REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Mid-term evaluation of the Copernicus programme (2014-2020)
Date: 2017-10-23
Institutions: Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, European Commission
Subjects: EU programme, European Space Agency, aerospace industry, environmental monitoring, observation, public safety, space technology

EN 

   EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 23.10.2017  COM(2017) 617 final   REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Mid-term evaluation of the Copernicus programme (2014-2020) {SWD(2017) 347 final}  
 
 
INTRODUCTION 

This  report  highlights  the  key  findings  of  the  mid-term  evaluation  of  the  European  Earth 
monitoring programme, Copernicus, three years into its implementation. The report is based 
on  an  external  study1  carried  out  on  behalf  of  the  Commission  to  respond  to  the  obligation 
imposed  by  Article 32  of  the  Copernicus  Regulation2.  The  evaluation  provides  valuable 
insight for the second half of the programme implementation and for defining the approach to 
future Copernicus initiatives. 

The Commission has launched this exercise not only to assess the benefits and achievements 
of the Copernicus programme, but also to verify how adequate its original objectives still are, 
and  how  the  programme  may  better  respond  to  new  challenges  and  ambitions,  considering 
that in the past few years the overall political, societal, scientific and economic environment 
has  dramatically  changed.  The  Space  Strategy3  for  Europe  approved  last  year,  of  which 
Copernicus is one of the pillars, has already outlined the main priorities for the future of EU 
space activities and will inspire future developments. 

The  emergence  of a new space economy has  undoubtedly been  a driver  of change, but  it is 
mostly the advent of a hyper-connected information society and digital economy that calls for 
a  re-alignment  of  priorities  and  perspectives:  data  are  changing  our  lives  in  many  domains. 
The combination of big space data with digital technologies and cloud computing are opening 
up exciting new business opportunities for companies using these data to develop innovative 
products,  services  and  applications.  We  look  at  a  system  of  actionable  geo-referenced  data 
and  information,  feeding  and  sustaining  endless  applications.  Copernicus  geospatial-
intelligence4 is, in fact already a driver of the 4.0 society. The objectives of the programme 
will,  therefore,  need  to  reflect  these  societal  updates  and,  while  ensuring  the  existing 
achievements,  provide  ground  for  development  in  areas  like  security  while  promoting 
economic growth. 

That is why this evaluation report adopts a new approach, following the data value chain of 
Copernicus: from the data gathering and processing to the data and information distribution, 
to  user  and  market  uptake  dynamics.  This  new  approach  reflects  the  changing  reality  of 
Copernicus which in just a couple of years has become one of the biggest providers of Earth 
Observation  data  in  the  world  and  engine  for  Europe’s  digital  economy.  From  a  simple, 
although  unique,  Earth  observation  tool,  Copernicus  is  becoming  a  dynamic  geospatial-
intelligence system. 

1 PwC "Interim evaluation of Copernicus", ET-04-17-742-EN-N 
2 REGULATION (EU) No 377/2014 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 3 
April 2014 establishing the Copernicus Programme and repealing Regulation (EU) No 911/2010  
3 COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, 
THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 
Space Strategy for Europe, COM (2016) 0705 final 
4 Geospatial Intelligence is meant as intelligence about the human activity on earth derived from the exploitation 
and analysis of imagery and geospatial information that describes, assesses and visually depicts physical features 
and geographically referenced activities on the Earth. It consists of imagery, imagery intelligence and geospatial 
information. 

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From  the  success  of  its  data  provision  infrastructure,  to  the  accuracy  of  the  data  distributed 
according  to  a  free,  full  and  open  data  policy,  to  the  huge  potential  for  commercial 
applications, Copernicus has already shown its value and earned recognition for the EU on the 
international scene. It supports policies and applications in climate change and environment, 
maritime  safety  and  security,  agriculture,  disaster  management,  urban  planning  and 
infrastructure.  It  helps  civil  authorities  to  save  lives  in  emergency  circumstances,  such  as 
earthquakes,  forest  fires  or  floods.  The  programme  fosters  international  cooperation  and 
contributes  to  global  initiatives  like  the  Global  Earth  Observation  System  of  Systems 
(GEOSS) and the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS). 

