{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2018-621/introduction",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2018-621/introduction.json",
  "legislation": "eudn/2018/621",
  "legislation_title": "Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/621 of 20 April 2018 on the technical specifications for the Copernicus space component pursuant to Regulation (EU) No 377/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council (Text with EEA relevance)",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2018-621",
  "path": "introduction",
  "kind": "introduction",
  "number": null,
  "heading": "Introductory text",
  "text": "Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/621\nof 20 April 2018\non the technical specifications for the Copernicus space component pursuant to Regulation (EU) No 377/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council\n(Text with EEA relevance)\nTHE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,\nHaving regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,\nHaving regard to Regulation (EU) No 377/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 3 April 2014 establishing the Copernicus Programme and repealing Regulation (EU) No 911/2010, and in particular Article 9(8)(b) thereof,\nWhereas:\n(1)\nThe Copernicus Programme, which was established by Regulation (EU) No 377/2014, is a civil, user driven programme, building on the existing national and European capacities, with the overarching operational objective to provide accurate and reliable information in the field of the environment and security, tailored to the needs of users and supporting other Union policies, more specifically relating to the internal market, transport, environment, energy, civil protection and civil security, cooperation with third countries and humanitarian aid.\n(2)\nPursuant to Regulation (EU) No 377/2014, Copernicus consists of three components, including a space component the purpose of which is to ensure sustainable space-borne observations for the following service areas: atmosphere monitoring, marine environment monitoring, land monitoring, climate change, emergency management and security. The Commission has the overall responsibility for Copernicus and coordinates its different components.\n(3)\nThe Technical specifications for the Copernicus Space component are necessary to establish a baseline for the implementation and evolution of the space component as part of the governance of Copernicus.\n(4)\nThe Technical specifications for the Copernicus space component should address aspects such as completion and operation of dedicated missions, reception, processing, archiving and dissemination of data, provision, archiving and dissemination of contributing mission data complementing dedicated mission data, and the process to ensure the evolution of the system.\n(5)\nThe development of the Copernicus Space Component started under the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) Space Component Programme which includes funding from European Space Agency (ESA) and the Commission. The technical specifications for the Copernicus space component should cover the entire Space Component, with a specific focus on the activities funded under Regulation (EU) No 377/2014.\n(6)\nThe Copernicus Space Component as a whole is funded through multiple agreements. These include the agreements concluded under the ESA GMES Space Component Programme, the Copernicus Agreement, the Jason-CS and Jason-3 Optional Programme of European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT). Activities funded under the ESA GMES Space Component Programme include the development of the Sentinel-1, -2, and -3 satellite A and B units, Sentinel-5p, Sentinel-4 A and B units and the Sentinel-5, -6 A units. Sentinel-6 is co-funded by EUMETSAT under the EUMETSAT optional Jason-CS programme.\n(7)\nThe measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Copernicus Committee,\nHAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f1",
      "text": "OJ L 122, 24.4.2014, p. 44."
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eudn/2018/621/introduction",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-11-01T15:13:07.904759+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}