUMETSAT, and the  Member  States of these organisations. 
The  maximum  use  within  Europe  of  existing  and  planned  operational  satellites,  in-situ 
networks  and  spatial  data  infrastructures  needs  to  be  ensured.  A  better  coordination  and 
provision of resources is needed, including multiple use facilities. 

In order to ensure autonomous capabilities, as advocated by the Gothenburg summit, Europe 
should progressively rely on its own capabilities. The mid to long-term strategy to do so needs 
to be defined, taking into account increasing inter-dependence with international partners. 

Nevertheless,  it  is  recognised  that  certain  measures  regarding  the  development  of  the  space 
component of GMES have to be taken as a matter of urgency, to maintain data continuity in 
the next 10-15 years. The majority of GMES-like services currently rely on observations from 
a  number  of  satellites  which  have  already  exceeded,  or  will  reach  within  a  few  years,  their 
nominal end-of-life. 

As  a  way  of  meeting  the  most  urgent  satellite  observation  requirements,  the  ESA  Director 
General  has  proposed  to  ESA  Member  States  to  secure  an  initial  budget  to  cover  the  first 
phases  of  development  of  the  future  space  infrastructure  of  GMES  (including  the  related 
ground segment). The Commission welcomes this proposal which takes into account its plans 
for the initial services and, in particular, the three fast tracks. During 2006-2007, it will assess 
its contribution to the GMES space component in the light of: 

•  finalisation of user requirements; 

•  the definition of the initial services, in particular the fast tracks; and 

•  the approval of the FP7 programme proposal and budget. 

Gap  and  efficiency  assessments  of  the  in-situ  and  spatial  data  infrastructures  are  being 
undertaken. During 2006-2007 the outcome of these findings will serve better to define future 
Community contributions. 

3.6. 

Impact assessment 

This Communication details strategy and near-term changes in the management of the GMES 
initiative. In line with the overall Commission policy, before substantial funds are committed 
to  pilot  operational  services,  GMES  will  require  justification  based  on  a  solid  impact 
assessment. In view of the related commitments expected to be made by the Member States of 
EU and ESA, this should be more specific to GMES than the impact assessment relating to 
FP7.  The  overall  socio-economic  case  for  GMES  has  been  indicated  in  the  first  phase  of  a 
study by independent consultants. Member States have provided a team of experts to assess 
the methodology of the study as it progresses. 

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The study identifies a range of strategic benefits from implementing GMES. By their nature, 
many  of  the  significant  benefits  are  largely  non-quantifiable.  However,  the  report  also 
identifies  substantial  quantifiable  benefits  over  the  period  2005-2030.  A  preliminary  impact 
assessment has been prepared by the Commission Services. It will be finalised and published 
after the final socio-economic study report is available in the coming months. 

The second phase of the study should be completed in November 2005. It will seek to further 
substantiate  the  total  overall  benefits  through  detailed  validation  and  further  stakeholder 
consultation. It will also identify which geographical areas and economic sectors are expected 
to  secure  these  benefits  and  seek  to  differentiate  between  shorter-term  and  longer-term 
benefits. The impact assessment will be finalised at that point and published. 

3.7. 

Governance 

The appropriate division of work and the establishment of organisational steps are critical to 
the successful implementation of GMES. 

3.7.1.  Roles and responsibilities 

It is essential to achieve optimal complementarity between the EU institutions, ESA and their 
Member States, based on clearly defined roles and responsibilities. 

The EU will: 

•  define the priorities and requirements; 

•  aggregate the political will and user demand; and 

•  ensure the availability and continuity of services. 

ESA will: 

•  support and define the technical specifications of the space component; 

•  implement the space component, coordinating centres of excellence across Europe; and 

•  advise the EU on future space component requirements. 

Member States may: 

•  strengthen internal co-ordination of related data collection and management activities and 

federate national demand; 

•  contribute  to  the  implementation  of  the  necessary  spatial  data  infrastructures  and  in-situ 

components; 

•  support the implementation of the space component. 

ESA  consequently  will  manage  the  development  of  those  space  infrastructures  which  are 
identified for support under FP7, in accordance with the rules of that programme, integrating 
these  activities  with  its  own  in  this  area.  The  Commission  will  manage  the  development  of 
GMES  services  supported  through  FP7,  either  directly  or  through  externalisation.  This  will 

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allow  the  optimal  integration  of  data  from  in-situ  monitoring.  After  the  completion  of  the 
current ESA GMES Service Element projects, the further development and consolidation of 
such services will be the responsibility of the EC, as an integral part of its overall programme 
within FP7. 

