Greece

Statement of GREECE

The Greek GEO Office (GGO), operating since 2007 as the national contact point for Earth Observation (EO) in Greece and as the main representative of the country in the Group on Earth Observations (GEO), focuses on the coordinated and effective participation of Greece in the global and regional activities of GEO and the maximization of synergies between the main EO players in Greece.

We fully endorse the new vision for GEO as reflected in the 2023 Cape Town Declaration, specifically underpinning its novel aspects i.e. the co-design approach with the users and for the users and the strengthening of national coordination mechanisms, both empowering GEO’s mission to achieve local impact. Greece has been consistently working in these directions and as an active member of the GEO community has contributed substantially, together with other countries, to the formulation of GEO’s pathway to the future along these lines.

We would also like to underscore the timeliness of wider integration, not only of interdisciplinary data within the EO domain, but further convergence with socio-economic sciences in an attempt to deliver holistic approaches and transformative solutions. Finally, it is time for countries to take concrete steps for gradual institutionalization of the use of EO and its potential inclusion in relevant legislation, towards facilitating and accelerating the transition from research and innovation to official, operational exploitation

— Dr. Evangelos Gerasopoulos (Director of the Greek GEO Office)