SPACE COUNCIL : STATES REACH AGREEMENT ON COPERNICUS 2014-2020.

The Council of Ministers is ready to start negotiations with the European Parliament on the future of Copernicus, the EU's Earth observation programme. On 3 December, it adopted a general approach on pursuit of this programme for the years 2014-2020. A budget of 3.786 billion is planned to permit the launch and operation of Copernicus satellites, dubbed Sentinels.

The system is already partially operational thanks to data collected by other satellites. The first satellite - Sentinel 1A - will be launched from Kourou, French Guiana, in spring 2014.

The negotiations with the European Parliament will get under way shortly - an initial three-way meeting is already scheduled on 5 December - with the aim of trying to bring the matter to conclusion by the end of the current legislature. Doing so will not necessarily be easy because the position adopted by the Council contrasts with that of the Committee on Industry (ITRE, rapporteur Vittorio Prodi, S&D, Italy) on several points. The Council, for example, clearly gives contracting authority for the programme to the European Space Agency (ESA) and EUMETSAT, the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites. In other words, they will be authorised to negotiate and sign contracts, a power not foreseen by Parliament. The EP supports the Commission, which as the institution with overall responsibility for Copernicus and for management of the funds allocated to the programme insists on its right to oversee the award of contracts.

The...

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