The Committee on Industry, Research and Energy adopted the report by Vittorio PRODI (S&D, IT) on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Copernicus Programme and repealing Regulation (EU) No 911/2010.
The committee recommended that Parliament’s position adopted in first reading following the ordinary legislative procedure should amend the Commission proposal as follows:
Scope: the Copernicus programme must ensure continuity with the activities achieved under the GMES programme and shall comprise the following:
· a service component ensuring access to information in the following areas: atmosphere monitoring, climate change monitoring, emergency management, land monitoring, marine monitoring and security;
· a space component ensuring sustainable space-borne observations for the service areas referred to above;
· an in-situ component ensuring coordinated access to observations through airborne, seaborne and ground-based installations, including unmanned ones, for the service areas referred to in point (a) and calibration and validation activities for space-borne observations.
Objectives: Copernicus shall contribute both to monitoring and protection of the environment and provision of support to civil protection and civil security efforts and also to fostering the development of a strong and balanced space industry across the Union.
With regard to monitoring and protection of the environment, Members stressed the need for reliable data, supplied on a long term, continuous and sustainable basis. With regard to the development of a European space industry, Members stressed the need for completion of the dedicated space infrastructure in terms of satellites deployed and data produced, taking into account the available budget.
Copernicus operation: Members detailed the different components of Copernicus:
1) Services: this will include the atmosphere monitoring service providing information on air quality on a European scale and the observation of forest canopies, and waste flows. There shall be no priority among the services. Services shall be operated in accordance with the subsidiarity and proportionality principles, fully respecting existing national mandates. Therefore, they shall enable the development of decentralised downstream services which shall integrate at European level, existing space, in-situ and reference data in Member States to avoid duplication. The report made provision for certain activities in order to ensure the evolution of the services and their public-sector uptake.
2) Space component: this must provide space-borne observations, serving primarily the operational services above. The Copernicus space component shall include the following activities:
· tasking of the satellites, monitoring and control of the satellites, reception and processing, archiving and dissemination of data, and permanent calibration and validation;
· activities in response to evolving needs of the users
· protection of satellites against the risk of collision
3) In-situ component: this will include coordination and harmonisation of the collection and provision of in-situ data and the identification and addressing of gaps in the in-situ observations that cannot be filled by existing infrastructure and networks.
Financial envelope: whilst not amending the amount set out in the proposal (EUR 3 786 million in 2011 prices) Members proposed an allocation in percentage terms between the specific objectives of Copernicus, these being delivering the operational services in accordance to users’ needs and providing a sustainable and reliable access to space-borne observations.
The report added that where it proves necessary to deviate from the allocation for a specific objective by more than 5 percentage points, the Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in to amend that allocation.
Forms of Union funding: Union funding may take the following legal forms: (i) delegation agreements; (ii) grants; (iii) public procurement contracts. Genuine competition, transparency and equal treatment shall be ensured in the provision of funding by the Union. The report added that the Commission shall report to the European Parliament and to the Council on the allocation of Union funds, the evaluation process and results of the procurement tenders and of the contracts concluded.
Role of the Commission: the Commission shall have overall responsibility for the Copernicus programme. It shall define the priorities and objectives of the programme and oversee its implementation, in particular with respect to cost, schedule and performance and security interests and shall provide to the Member States and the European Parliament all relevant information pertaining to the programme through a yearly report on the implementation results.
The report contains additional provisions on the Commission’s activities in this regard. The Commission may adopt implementing acts to promote the convergence of Member States in the use of Copernicus data. It shall ensure the complementarity and consistency of the Copernicus programme by creating the appropriate links with relevant Union policies, instruments, programmes and actions to ensure that they benefit from Copernicus services.
The Commission must also:
· take adequate measures to ensure the full participation of private resources in support of the Copernicus programme;
· support a wide-ranging information campaign for local authorities of Copernicus data and services;
· adopt a work programme through implementing act.
ESA: the report contains a new Article on the European Space Agency. The latter shall conclude a delegation agreement with the Commission and be responsible for (i) the development and procurement of the Copernicus system space component; (ii) organisation of a procurement process for entrusting the operation of the dedicated missions to a suitable entity with the exception of missions operated by EUMETSAT. The delegation agreement shall be referred to the Copernicus Committee for consultation and communicated to the European Parliament.
Public procurement: the report contains a new chapter on public procurement setting out the general principles regarding the objectives of the procurement procedure including sub-contracting. The principles of open access and fair competition throughout the industrial supply chain must be observed.
Data protection: Copernicus data and information shall be made available on a full, open and free-of-charge basis, particularly for emergency situations and for development aid purposes. No later than 1 January 2017 the Commission shall, in consultation with all relevant stakeholders, conduct a review of the impact of this data policy on the European data and service market. If appropriate, the review may lead to a revision of the data policy.
"User Forum": the Commission may be assisted by a dedicated body, the "User Forum", bringing together representatives of mid and end users, independent experts etc. The European Parliament, the Council and the Copernicus Committee shall be fully informed about its proceedings.
Dedicated network for Copernicus data distribution: to promote and facilitate the use of Earth observation technologies both by local authorities and by SMEs, the Commission shall be assisted by a dedicated network for Copernicus data distribution, including national and regional bodies to support the use of earth observation technologies by local authorities and SMEs.
International agreements concluded by the Union may provide for the involvement, as appropriate, of representatives of third countries or international organisations in the work of Copernicus Committee under the conditions laid down in its rules of procedure.
Evaluation report: by 1 January 2017 at the latest, an evaluation report shall be established by the Commission on the achievement of the objectives of all the tasks financed by the Copernicus programme. The evaluation shall include an analysis of the impact of Article 14 on the European data and services market, and if appropriate be accompanied by proposals to amend this Regulation. The results of the evaluation report shall form the basis for a Commission proposal for a revision of this Regulation, to be submitted no later than 1 January 2020.