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N° 50–2001: Global Monitoring for Environment and Security, Europe gets ready

10 October 2001

On Monday 15 October 2001, in Brussels, top representatives from ESA, the EU and other governmental organisations will participate in a Conference on GMES (Global Monitoring for environment and security) organised under the aegis of the Belgian EU Presidency. The full day programme, articulated into three sessions, will see the presence of around 300 delegates. Registration will start at 08:30 hrs at the Palais de Congrès, Coudenberg, 3 (*).

 

The goal of the GMES initiative is to establish a coherent, operational, long-term and user-dedicated information system that meets the specific needs for policy making and research in several fields such as environment, agriculture, regional development, security, and transport. The GMES initiative aims at supporting Europe's leading role in the monitoring of the global environment and provides support to policy makers in the fields of hazards and crisis management.

GMES is one of the two main pillars of the joint European strategy for space, developed by ESA and the EU and adopted in November 2000 by both the ESA Minister's Council and the EU Research Council. In addition, as part of the European Union strategy for Sustainable Development, the Gothenburg European Summit in June 2001 decided that the Community should contribute to establishing a European capacity for global monitoring for environment and security by 2008.

GMES will be geared to meeting a number of challenges: global change and its impact on our environment, including monitoring of treaty commitments; the strain on the environment caused by degradation; natural resource depletion and scarcity; and natural or man-made environmental disasters.

ESA is well placed to respond to these challenges: as of now with ERS, in the near future with Envisat and later on with the Earth Watch and Earth Explorer missions.

ESA can head the space contribution to GMES and be the Commission's natural partner in this initiative. By doing so, ESA follows the mandate given by the ESA and EU Ministers, according to which ESA acts as the implementing agency for the development and procurement of the space segment and the ground segment involved in the European Community's initiatives.

The Brussel's GMES Conference recommendations will serve as an input to the discussions on the implementation of the GMES Programme which will be discussed at the upcoming EU Research Council in October 2001 in Brussels and which will be tabled at the ESA Ministerial Council of 14-15 November 2001 in Edinburgh.

Media representatives wishing to attend the Conference are requested to fill in the attached form and fax it back to Françoise Pokorni, OSTC, Brussels for accreditation.

For further information:

ESA, Media Relations

Tel : +33.1.53.69.71.55

Fax: + 33.1.53.69.76.90

OSTC

Tel: +32.2.238.35.63

Fax: +32.2.230.59.12

(*) See conference programme attached.

PROGRAMME

Monday, 15th October 2001

Registration starting at 8.30

Conference starting at 9.00 in the "Benelux Room"

08.30 - Registration

09.00 - Welcome: F.-X. de Donnea, President of the EU Research Council, Minister-President Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium

Session 1 Setting the scene

Chairperson Mr. A. Rodotà, Director-General, ESA

09.15 - The GMES Initiative: A. Mitsos, Director-General DG Research, EU

09.35 - Role of Europe in the Global Environmental Context: L. Michel, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Belgium

09.50 - Monitoring for Sustainable Development: B. Boström, State Secretary for Environment, Sweden

10.05 - Societal benefit of GMES: M. Petit, IPCC

10.20 - The role of Science: Prof. H. Grassl, Max Planck Institute, Germany

10.35 - Closing remarks from the Chairperson

10.45 - Coffee break

Session 2 Delivering services

Chairperson P. Perera, Director DG Environment, EU

11.10 - Introduction by the Chairperson

11.20 - Global Monitoring in Support to Conventions: Ozone Monitoring: D. Burridge, Director of the ECMWF, United Kingdom.

P. Taalas, Representative from EUMETSAT - Ozone SAF, Finland

11.40 - Environmental Resources and Stress: The case of "Natura 2000": C. Romão, Director EEA - Topic Centre on Nature, Protection and Biodiversity, EU

12.00 - Natural Disasters and Crises: Floods and Humanitarian Aid: F. Ferrucci, Italian Civil Protection Agency, Italy

12.20 - Message from M. El Yazghi, futur President of the Climate Convention (COP7) and Minister for Land Management,Housing and Environment, Morocco

12.35 - Questions from the Audience

Closing remarks from the Chairperson

Lunch break

Session 3 Bringing GMES to sectorial policy makers

Moderator A. Puissant, journalist

14.30 - Matching Demand and Supply for Data and Information (Panel 1)

o Introduction on EUFOREO

D. Briggs, Imperial College of London, United Kingdom

o Panel of Senior Representatives from:

- the European Environmental Agency, (D. Beltran)

- the Spanish Civil Protection Agency, (J.P. Lahore)

- ECHO, (P. Billing)

- ESA, EUMETSAT, CNES (Space Agencies), (A. Rodota, T. Mohr, G. Brachet)

- the Secretariat of the Desertification Convention, (H.A. Diallo)

- Private Sector representatives, (D. Crichton, R. Haydn)

- a NGO (WWF Eur. - T. Long)

- EuroGeographics (J. Ollen)

15.40 - Coffee Break

16.00 - Message from the Youth

16.10 - GMES: The Political Dimension (Panel 2) o Introduction : Draft Recommendations for GMES Implementation O. Deleuze, State Secretary for Energy and Sustainable Development, Belgium

o Comments, Statements from:

- F. Barberi, former State Secretary for Civil Protection, Italy

- E. Brok, Chairman of the Committee for Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defence Policy, EU Parliament

- F. Davara, Director of the (W)EU Satellite Centre Torrejon

- A.De Roo, Vice- Chairman of the Committee for Environment, Public Health and Consumer Protection, EU Parliament

- R.G. Schwartzenberg, Minister for Research, France

- K. Töpfer, Director of UNEP

- J.F. Verstrynge, Deputy Director of the DG Environment, EU

- R. Marimon, Secretary of State for Science Policy and Technology, Spain

o Concluding Remarks by Minister O. Deleuze,

o Communication by Ph. Busquin, Commissioner for Research, EU

o Conference Conclusion by Y. Ylieff, Government Commissioner, attached to the Minister for Scientific Research, Belgium

o Press Conference and Officials' visit of the Side Events

18.30 - Closing cocktail

- Continuous demonstration of Side Events -

The Conference Programme may be subject to modifications.

 

Global Monitoring for Environment and Security Conference

Palais des Congrès, Coudenberg 3 - Brussels

Monday 15 October 2001-10-09

Name : ________________ First Name : ______________________

MEDIA : ___________________________________________________

Address:___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

Tel : ___________________ Fax : _________________________

Mobile : _________________ e-mail : _______________________

[ ] will attend the GMES Conference

[ ] will not attend the GMES Conference

Please fax this form back to :

Françoise Pokorni - Fax : +32.2.230.5912

 

For further information:

Françoise Bokorni, OSTC

Tel: +32.2.238.35.63

Fax: +32.2.230.59.12