SPACE POLICY/ENVIRONMENT : COUNCIL WARNING ON GMES FINANCING.

• Position: Global Monitoring for Environment and Security - Brief article

The European Commission's proposal to remove financing for the EU Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) programme from the EU's general budget for 2014-2020 to make it dependent on intergovernmental decisions represents a threat to this strategic programme. The 27 are preparing to issue a warning more or less in these terms to the European Commission soon, in Council conclusions being discussed by national experts.

In the draft conclusions, member states point out that GMES is one of the flagship programmes of the EU space policy. It is under the responsibility of the Commission and was set up along these lines by an EU regulation. They note the programme's priority nature with respect to development and sustainable exploitation of the services and infrastructures of global monitoring for environment and...