Earth observation data policy and Europe (EOPOLE)

A project has recently begun to review, coordinate and help formulate European Earth observation data policy. The project held its first of several workshops at University College London, 11-13 January 1999. The purpose of the first workshop was to conduct a review of the state-of-the-art in Earth observation data policy in Europe. All the EOPOLE team members gave presentations, and an extended discussion was held with Roy Gibson, former Director General of the European Space Agency, as the invited expert. This report describes the raison d'etre of EOPOLE and presents the main conclusions of the first workshop. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.