Annexes to COM(2005)565 - Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) : From Concept to Reality - Main contents
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This page contains a limited version of this dossier in the EU Monitor.
| dossier | COM(2005)565 - Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) : From Concept to Reality. |
|---|---|
| document | COM(2005)565  |
| date | November 10, 2005 |
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.
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 Activities[12] (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 2006-2013[13]. 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.
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.
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 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.
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 indicated[14] 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.
[1] Council Resolution 2001/C 350/02 (13.11.2001)
[2] Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES): Establishing a GMES capacity by 2008 – Action Plan 2004-2008 (COM (2004) 65 Final)
[3] B5-0045/2004 European Parliament resolution on the action plan for implementing the European space policy
[4] Report from the Panel of Experts on Space and Security (March 2005)
[5] ‘EU Strategy for Africa’ COM(2005)489 Final (12.10.2005)
[6] 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 […]”.
[7] “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)
[8] The 6th Environmental Action Plan (2004 to 2010) addressing climate change, nature and biodiversity, environment and health, natural resources and waste
[9] "A secure Europe in a better world–European Security Strategy" Javier Solana 12/12/2003
[10] Including the work of the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States
[11] 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.
[12] COM(2005) 119 final 6.4.2005
[13] Programme proposal by the ESA Director General to the ESA Member States
[14] European Space Policy - Preliminary Elements COM(2005) 208 final, 23.05.2005
[15] ‘GOSIS Report (D3) on potential GMES organisational models’ Specific Support Action under FP6