After detailed deliberations at various Meetings, the EARSC Board
has recommended the constitution of a working group on Space Policy,
which will address the problems of Earth´s monitoring and the
importance of the Industry in these new challenges for Europe.
The group will seek to define general principles to organise
desirable forms and degrees of understanding through Earth Observation
space policy, and have the aim to elaborate concrete examples or
scenarios of how this will apply. It will pronounce itself on how the
decision-making process should be adapted to create stronger
flexibility in implementation, and how it should involve different
actor’s interests in the policy process.
A key goal of the working group is to enhance key Earth observation
capabilities and assess related European Space Policy. Space policy
will act as a key factor to improve our understanding of sustainable
development and especially as tool for serving the society, such as
with respect to health, resource management, weather prediction, and
economic prosperity.
Terms of Reference
The working group on Space Policy has been constituted as a
cooperative network of EARSC Members to directly address Earth
Observation policy.
All members of EARSC shall be eligible by the Board of Director to
be part of the working group. Experts in the field of interest may be
invited to participate in the meetings as consultative capacity. The
discussions will be focused on the status of actual Space Policy in
Europe and the Industry contribution. Consensus should be agreed within
the group to establish common terms of reference and position papers to
guide up further discussions.
The working Group shall meet at least once in a year or as considered
appropriate to discuss common problems and to develop cooperative
programmes.
The EARSC Board will assist in the working group formulation,
fund-raising and implementation. The working group shall report on its
work to the Board. Working Group shall attend and present the report of
the Working Group at the annual general session.
The EARSC secretariat shall be the coordinator in secretariat
matters; organizing meetings, providing professional advice and inputs,
facilitating the information flow and interaction between members and
the Board of Directors and following the smooth progress of information
exchange through recommendation, newsletters and reports.
Any member of the WG may propose an amendment to the terms of
reference, if approved by a consensus of the members in attendance.
The agenda may include: (a) exchange of information; (b) review of
activities and programmes; (c ) formulation of collaborative ideas; (d)
proposing a funding mechanism for implementing ideas of the position
papers; (e) endorsing an annual work plan and monitor its
implementation.
Functions
The topics focused upon in the Earth Observation policy discussion
group have been selected to start a brainstorming from a broad approach
to the subject and then progressively narrow down to the study of the
Earth Observation programme in Europe and more precisely the role of
Industry in this context. Below we list the general functions of the
working group.
to analyse questions and to select of interesting articles or
programmes raised by Bibliography concerning the European Space Policy,
with regard to the Global Monitoring and Environment Programme,
including; sustainable development and security.
to elaborate interesting activities for communication on different levels; from decision makers to final users
to make any recommendations or position papers that the WG-Space Policy
considers advisable by the discussion or via bibliography research.
List of topics:
Present concerns and scope of the space policy
Definition and Implementation of the European Space Programme
Institutional policy, regulatory and legal framework
Industry experiences and Industry´s needs
Synergy: policy, functions, organization, implementation
Added value of an EO European approach
Organisation of an European effort
Seventh Framework Programme
Use of Earth Observation for decision makers, education and public awareness
Pan European programme
Expertise required, availability, distributed design,
Our Future in Global programmes
Communication strategy