Interconnect Earth Observation research for addressing environmental policies

Expected Outcome:

Successful proposals should contribute to the expected impact of this Destination on competitiveness, sustainability and resilience of the economy enabled by more accessible and interoperable environmental observations and improved Earth Intelligence.

Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:

• a single-entry point linking European research and policymaking embedded in the European Commission’s Knowledge Centre on Earth Observation (KCEO)^[1] as ‘scientific pillar’, with the objective to collect and organise knowledge resulting from science that is relevant for European and international environmental policies and conventions (notably those related to biodiversity), in particular knowledge generated from EU-funded R&I projects, relevant infrastructures and platforms;
• a strengthened and structured EuroGEO EO Community building on the competences of its Action Groups and the Member States’ uptake actions (e.g. as through the Copernicus National Collaboration Programme) offering to its members services reflecting Europe’s EO vision for Earth Intelligence in the post-2025 global GEO;
• the timely contribution to the update, under the guidance of the KCEO of a policy driven Earth observation R&I Roadmap for the next Multiannual Financial Framework (Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda).

Scope:

Earth Observation (EO) research is interconnected across Europe, supporting and enhancing the ambition of national, European and international policies and conventions. Contributing to Europe’s competitiveness and the European Green Deal, the topic aims to give support to the development and implementation of EU policies, including environmental policies (notably those related to biodiversity) through knowledge generation, to guide governance, and help implementing the simplification agenda. It supports the evolution of the long-term strategic research agenda for earth observation by engaging with EO stakeholders.

This call topic provides an Earth Observation Science Service as a dedicated tool to systematically insert the best EO science into EU climate and environmental policymaking valorising last mile policy applications building on core services provided through Copernicus.

To address those objectives, proposals under this topic should:

• build a consolidated and structured EuroGEO community able to provide competitive services such as the setting up of a R&I observatory, linking past and present research investments to policy needs for EO, and the support to the co-design of the necessary tools and methods to create earth intelligence from EO data and services;
• engage community through annual fora bringing together the relevant EO communities to take stock of the research and innovation priorities in support of uptake of EO in EU climate and environmental policies;
• foresee cooperation with the KCEO;
• address cross-cutting policy issues such as the use of EO in support of policy obligation, certification, official statistics, reporting simplification and compliance;
• demonstrate how Europe can test and lead the way on how Earth intelligence can help developing innovative products and services addressing policy needs in Europe and beyond.

Proposals may provide, when relevant, financial support to third parties (FSTP) to, for instance,

• develop, test or validate EO intelligence creation approaches or
• collect and prepare data sets or
• provide other contributions to achieve the project objectives such as prototype last mile policy applications, building on core services provided through Copernicus, addressing the continued and critical gap in knowledge sharing and complementing other EU-funded initiatives.

A maximum of 30% of the EU funding should be allocated to this purpose. Consortia need to define the selection process of organisations, for which financial support may be granted.

The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may join as member the consortium selected for funding, to ensure a close collaboration with the KCEO.

[1] https://knowledge4policy.ec.europa.eu/earthobservation_en