ESA-EU Agreement on Implementation of Copernicus

Today, Daniel Calleja Crespo, Director General of the European Commission’s Directorate General for Enterprise and Industry, and Jean-Jacques Dordain, ESA’s Director General, signed the milestone Agreement between the Commission and ESA on the implementation of Copernicus.

Under the Agreement the European Commission has the overall responsibility for Copernicus, and will define the programme’s strategic priorities and objectives. About €3.15 billion of the EU budget for the period 2014 – 2020 will be delegated to ESA as coordinator of the ‘space component’, including the operation of the Sentinel satellites until mid-2021 and the building of follow-on units, which should last at least until 2028–30.

esa.int