This  report  is  accompanied  by  a  staff  working  document  providing  more  details  and 
references to the study on which it is based. The study itself included a series of consultations 
with  stakeholders,  the  results  of  which  are  reflected  in  the  final  analysis  of  the  various 
components of the programme.  

The evaluation covers, as expected, only the first 3 years of operation of Copernicus. Even in 
this  short  period  of  time  all  objectives  established  in  the  Regulation  have  been  met,  to  a 
various degree of achievement. The infrastructure and the services are set up as planned in a 
satisfactory way.  Some implementation aspects related to the creation of market applications 
or even user uptake are still too early to be properly assessed as they depend on the provision 
of  raw  data  that  first  arrived,  as  by  default  operation,  months  after  the  launches  of  the 
Sentinels. An excellent execution of the allocated budget and a satisfactory progress in user 
uptake  complete  the  picture  of  a  healthy  and  dynamic  programme.  The  complexity  of  the 
interaction among the programme's clusters (space infrastructures, services supply and users' 
access) has, however, highlighted the need for a simplification of procedures and governance 
models, to deliver the best results in terms of industrial policy implementation. 

BACKGROUND 

Copernicus  is  the  Union  programme  for  Earth  observation  and  monitoring,  established  in 
2014 as a successor to the previous space programme GMES5. Its general objectives support 
the protection of the environment, civil protection and civil security. The programme aims at 
maximising  the  socio-economic  benefits,  ensuring  the  European  independent  access  to 
environmental knowledge and fostering the development of a competitive European space and 
services  industry.  Copernicus  has  three  key  components:  a  space  infrastructure  (including 
satellites and ground equipment for data reception and processing), services for the generation 
of thematic data and information products and their distribution, and the coordinated access to 
in-situ  data.  Most  of  the  operational,  project-management,  coordination  and  implementation 
tasks for the space component have been delegated to the European Space Agency (ESA) and 
partially  to  the  European  Organisation  for  the  Exploitation  of  Meteorological  Satellites 
(EUMETSAT),  while  Services  rely  on  the  support  of  DG  JRC6  and  different  Service 
Operators  with  whom  delegation  agreements  have  been  concluded.  These  include  the 
European  Environment  Agency  (EEA),  the  European  Centre  for  Medium-Range  Weather 
Forecasting  (ECMWF),  Mercator  Océan,  the  European  Border  and  Coast  Guard  Agency 
(FRONTEX),  the  European  Maritime  Safety  Agency  (EMSA)  and  the  EU  Satellite  Centre. 

5  Global Monitoring for Environment and Security -Regulation(EU) No 911/2010 of the European Parliament 
and of the Council of 22 September 2010 on the European Earth monitoring programme (GMES) 
6 Joint Research Centre Directorate General that provides precious technical support and solutions for 
Copernicus activities, including research and international aspects. 

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Copernicus  has  inherited  from  GMES  a  great  synergy  with  the  INSPIRE7  programme  with 
which  it  interacts  for  the  operational  context  of  the  core  services  and  data  distribution 
platforms.  Copernicus  conformity  with  INSPIRE  online  services  and  interoperability  is 
mandatory  to  ensure  effective  and  efficient  integration  with  all  other  geospatial  data 
resources.  

MAIN FINDINGS OF THE EVALUATION 

Following the rules for evaluation, the results of the programme implementation have been  
assessed  against  the  five  criteria  of  effectiveness,  efficiency,  relevance,  coherence  (and 
associated complementarity and cooperation), and EU added value. The assessment has been 
based on the key performance indicators defined in the Regulation and the various delegation 
agreements.  

