On October 23, 2023, the 1st Copernicus information session was jointly organized by the European Commission, the European Space Agency (ESA), and NEREUS, at the European Parliament and hosted by Member of European Parliament Jordi SOLÉ (Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance). This information session had several key objectives:
- To emphasize the political and societal aspects of the Copernicus Programme for the assistants of the MEPs and the operational staff of the European Parliament. This was achieved by presenting concrete use cases and examples within a policy context.
- To generate interest and encourage attendance at the Copernicus4Regions Lunch Debate.
- To raise awareness among the European Parliament staff about the technical dimension of Copernicus as a valuable tool for policymaking.
During the session, representatives from the European Commission, including Ms. Francesca Somma (JRC), and Maria Berdahl, as well as Mr. Pierre Potin from the European Space Agency, and representatives from Entrusted Entities like Lieven Bydekerke (Eumetsat), Stijn Vermoote (ECMWF), and Laurence Crosnier (Mercator Ocean), elaborated on how Copernicus can support the EU’s Green Deal and various policies. These policies include:
- Achieving Carbon Neutrality and Net Zero Emissions
- Monitoring and Adapting to Climate Change
- Enhancing Civil Protection and Managing Natural Disasters
- Promoting Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation
- Advancing Sustainable Agriculture, Food Security, and Water Security
MEP assistants joined the discussion and made reference to their specific interests related to legislative and public policy domains.
The information session was a preparatory meeting for the main event, the Copernicus4Regions Lunch Debate scheduled for October 25, 2023. For additional information, please access the max pack presentation here (Copernicus4regions information session @ EP 23OCT23 – SLIDES MASTER PACK (1)).
To find more information about the lunch debate follow this link.
