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GMES – Observing our planet for a safer world

Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) ) is an initiative of the European Union (EU) and the European Space Agency ) (ESA). It aims at building up an own European capability in the area of earth observations. Based on this, user-friendly, sustainable and powerful services shall be established in the areas of environment and security.

The GMES program consists of three components:

• A service component ensuring access to information covering the predefined thematic areas (see below)
  
• A space component ensuring sustainable spaceborne observations for the thematic areas
  
• An in situ component ensuring observations through airborne, seaborne and ground-based installations for the thematic areas

The thematic areas of GMES are the following:

• Land monitoring
  
• Emergency management
  
• Security
  
• Monitoring of the marine environment
  
• Atmosphere monitoring
  
• Climate change adaptation and mitigation

In Austria, GMES is coordinated by the Federal Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology (BMVIT) ). An Austrian Agency for Aviation and Space was established as part of the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) ). FFG is in charge to implement the Austrian Space Programme.

INSPIRE – Improved access to spatial data and information in the European Union

Regarding spatial data, the European Union also acted legislatively. The Directive 2007/2/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing an Infrastructure for Spatial Information in the European Community ( INSPIRE ) entered into force on 14 March 2007.

INSPIRE creates the preconditions regarding the EU-wide compatibility of metadata and data, and regarding improved access to the data. This is an important contribution to the harmonization of data and infrastructures on a global level.

Regarding implementation, the Directive asks the member states to report to the Commission, by 15. Mai 2010, about the following important aspects:

• how public sector providers and users of spatial data sets and services and intermediary bodies are coordinated, and of the relationship with the third parties and of the organisation of quality assurance;
  
• the contribution made by public authorities or third parties to the functioning and coordination of the infrastructure for spatial information;
  
• information on the use of the infrastructure for spatial information;
  
• data-sharing agreements between public authorities;
  
• the costs and benefits of implementing this Directive.

The Austrian Federal Ministry for Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Ressources ) is in charge of the national implementation of the INSPIRE directive.