Data acquisition 

Copernicus  acquires  its  data  from  various  sources:  satellites,  in-situ  sensors  and  other 
missions.  The  space-borne  data  transmitted  by  the  Sentinels  (Copernicus  satellites)  to  the 
ground  segment  are  complemented  by  non-space-borne  data  with  a  geographic  dimension, 
including observation data from ground-, sea- or air-borne sensors, as well as reference and 
ancillary  data  licensed  or  provided  for  use  in  Copernicus  from  different  sources  (mainly 
Member  States  data  sources,  or  European  and  international  bodies,  such  as  EUMETNET8), 
the so-called "in-situ". The evaluation has confirmed that the space component, delegated to 
ESA  and  EUMETSAT,  is  the  most  advanced  element  of  the  programme,  in  terms  of 
deployment  of  the  satellites,  the  volume  and  quality  of  data  transmitted  and  processed  for 
further distribution. All the data acquired by the satellites are controlled, calibrated based on 
in-situ  data,  and  validated  before  being  published,  ensuring  a  homogeneous  quality  level. 
Many users perceive this aspect as being the key asset of the Copernicus programme. 

At the end of the first quarter of 2017, the Sentinels constellation counts five satellites in orbit 
performing  very well. Only limited delays  for two of them have  been  registered, due to  the 
availability of the launchers: both satellites (Sentinel -3A and Sentinel -2B) were planned to 
be launched with a Russian Rockot, identified as the most economical option at the time the 
launchers  were  procured.  The  deterioration  of  the  political  context  and  the  impact  on  the 
supply chain affected the launch schedule. In order to mitigate the launch delays for at least 
one  of  the  two  satellites  (Sentinel  2B),  a  swap  with  another  launcher  (Vega)  was  decided, 
allowing  its  successful  launch  on  7  March  2017.  The  delays,  however,  can  be  considered 
negligible  for  a  space  programme  of  this  scale  and  the  deployment  schedule  has  generally 
been respected. 

The data volume, accuracy, reliability and quality are one of the most successful elements of 
Copernicus implementation. By the end of the first quarter of 2017 the Sentinels have reached 
and  exceeded  the  expected  daily  volume  of  data  production9.The  original  core  ground 
infrastructure,  dedicated  to  data  reception  and  processing  for  further  dissemination  through 
data distribution hubs, was integrated with additional local stations for receiving data from the 
satellites,  data  processing,  mirror  sites  and  archives  promoted  by  Member  States  (called 
"collaborative  segment").  To  prevent  fragmentation  and  duplication  of  structures  and 

7 DIRECTIVE 2007/2/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL establishing an 
Infrastructure for Spatial Information in the European Community (INSPIRE)  
8 European Meteorological Services Network. 
9 As of summer 2016 the Sentinels were producing about 12 TB of data per day. 

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investments,  an  ad-hoc  task  force  to  coordinate  the  initiatives  in  the  data  distribution  and 
reinforce synergies was set up by the Commission in 2015. 

To complement the Sentinels data with additional data relevant to final users and necessary to 
generate  the  Services  products  Copernicus  makes  also  use  of  the  so-called  Contributing 
Missions, i.e. National or International space missions, vital to the programme. For instance, 
access  to  some  Very  High  Resolution  data  is  guaranteed  by  the  contributing  missions  as 
Sentinels alone are not able to provide it. From a historic perspective Contributing Missions 
data  have  allowed  to  kick-off  Copernicus  Services  before  the  launch  of  the  first  Sentinel  in 
April  2014.  As  of  today,  10  licences  have  been  signed  with  Contributing  Missions  data 
providers10.  All  the  contributing  missions  datasets  are  included  in  the  Data  Warehouse 
(DWH). Latest statistics from 2017 show that the demand for Contributing Missions data is 
rapidly growing as the services become increasingly operational. 

