Data Sharing Post-2015: Some Thoughts Brussels, 12 February 2013

1. Data Sharing Post-2015:Some ThoughtsBrussels, 12 February 2013 Alan EDWARDS Earth Observation Sector - Management of Natural Resources Unit Directorate Environment Directorate General Research & Innovation EUROPEAN COMMISSION Alan.Edwards@ec.europa.eu

2. Should the GEOSS evolve from a "System of Systems" To a"Community of Communities" • Philosophy? DSWG Meeting 12/02/2013

3. Why consider Communities? Society naturally organises itself to work within a "community framework", as communities recognise that they can derive much greater value if their individual efforts can be brought together within a "Community framework". Citizens' Observatories Workshop 29/01/2013

4. Global Earth Observation System of Systems Citizens' Observatories Workshop 29/01/2013

5. A "Community of Communities" GEOSS DSWG Meeting 12/02/2013

6. Community-based Observatories • A wide range of "Service Providers", (or "systems") are required within any given community; • Public sector "systems", both remote sensing and in-situ • Private sector "systems; • Humanities and socio-economic "systems"; • CITIZENS' OBSERVATORIES • Etc., etc. DSWG Meeting 12/02/2013

7. For the Commission Developing Citizens' Observatories is a crucial NEXT STEP! They can empower communities with the capability to monitor and report on their environment; They can enable communities to access the information they need in an understandable & readilyuseable form. They have the potential to enormously enhance our in-situ monitoring capability; And at the same time limit the charge on the public purse! A Win-Win situation! (Note: the public purse must continue to bear the costs for baseline in-situ observation networks. These networks are required, e.g., for calibration.) DSWG Meeting 12/02/2013

8. A "Community of Communities" GEOSS • Such a framework: • builds on existing capacities, enhancing communities, whilst respecting their mandates and not supplanting them; • offers a high level of flexibility; • is open to new innovations as technology evolves,(so we can benefit from the next revolution!); • provides the potential for interoperability with cultural, social and economic information that will ultimately play a role in decision making. DSWG Meeting 12/02/2013

9. What are the implications for the GEOSS? That the current vision for the GEOSS changes from:“realising a future wherein decisions and actions for the benefit of humankind are informed by coordinated, comprehensive and sustained Earth observations and information”, to “realising a future wherein the decisions and actions of humankind are informed by coordinated, comprehensive and sustained Earth observations and information”. DSWG Meeting 12/02/2013

10. And for Data Sharing? That the societal benefits of Earth observations can only be achieved by the Full (FREE?), Open and Unrestricted Discovery, Access, andINTEROPERABLEUse, Re-use and Re-dissemination of Documented Metadata, Data and Products of Known Quality with Minimum Time Delay DSWG Meeting 12/02/2013