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Framework Partnership Agreement on Copernicus User Uptake (FPCUP)Framework Partnership Agreement on Copernicus User Uptake (FPCUP)

Establishment of first priorities for the setting up of Copernicus services and products contributing to cross border problematics

Point of contact
Robin  Faivre
Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales
18, avenue Edoaurd BELIN
31400 Toulouse
Phone: +33 5 61 28 22 54
URL: cnes.fr

Implementing Partner: CNES
Implementing Country: France Primary Topic: Climate Change, Copernicus User Needs, Emergency, Land, Marine Primary Target Users: Public Sector Primary Target Region: Europe Europe: Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg Type of Action: Building an active user dialogue
Action No.: 2018-2-27
Duration: Last Update:



Pre-identification of a first set of (Copernicus) EO (Sentinel) derived cross-border services and products which could contribute to fulfil the geo-information needs in the framework of the transposition of EU directives or COP 21 decisions at regional level, especially those dealing with cross-border problematics linked to land planning, resource, environment or risk management. Raising user awareness with first demonstration products allowing the initialization of a user dialogue for thematic needs refinement, requirements collection, and priorities establishment.

Within the framework of EU directives linked to the sustainable management of our environment and their transposition in national laws, a common and similar set of EO derived services and products will have to be regularly provided to actors in charge of these cross-border problematics.

The French Grand Est Region is the only region in France to have a common border (around 700 km) with 4 countries (Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany and Switzerland); the transnational Rhine-Meuse Basin is part of the Grand Est Region in which, e.g. the Meuse (crossing France, Belgium and Netherlands) and the Moselle (crossing France, Luxembourg and Germany) rivers are frequently subject to flooding. Flooding is the most important natural risk in the Grand Est Region. Within the framework of the EU Flood Directive, in coordination with the Water Directive, and their national commitment transposition in the French law for environment (Grenelle) flood risk reduction actions are undertaken in a regional integrated approach at a river basin scale (hydrographic districts), which includes also agricultural practices and urban planning control; Similar situations can be noted in neighboring countries.

This proposed action will take advantage of this specific geographical situation for initiating cross-border cooperation and synergies and for preparing the setting up of a joint cross-border procurement over the immediate neighboring regions, e.g.:

  • German Länder: Baden Württemberg, Saarland, Rheinland-Pfalz
  • Luxembourg
  • Belgium (Wallonia)
  • Basel Tri-national agglomeration area

The activities could include the following aspects:

Assessment of cross-border common regional (geo-)information needs, research of possible common trans-national indicators with regard to the implementation of EU directives (e.g.: water, flood, biodiversity, green infrastructure, blue infrastructure, environment, ...) and to regional planning and sustainable development schema (e.g.: in France, loi NOTRe / Schéma Régional d’Aménagement, de Développement Durable et d’Egalité des Territoires (SRADDET)):

  • Demonstration products generation
  • Dissemination of regional promotion material
  • Joint awareness meetings / events organization or participation
  • User needs collection

User needs collection (meetings, workshops, questionnaires, demos products presentation) will allow to identify on the one hand cross-border geo-information products responding to the same thematic problematic and on the other hand indicators derived from the monitoring of some of these geo-information allowing the follow up of implemented policies; e.g. land space consumption by urbanization.

  • Establishment of priorities according to technical feasibility, computing capacities, data availability, geographical coverage, …

This assessment of trans-national potential services / products / indicators based on Copernicus data and services for territorial and risk management could as a first step be focused on the following topics:

  • landcover/ landuse, urban planning, forestry management,
  • flood management, forestry storm damages,
  • (overall cross-border river basin management),

and could include the identification of potential associated trans-national downstream services (cooperation of pre-existing ones such as the ones presently offered in H2020 projects, e.g. the Eugenius catalogue of services, setting up of new ones, …).

The collection of this information is also necessary for a further choice of an adequate supporting strategy for applicative service cross-border implementation or for accessing other EU funding frameworks to these ‘labelized’ cross- border project or initiatives (e.g. Interreg).

Output and result

Setting up concertation at trans-national level to integrate Sentinel EO data, Copernicus Services and products in applicative workflow concerning cross border problematics;

Based on interviews, workshops, meetings, questionnaires, demos products presentation, a synthesis of the collected user needs will be included in a report, which will also include recognized priorities (topics, products, indicators and associated services to be put in place) and possible road map for their implementation (e.g. research of support frameworks for the implementation of cross border demonstrator, maturation of a concept paving the way for future trans-national service).