Copernicus is a "user driven" programme, based on the requirements of the user communities 
demanding  specific  data,  information  and  products.  This  is  reflected  in  the  governance 
structure  of  the  programme,  including  a  "User  Forum",  where  all  user  communities  are 
represented and can support and steer the implementation of the programme. After one and a 
half year since the last update, the Commission is currently reviewing the DWH operation for 
data requirements gathering procedure, user satisfaction and DWH monitoring tools. Several 
milestones have also been achieved before 2017 on the coordination of activities: Copernicus 
in-situ  data  requirements  have  been  revised  and  updated  for  all  six  Copernicus  services; 
critical in-situ data gaps have been listed, including proposals for gap closing activities; data 
access agreements have been signed with selected European networks; Copernicus Reference 
Data  Access  (CORDA)  node  became  operational;  a  plan  for  the  involvement  of  selected 
global  level  networks  has  been  agreed  with  the  services;  a  cross-service  register  of 
stakeholders, partnerships and data access arrangements was constituted. The agreement with 
international  networks  of  partners  such  as  EUMETNET  has  established  a  single  interface 
providing  access  to  several  dozens  of  partners  and  is  recognised  as  a  best  practice  of 
efficiency.  

Findings on the budgetary aspects are also positive: according to the feedback from industrial 
partners Copernicus space operations show no cost overruns and a very efficient procurement 
process.  Spending  on  the  space  component  (the  biggest  part  of  the  budget  allocated  to  the 
programme) is in line with the forecasted budget for the 2014–2016 period. Considering the 
complexity of the programme and the related costs, difficult to be borne by a single Member 
State, the EU added value of the programme is very high: with its capabilities, data production 
and  coordination  system,  Copernicus  is  more  than  the  sum  of  each  Member  State's 
contribution  to  the  programme;  it  is  a  truly  European  capacity  at  the  service  of  citizens, 
industry and society at large. 

  The data gathering activity is efficient:  high quality satellites have been successfully 
deployed on time and on budget, supplying high quality imaging. The performance is 
clear proof of a competitive European Space industry capable to deliver.  

10 These incude: Radarsat-2, COSMO-SkyMed, TerraSAR-X, Pléiades 1A & 1B, Deimos-1 & 2, Dubaisat-2, 
UK-DMC2, WorldView-2 & 3 and GeoEye-1, PROBA-V, GAF AG, and EUSI 

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Data and information processing 

The six Copernicus Services, at the heart of what can be defined as Copernicus geo spatial-
intelligence system, provide timely and reliable information to a growing community of users 
in  Europe  and  world-wide.  For  this  knowledge  generation  activity,  the  data  acquired  are 
processed  and  transformed  into  appropriate  products  available  for  the  end-users  and 
distributed through the services. Based on both space-borne and in-situ observations and data 
the Copernicus services generate timely and reliable geo-information products along defined 
and  agreed  processes,  in  some  cases  involving  significant  data  assimilation  and  modelling 
efforts. Each of the six services responds to specific environmental or security-related themes 
identified  as  key  for  the  European  society.  The  services  are  delegated  to  competent  service 
operators (or Entrusted Entities) that manage the services on behalf of the Commission.  

At  the  onset  of  the  Copernicus  Programme,  two  of  the  six  Core  Services,  Land  monitoring 
(CLMS)11 and Emergency management (EMS)12 were operational, thanks to the contributing 
missions  data  provided  under  the  GMES  GIO13  programme.  Atmosphere  monitoring 
(CAMS)14 and Marine environment monitoring (CMEMS)15 services were in pre-operational 
phase  while  Climate  Change  (C3S)16  and  Security  services  were  still  being  designed  or 
developed. Three years later, all services are in operation, except specific product groups of 
the  Security  service  and  the  Climate  Change,  still  in  pre-operational  phase.  All  delegation 
agreements  with  the  entrusted  entities,  however,  have  been  signed  according  to  the  planned 
schedule.   

