Organisational aspects of GEO
GEO Governance
Due to its voluntary character, GEO has an efficient organizational structure. GEO is governed by a Plenary consisting of all Members and Participating Organizations. It meets at least once a year. An Executive Committee oversees GEO activities when the Plenary is not in session. The Committee consists of representatives elected from the five GEO regions. Periodically, the GEO Plenary meets at the ministerial level. The next Ministerial Summit is scheduled for November 2010 in Beijing. A small GEO Secretariat was established in the international quarter of Geneva, Switzerland. The work of GEO is based on voluntary contributions of member states. The contributions can be financial, in kind, but also through secondment of staff and participation in GEO tasks.
GEO within the European Union
The availability and utilization of earth observation data and products plays a big role in the framework of the
European Union . This is true on the operational level (EU GMES Program), but also on the level of legislation (INSPIRE Directive of the European Parliament and the Council). More information is provided here.
GEO in Austria
Austria joined the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) in 2009. The Austrian Federal Ministry for Science and Research (BMWF) is in charge to coordinate the implementation of GEO on the national level . The BMWF appointed the Austrian Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics (ZAMG) to host a
national GEO Secretariat.
Austria contributes to GEO/GEOSS not only through its own measurements and observations, but also through its membership in and its financial contribution to the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites(EUMETSAT). Furthermore, Austria contributes through its membership in the EU. The EU builds up a major part of GEOSS through its GMES (Global Monitoring for Environment and Security) program.
