London, 18/01/2023. – Director-General Timo Pesonen on behalf of the European Commission signed a Copernicus Cooperation Arrangement with the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) of Japan. The Arrangement is part of the EU-Japan Space Dialogue taking place in Brussels this week.
The Copernicus Arrangement, signed on the 17th of January, will enable the reciprocal sharing of Earth Observation data between the EU and Japan. It is a milestone in the work to address global challenges with space-based data. Copernicus is the Earth observation component of the EU Space Programme, providing global near-real-time data.
Both the EU and Japan will benefit from the new Arrangement. End-users in Japan will have easier access through the Tellus Data hub to Copernicus data, which will host the Copernicus Sentinel data and establish a link with the Copernicus Data Access System (CDAS). In return, Japan will provide free and open access to data from non-commercial Earth Observation Satellites. Access to in-situ data from Japanese satellites and in-situ sources will improve the quality and precision of Copernicus services.
“I’m delighted to sign today this Copernicus Arrangement with the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry of Japan. It is a long-awaited step in our space cooperation with Japan. Today we join forces to deliver satellite data in a reciprocal, free and open way” Timo Pesonen, Director-General of DG DEFIS, European Commission says.
The Arrangement will be implemented by the “EU-Japan Copernicus Coordination Group”. The Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry of Japan (METI), its Space Agency (JAXA), and on the European side, the European Space Agency (ESA), the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) and the European Commission will work together.