Some of the products supplied by the Services are particularly important for the public sector 
and local authorities: the land monitoring service registers urban planners, city administrators 
and transport authorities among its user clients. An increasing number of private operators in 
the field of urban monitoring and development, such as energy and utilities companies, real 
estate  companies,  chain  stores,  and  building  material  suppliers  buy  Earth  observation 
products.  The  typology  of  users  varies  according  to  the  Service,  of  course:  Emergency 

11 The Copernicus Land Monitoring Service (CLMS) provides geographical information on land cover and on 
variables related, for instance, to the vegetation state or the water cycle. It supports applications in a variety of 
domains such as spatial planning, forest management, water management, agriculture and food security. These 
products were downloaded more than 30,000 times in the second half of 2016. 
12 The Copernicus Emergency Management Service (CEMS) provides information for emergency response in 
relation to different types of disasters. The mapping service, delivering reference, delineation and grading maps,  
constantly improves its service delivery, notably on the timeliness for Rapid Mapping component. 
13 GMES Initial Operation Programme 
14  The  Copernicus  Atmosphere  Monitoring  Service  (CAMS)  is  providing  information  on  the  atmospheric 
composition, such as real-time analysis and forecasts on daily or even more frequent basis. Furthermore CAMS 
is  providing  consistent  reanalysis  products  which  are  continuously  updated,  as  well  as  a  number  of 
supplementary products.  
15  The  Copernicus  Marine  Environment  Monitoring  Service  (CMEMS)  provides  information  on  the  state  and 
dynamics of physical ocean and marine ecosystems for the global ocean and the European regional marine areas. 
These  products  are  applied  in  four  main  types  of  activities:  (1)  climate,  seasonal  and  weather  forecasting,  (2) 
marine and coastal environment, (3) maritime safety and (4) marine resources.  
16  The  Copernicus  Climate  Change  Service  (C3S),  while  still  being  pre-operational,  has  achieved  already 
tangible achievements: The development of the climate data infrastructure and first content is underway and on a 
good track. A batch of pilot activities demonstrated the use of C3S products in various application sectors. First 
pre-operational  products  are  provided  regularly,  such  as  surface  air  temperature,  sea  ice,  seasonal  forecasts  or 
reanalysis products.  

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service's  users  are,  for  example,  only  entities  and  organisations  at  regional,  National, 
European and International level, active in the field of crisis management. 

The  list  of  EU  and  Commission  political  priorities  supported  by  Copernicus  services  and 
products is long and includes Climate change, Migration, Environmental policy, Agriculture 
and  food  safety,  Maritime  surveillance,  Security,  Transports  and  Energy,  Smart  urban 
development, Disaster management and reduction. 

The performance of the services is generally considered good by users, based on their good 
availability,  timeliness  and  the  variety  of  the  products  portfolio.  Even  the  Climate  Change 
service,  although  still  in  a  pre-operational  phase  is  already  on  good  track  as  the  number  of 
users doubled between 2015 and 2016, clearly attracted by the highly innovative first results. 
One example of excellent Service output is the first Ocean State Report, based on Copernicus 
marine environment monitoring service products, which is a precious tool for environmental 
directorates, agencies, conventions and international organisations' activity. 

The Security Service, in particular, has acquired an increasing relevance for the information it 
can  offer  in  response  to  Europe's  security  challenges,  especially  for  the  border  surveillance 
and  maritime  surveillance.  Its  data  and  products  are  fully  integrated  and  supporting  the 
agencies'  mandated  tasks  in  the areas of border  protection, maritime safety, and support  the 
EU CFSP/CSDP17.  

A  balanced  definition  of  new  products  within  the  Copernicus  product  portfolio  has  been 
identified  as  a  challenge,  but  has  been  dealt  with  by  the  Commission  through  the 
establishment  of  a  specific  procedure  for  the  definition  of  new  products  and  the  user  needs 
gathering  process,  in  agreement  with  the  stakeholders.  This  process  allows  Copernicus  to 
respond dynamically to a rapidly changing environment.  

  Copernicus is not only the world's largest single Earth Observation programme, but by 
incorporating  Copernicus  Services  knowledge  generation  into  its  architecture  it 
became a pole of Earth Observation-related scientific and operational expertise which 
has become a true European success story. 

