N° 13–2014: Call for media: Copernicus Sentinels serving society and the environment

Hosted by the Greek Presidency of the Council of the EU, ESA and the European Commission, this is the largest Copernicus event to date.

The programme includes contributions by delegates from a variety of political institutions, including the Hellenic Republic Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs, the European Parliament and the European Commission.

Representatives from ESA and European scientific organisations such as the European Environment Agency, CNES, DLR, Eumetsat and the Greek National Observatory of Athens will also be present.

See the programme for the full list of speakers:

http://congrexprojects.com/2014-events/Copernicus/program

Europe’s Copernicus programme uses accurate and timely data from Earth observation satellites and other sources to provide key information services to improve the way the environment is managed, help mitigate the effects of climate change, enable the creation of new applications and services for citizens and businesses, and safeguard everyday lives.

While improving daily life, this ambitious programme is also expected to generate new employment and business opportunities throughout Europe.

The conference focuses on how information through Copernicus can be used for taking informed decisions to improve public services and businesses with socio-economic and environmental considerations in mind. The benefits and relevance of Copernicus for Europe’s citizens will be addressed.

With the first of the Sentinel satellites recently launched, talks will cover how this new mission’s imagery can be used for a myriad of applications. Furthermore, Earth observation applications worldwide and emerging technologies and services will be discussed.

Programme overview (times CEST)

12 May

08:15   Registration open

09:15   Introductory session

10:45   Signature of Collaborative Agreement between ESA and Greece

11:15   Session on opportunities for economic growth and development

12:15   Lunch break

13:30   Copernicus Services: the end-user perspective

13:45   Parallel sessions begin on maritime and fisheries, agriculture, tourism, natural and cultural heritage, urban planning and public services, security and border control and disaster management

17:00   Official conference opening and political statements*

18:15   Press conference

*For organisational reasons, the official opening session is at the end of the first day

13 May

09:00   Accessing Copernicus data and next steps

11:00   Roundtable discussion on future services

12:30   Conference closing

Information on registering to attend the conference along with the full programme can be found at the conference website: http://congrexprojects.com/2014-events/Copernicus/introduction.

About the European Space Agency

The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. It is an intergovernmental organisation, created in 1975, with the mission to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space delivers benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.

ESA has 20 Member States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Den-mark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, of whom 18 are Member States of the EU.

ESA has Cooperation Agreements with eight other Member States of the EU. Canada takes part in some ESA programmes under a Cooperation Agreement.

ESA is also working with the EU on implementing the Galileo and Copernicus programmes.

By coordinating the financial and intellectual resources of its members, ESA can undertake programmes and activities far beyond the scope of any single European country.

ESA develops the launchers, spacecraft and ground facilities needed to keep Europe at the forefront of global space activities.

Today, it launches satellites for Earth observation, navigation, telecommunications and astronomy, sends probes to the far reaches of the Solar System and cooperates in the human exploration of space.

For further information, please contact:
ESA Media Relations Office, Communication Department
Email: media@esa.int
Tel: + 33 1 53 69 72 99