ESPI Director, H. Ludwig Moeller, announcing the Vision Paper at 00:37:00-00:42:00
This Vision sets a direction, initiating a dialogue to maximise the policy impact of Earth Observation: bringing new energy to space programmes through stimulating continuous policy demand and guidance. It is addressed to national and European decision-makers in the domains of energy, security, environment, agriculture, digitalisation and beyond.
While the impact of space extends further, this Vision focuses on the highest priority domains where a stronger integration of Earth Observation would deliver significant added value to Europe. Collaboration between policy and space communities will unlock new opportunities, to date unexplored, that can bring value to European citizens, public administrations, and businesses through space-derived information and services.
While this document is not a work plan, the Vision is underpinned with a tangible call for action. It urges the policy community to further integrate Earth Observation, and space at large, into their sectoral policies and calls on the space community to create entry points to receive policy guidance for their programmatic action. ‘It takes a village’, in the spirit of the African proverb.
Doing so is no easy feat and represents a task of a decade. Success depends on timely action, including leveraging upcoming milestones that will shape the future of Earth Observation in Europe. Notably, the ESA Council Meetings at Ministerial Level and the parallel preparation of the new EU Multi-Annual Financial Framework for the 2028-2034 timeframe, as well as the breadth of national initiatives.
There is a wider meaning behind Earth Observation: How did we miss what was happening out there?
–Rolf Atler, Member of UNCEPA & WEF Global Risks Report’s Advisory Board; Former Director of Public Governance at the OECD
This vision comes at the right time, but implementation needs to start now.
–Klaus Welle, Former Secretary-General of the European Parliament
Robust data from space are key in order to move cities into the 21st century.
–Diana Ürge-Vorsatz, Vice-Chair of the IPCC & Professor at the Central European University
Earth Observation isn’t just an add-on or a technical tool. It must be embedded at the core of policy design.
–George Papaconstantinou, Acting Director at the Florence School of Transnational Governance; Former Minister for Finance & Environment of Greece
