European Association of Remote Sensing Companies

Group on Earth Observations – GEO Week 2022

Statement of EARSC

As a European trade association, the European Association of Remote Sensing Companies – EARSC - aims to help public sector decision-makers to understand EO capabilities and identify their challenges and needs. EARSC follows with interest the progress and achievements of GEO and is ready to strengthen the engagement with the European private sector across the diverse range of activities.

The public sector is a key customer for EO services and a key enabler of the sector through investments in new space technologies and infrastructure. EARSC encourages GEO to promote a favourable framework, broadly recognising the utility of EO services to spatially explicit monitoring, thus supporting fulfilling Member States policies. Recommending reporting obligations, where EO data must be used, especially in policies concerning environmental resources, would represent a significant step to improve the utilisation of public and private resources to benefit all citizens. Under its Policy Observatory, EARSC is monitoring relevant EU policies and advocating for increased use of the EO services to support policy-makers. EARSC would like to offer its support via the Public Sector Engagement GEO initiative.

EARSC participates in GEO working groups and discussions providing knowledge of what is happening in the European private sector and carrying views of the GEO back to companies to help them improve their offerings towards the global community. EARSC supports the activity of the EO4SDGs initiative and encourages the vision to facilitate a shared understanding of how geo-information can help business sectors to support most effectively the achievement of the 2030 agenda.

Within e-shape, EARSC is contributing to EuroGEO. EARSC is leading the User Uptake and activities such as the onboarding process of new partners bringing together key European actors to ensure optimal implementation of EuroGEO, promoting new capabilities supporting the GEO Work Programme.

Through GEO, we promote not only European solutions, but the value of EO more generally, helping governments see the value of EO services, thereby stimulating global demand for the EO sector.