REMOTE SENSING IN EUROPE: STATUS ANALYSIS AND TRENDS FOCUSING ON ENVIRONMENT AND AGRICULTURE

Target of the European policy is to safeguard and improve, wherever possible, through directives and regulations the quality of life of the citizens. High priority is set to the protection of the environment through the rational usage of the resources, the food security, and the reduction of risks and threats. Tackling the challenge, Information Services, based on the combination, analysis and modeling of data received from Earth Observation satellites as well as ground-based networks, operate or are planned to operate in an integrated manner to provide wide-area and cross border harmonized geo-information products. To this end, Remote Sensing is a key element for registering the surface status near real time, monitoring changes, and supporting and testing scenariaby projecting the validated trends in the present and past to delineate possible situations in the future. This article attempts to provide a brief overview of European initiatives, potentials and limitations of existing approaches, existing service specifications and operation requirements, and an update regarding on-going projects, fostering Remote Sensing incorporation in the Decision Support and Policy Implementation chain.