  By  responding  to  evolving  user  needs  with  its  timely  and  reliable  geo-information 
products,  Copernicus  has  been  able  to  dynamically  adapt  to  rapidly  evolving 
challenges  and  to  the  European  political  landscape,  for  example  tackling  with  its 
Climate Change Service the foremost environmental challenge facing Europe and the 
world as a whole. 

Data access and distribution 

Space-borne  and  in-situ  data,  as  well  as  Service  information  and  products  have  to  be  made 
available  to  users  in  an  efficient  manner.  One  of  the  weaknesses  identified  during  the 
stakeholders'  consultation,  as  regards  the  data  distribution  component  of  the  programme,  is 
the  fragmentation  of  product  offer  and  data  dissemination  mechanism  (via  the  Entrusted 
Entities, via EU web portals, via ESA), and this might have created confusion for some users 
and been perceived as a duplication of effort. Further work is therefore suggested to facilitate 
access to data with specific attention on collaborative ground segments and data distribution 
at  national  level.  Data  transfers  between  the  Copernicus  pick-up  points  and  the  users  are 

17 Common Foreign and Security Policy/Common Security and Defence Policy 

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relatively slow, thus affecting the ability to make use of them on large scales. Readability of 
metadata  is  also  identified  as  an  issue  for  users,  typically  if  supercomputers  are  needed  to 
store the data. Users would also expect to have online processing facilities close to the data in 
order  to  avoid  downloading  large  volumes  of  data.    The  Commission  has  taken  action  to 
respond  to  these  user  requests.  The  traditional  distribution  routes  for  accessing  Copernicus 
data  and  information  are  being  strengthened  and  innovative  Data  and  Information  Access 
Services  (DIAS)  are  being  launched,  within  the  agreements  with  ESA  and  EUMETSAT,  to 
bring users closer to the data. The first DIAS are expected to start operations in early 2018. 
Today,  beside  the  access  to  Copernicus  Services  platforms,  run  by  the  different  delegated 
bodies the main satellite data access channel consists in the 4 ESA hubs:  

1.Copernicus Open Access Hub (COAHub), previously Scientific Hub  
2.Copernicus Services Data Hub (ServHub), previously CopHub, only open to Copernicus 

Services and European institutions. 

3.Collaborative  Data  Hub  (ColHub),  open  to  the  GMES  Space  Component  (GSC)  and 
Copernicus participating States following a signature of a Collaborative Ground Segment 
agreement with ESA. 

4.International Access Hub (IntHub), open to international partners which have signed an 

arrangement. 

The  large  volume  of  data  downloaded  creates  challenges  regarding  the  management  of  the 
network  traffic  on  the  ICT  infrastructure.  A  dedicated  link  to  the  network  "GÉANT"  18was  
set up in May 2016 to answer this challenge: it currently routes around 66% of the network 
traffic. The current infrastructure has been upgraded in  March 2017 to double the bandwidth 
capacity. 

As  for  the  security  aspects,  the  full,  open  and  free  data  policy  has  been  implemented  in 
accordance with the Article 23 of the Regulation, including the limitations therein defined. No 
particular  cyber  threats  have  been  identified,  considering  the  current  images  resolution  and 
each entrusted entity's internal measures to face those threats. 

  Copernicus  new  thresholds  of  data  and  information  production  and  processing 
provoked  a  paradigm  shift  in  Earth  Observation  big  data  domain.  The  associated 
challenges have been addressed by engaging with state-of-the-art solutions in building 
a digital economy.  

  The original concept of Copernicus foresaw a provision of data serving primarily the 
needs  of  the  Copernicus  services  and  this  objective  has  been  achieved  with  great 
success. New user needs have however emerged, calling also for large-scale access to 
and exploitation of direct Sentinel data, at various timeliness and processing levels. In 
response to this user need the Commission is planning a programme evolution to add a 
robust big data provision system, 

18 GÉANT is the pan-European data network for the research and education community. It interconnects national 
research and education networks (NRENs) across Europe, enabling collaboration on projects ranging from 
biological science to earth observation and arts & culture. The GÉANT project combines a high-bandwidth, 
high-capacity 50,000 km network with a growing range of services. These allow researchers to collaborate, 
working together wherever they are located. 

