Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES): marine data management and policy issues
Edwards, A. (2002). Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES): marine data management and policy issues, in: Brown, M. et al. The Colour of Ocean Data: International Symposium on oceanographic data and information management, with special attention to biological data. Brussels, Belgium, 25-27 November 2002: book of abstracts. VLIZ Special Publication, 11: pp. 15 In: Brown, M. et al. (2002). The Colour of Ocean Data: International Symposium on oceanographic data and information management, with special attention to biological data. Brussels, Belgium, 25-27 November 2002: book of abstracts. VLIZ Special Publication, 11. Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ): Oostende. XI, 93 pp., more In: VLIZ Special Publication. Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee (VLIZ): Oostende. ISSN 1377-0950, more |  |
| Available in | Author | | Document type: Summary
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| Abstract | The GMES Initiative seeks to bring the needs of society associated with the environment and security together with the advanced capability offered by in-situ and remote sensing observation systems, to ensure by 2008 European operational and autonomous access to relevant information at global, regional and local level. Towards this end, the Council of the European Union has formally requested the Commission, in close co-ordination with the European Space Agency, to build on the capabilities and existing infrastructure (terrestrial, air-borne, sea-borne and space based) and to start pilot projects in line with users' views. In this context, the Commission is required to report to the Council and to the European Parliament at the end of the GMES Initial Period (2001-2003) on the definition of the system. This report will be based on users' requirements, the expected services, the possible support to the various Community policies, the results obtained from the pilot services, the economic and social benefits, the possibilities for international co-operation at global level and the possible scenarios for an organisational framework. Marine observing and forecasting systems will be one of the principle components within the GMES Initiative. Significant advances have been achieved in recent years in implementing near-operational physical oceanographic forecasting systems. Considerable developments are also underway towards achieving pilot pre-operational biogeochemical monitoring and forecasting systems for ecosystem management. Whilst all of these systems have the potential to make a major contribution towards meeting the GMES objectives, many institutional and organisational matters must be resolved in addition to the scientific and technical challenges that remain. Not the least of these are the many issues associated with achieving a GMES data management structure that will work across different domains - atmospheric, marine and terrestrial - and different disciplines - e.g. physical, chemical and biological sciences - whilst also accounting for different national data policies within the EU Member States. The presentation will provide an overview of the GMES Initiative, concentrating on achievements in the marine sector and future ambitions. Particular attention will then be given to data management and policy issues, including matters relating to real-time data flow and quality control. |
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