THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having 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(1), and in particular Article 9(8)(a) thereof,
Whereas:
(1) The 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.
(2) Pursuant to Regulation (EU) No 377/2014, Copernicus consists of three components, including a service component the purpose of which is to ensure delivery of information in the following 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.
(3) The technical specifications for the Copernicus service component are necessary to establish a baseline for the implementation of the service component as part of the governance of Copernicus.
(4) The technical specifications for the Copernicus service component should address aspects such as scope, architecture, technical service portfolios, monitoring and evaluation, space and in situ data service needs, evolution, archiving and dissemination of data and are required to guarantee the correct operation of the Copernicus service component.
(5) The technical specifications for the Copernicus service component should cover the entire service component, with a specific focus on the activities funded under Regulation (EU) No 377/2014.
(6) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Copernicus Committee,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: