Copernicus and Earth Observation in support of EU Policies : Part I: Copernicus uptake in the European Commission

This study examines the extent to which Copernicus supports policymaking in the European Commission, all while assessing user perspectives for increased uptake. Alternative forms of Earth observation data and information that supports EU decision making was considered. A substantial amount of use of the services comes from policies that monitor land-use, climatic and environmental conditions, a trend expected to increase in light of anticipated demands by the new Common Agricultural Policy and the Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry Regulation. Information of the Climate Change Service on optimal land-use that targets specific human activities which harnesses the beneficial opportunities of climate change provides policy makers with a new set of adaptation measures. Several lines of action have been identified to improve uptake: Increasing engagement within the policy Directorates- General; fostering feedback loops between end-users and Copernicus services; increasing communication, information and training; setting standards and guaranteeing quality controls; enabling full integration of different datasets.