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Data uptake 

To maximise the socio-economic benefits of the programme by supporting the development 
of smart applications as requested by the Copernicus Regulation  has been a challenging task, 
given  that  Copernicus  data  were  planned  but  not  yet  available  (due  to  the  progressive 
deployment of the constellation).  

The free, full and open data policy adopted by Copernicus has led to unforeseen interest: by 
the  end  of  March  2017,  the  number  of  registered  users  in  the  main  dissemination  hub  (the 
Open Access Hub) well exceeded the target set at the beginning of the programme, as well as 
the number of products downloaded. The availability of Copernicus data and services was met 
with  strong  growth  in  the  European  Earth  Observation  downstream  sector  (over  10%  per 
annum in 2014 and 201519, compared with 1.8% on average in the European economy).  

The  European  Commission  has  supported  this  trend  by  launching  many  user  uptake 
initiatives. To boost the promotion at regional and local levels, two European networks have 
been set up, the Copernicus Relays and Copernicus Academy, charged with the organisation 
of awareness activities and acting as local helpdesks. A Copernicus support office was set up 
to provide support to all users. Furthermore, to stimulate innovative uses of Copernicus data, 
the  Commission  joined  forces  with  ESA  in  the  organisation  of  the  Copernicus  Masters,  an 
annual  competition  aimed  at  stimulating  innovation,  increasing  awareness  and  providing 
visibility  for  start-ups.  The  Copernicus  start-up  programme  also  includes  the  Copernicus 
Accelerator, a one-year coaching programme launched in 2016, soon to be complemented by 
the  Copernicus  Hackathons  and  the  Copernicus  Incubation  programme.  A  large  number  of 
information and training sessions and thematic workshops have also been organised targeting 
public  and  private  users.  Communication  on  the  web  and  on  social  media  has  been 
significantly  strengthened.  In  parallel,  the  Commission  has  created  a  Copernicus  skills 
programme,  featuring  a  partnership  on  skills  for  the  geo  spatial-sector  (through  the 
ERASMUS+  programme)  and  cooperation  with  two  Knowledge  Innovation  Communities, 
KIC  climate  change  and  KIC  raw  materials.  These  activities  are  complemented  by 
communication and user uptake activities undertaken by the Copernicus Entrusted Entities. 

Though  the  efforts  of  the  Commission  to  launch  user  uptake  actions  have  been  substantial, 
there is still a need to expand activities among users who are not earth observation specialists. 
Some  communities  should  be  targeted  in  particular,  such  as  the  IT  community  or  some 
promising  sectors  (smart  cities,  insurance  and  others).  This  would  widen  the  user  base  of 
Copernicus,  thus  multiplying  its  societal  impact.  To  further  increase  the  number  of  user 
uptake actions, the Commission could also evaluate delegating some tasks to an operational 
agency.  Finally,  a  greater  involvement  of  Member  States  and  closer  coordination  with  EU 
level actions could further accelerate Copernicus user uptake. The Commission has started to 
address  this  issue  and  will  soon  launch  a  framework  partnership  agreement  with  Member 
States in order to jointly finance user uptake activities.  

  The Copernicus programme has attracted considerable interest from users, with more than 

80,000 registered users on the main Sentinel hub (well beyond the original target) 

19 Source: A Survey into the State and Health of the European EO Services Industry, prepared by EARSC for 
ESA, 2015 

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  Since  2015,  the  Commission  has  launched  ambitious  user  uptake  activities,  including 
awareness events, training courses, start-up support programmes, and regional initiatives.  
  Expanding  activities  to  non-specialist  communities  should  be  considered.  Greater 
involvement  of  Member  States  could  also  considerably  accelerate  the  uptake  of 
Copernicus. 