The operation of satellite and in-situ systems will need to be assessed on a case-by-case basis, 
taking into account ownership of the assets. It should maximise cost-effective use of existing 
expertise in inter-governmental organisations, Member States and industry. 

As  regards  negotiating  the  supply  of  earth  observation  data  required  for  operational  GMES 
services,  both  during  their  pilot  phase  and  when  fully  operational,  it  will  be  necessary  to 
identify the most effective way for doing this, based on a coherent Europe-wide approach. 

3.7.2. 

Structures 

The management structure for GMES has to evolve according to the gradual development of 
new operational services and the evolution of the user requirements. It should be pragmatic, 
flexible and  modular.  The management structure needs, therefore, to be sufficiently open to 
be able to evolve towards each next step. 

The successful implementation of GMES will require the active involvement of industry, with 
particular attention to SMEs and service providers. Participation of industry to such a project 
of common European interest remains an open option. It will be accompanied by a feasibility 
study/impact assessment. 

In  setting  up  its  organisational  frame,  GMES  will  fully  take  into  account  the  experience 
gained through the Galileo process. 

a) 

Short-term 

Existing demand at EU level will be progressively aggregated. The Commission will set up a 
GMES  organisational  structure,  operating  within  the  Commission,  to  strengthen  the 
management  of  GMES.  The  Commission  will  also  strengthen  the  relations  between  the 
advisory bodies with an interest in GMES and related areas. 

The tasks of the new structure for GMES Services would include: 

•  identification of strategy for GMES, becoming the focal point for the coordination of the 

Commission’s GMES-related activities and the consolidation of user needs; 

•  development of GMES pilot services, starting with the fast track services; and  

•  support to the management of on-going and future research  and technology  development 

activities. 

The structure would have the potential to form the core of an embryonic GMES management 
body and could progressively work also on behalf of other EU institutions and agencies. 

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b) 

Medium-term from 2007 onwards 

The start of FP 7 will see the establishment of pilot phase operational services. There will be 
further  consolidation  of  user  requirements,  validation  of  GMES  services,  development  of 
associated  infrastructures,  finalisation  of  negotiations  ensuring  long-term  access  to  data  and 
improved interoperability. 

In  this  phase,  if  the  Commission’s  organisational  structure  continued,  it  would  be  likely  to 
expand,  with  additional  staff  seconded  from  national,  regional  or  local  authorities  from  EU 
and  ESA  Member  States,  in  line  with  the  progress  of  the  operational  services.  This  could 
signal  a  need  to  progress  to  a  new  structure  which  could  involve  moving  closer  to  the 
structure  suitable  for  the  long-term.  The  Commission  has  already  indicated14  that  a  Joint 
Technology Initiative (JTI) for GMES may be one option to be assessed against others as a 
means of bringing together resources and mobilising a critical mass. Such an approach would 
be capable of bringing relevant user organisations into the programme. It would demonstrate 
that progressively the end user is willing to buy into the process. 

Nevertheless, the most appropriate management structure will need to be fully evaluated. The 
Commission  proposes  to  do  this  in  association  with  the  Member  States  through  the 
introduction  of  a  dedicated  subgroup  of  the  GMES  Advisory  Council.  This  will  be  able  to 
draw  on  a  consultants’  study  undertaken  under  FP6  15  to  identify  the  impact  of  potential 
organisational models. 

c) 

Long-term – fully operational phase 

In  this  phase  a  number  of  services  will  have  completed  successfully  the  pilot  phase.  Each 
should  guarantee  specified  quality  and  availability  of  products.  Continuing  availability  of 
services is likely to be the result of procurement arrangements stimulated by users, probably 
through a central body. 

4. 

PROMOTING GMES/BRANDING 

It will be essential to  raise  the  public profile of GMES with  users and  the public generally. 
Recognition  of  Galileo  in  the  media  is  strong  and  raising  GMES  to  comparable  levels  will 
take a sustained effort. 

An appropriate brand and clear brand values need to be established. Stakeholder involvement 
must  be  substantially  increased,  through  a  sustained  public  awareness  programme.  This 
should include securing public recognition, for example through a competition among schools 
to name the programme. 

The  Commission  envisages  organising  in  2007  a  GMES  Summit.  This  Summit  could  bring 
together  key  public  and  private  stakeholders  with  a  view  to  highlight  progress,  exchange 
experiences and chart the way towards an integrated worldwide earth observation system. 

14 
15 

European Space Policy - Preliminary Elements COM(2005) 208 final, 23.05.2005 
‘GOSIS Report (D3) on potential GMES organisational models’ Specific Support Action under FP6 

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