CONCLUSIONS AND WAY FORWARD 

Just three years after the launch of the first Sentinel satellite, Copernicus is producing tangible 
results which clearly demonstrate the added value of the EU action. The programme is well 
on track and its original objectives have largely been achieved. Today Copernicus is one of 
the biggest data providers in the world. The huge amount of data it generates, coupled with 
advances in ICT and cloud computing, creates unprecedented business opportunities in many 
sectors of the economy and across the EU Member States. Unlocking this economic potential 
is one of the main challenges Copernicus faces today. Enabling a vibrant ecosystem capable 
of  transforming  Copernicus  data  and  information  into  innovative  products  and  services  will 
remain a clear priority during the next phase of the programme until 2020. 

Looking to the future on the basis of the present evaluation, continuity and  sustainability of 
services and observation data will be absolutely critical for the lasting success of Copernicus. 
The  long-term  stability  of  the  programme  and  its  free,  full  and  open  data  policy  must  be 
ensured  in  order  to  provide  predictability  and  planning  certainty  for  businesses  and  users. 
Copernicus is and should remain a user-driven programme. Its future evolution must keep up 
with the evolving requirements of the users and the paradigm shifts in the Earth Observation 
sector globally. In line with the Space strategy adopted in 2016, the Commission should plan 
a  long-term  vision  for  the  programme,  in  order  to  give  visibility  and  predictability  to  all 
partners  in  Copernicus,  allowing  them  to  invest,  benefit  and  support,  especially  considering 
the shifting priorities of the programme. 

The Copernicus services constitute a major part of the added value of the programme. They 
should continue to develop, improve and evolve, addressing new challenges and new policy 
priorities. The Space strategy for Europe identifies a number of priority areas for expansion 
and  evolution  to  address  the  challenges  of  climate  change  and  sustainable  development,  to 
monitor  CO2  and  other  greenhouse  gas  emissions,  land  use  and  forestry,  or  changes  in  the 
Arctic. Enhancing the security dimension of Copernicus is also called for to improve the EU’s 
capacity  to  respond  to  the  evolving  challenges of  border  controls  and maritime  surveillance 
and  to  explore  how  Copernicus  could  cover  further  security  needs,  including  defence.  In 
preparing the post-2020 phase of the programme, all options should be thoroughly analysed 
and prioritised together with the Member States. 

Copernicus  has  been  built  as  a  partnership  between  the  EU,  the  Member  States,  ESA  and 
EUMETSAT.  The  principle  of  partnerships  under  the  coordination  of  the  European 
Commission  should  continue  to  drive  the  future  development  of  the  programme  since  its 
distributed  governance  has  proven  to  be  successful.  For  the  period  after  2020,  the 
Commission might, however, explore further opportunities for streamlining and optimisation, 
and assess the need for involving new actors where this could bring clear value and increased 
efficiency to the programme.  

New  business  models  based  on  public-public  partnerships,  public-private  partnerships  or 
service-buy  schemes,  to  leverage  the  capacity  of  the  Member  States  and  the  European 

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industrial  competences,  could  support  a  robust  and  sustainable  European  Earth  observation 
capacity, which in turn is expected to stimulate further investments.  

International  cooperation  is  essential  in  Copernicus.  It  provides  a  vital  tool  underpinning 
Europe's  commitments  and  leadership  role  in  tackling  global  challenges  such  as  climate 
change  and  global  opportunities  for  marketable  products.  Future  developments  must 
strengthen this aspect even further to enhance the scope and quality of Copernicus data and 
services, based  on mutually  beneficial data exchange arrangements, and to  engage with  key 
international partners in building positive synergies and pooling capacities for tackling global 
challenges in a coordinated manner (e.g. CO2 emissions monitoring). Efforts should therefore 
be  directed  towards  the  consolidation  of  Copernicus  as  global  standard  in  the  geo-location 
data domain. 

Copernicus is a great opportunity for Europe. It offers a huge potential for innovation, growth 
and jobs. With Copernicus the European industry has a unique opportunity to become a leader 
in  a  global  fast  growing  market.  The  next  years  will  therefore  be  crucial  to  consolidate  the 
achievements and prepare the future adapting to the changing reality of the programme. 

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