German contribution to the Group on Earth Observations and the establishment of the Global Earth Observation System of Systems

GEOSS in brief :: About GEO :: About D-GEO :: European contributions - GMES and INSPIRE :: German Contributions :: Documents :: News

About D-GEO

The Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Development (BMVBS) is the most important provider and user of operational Earth Observation Systems in Germany, where federal mandates exist. It leads the implementation of GEOSS in Germany and heads the German GEO delegation. Additionally the BMVBS brings in a multiplicity of further institutions. At present the following are involved:

• German weather service (DWD): Architecture and Data Committee, Science and Technology Comittee;
• Federal Institute of Hydrology (BfG): User interface Committee;
• Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy (BKG): Architecture and Data Committee;
• Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Ressources (BGR): Capacity Building Committee;
• Commission of the Geo Information Industry (GIW): User Interface Committee;
• German Aerospace Center (DLR): National GEO Secretariat.

> BMVBS

> DWD

> BfG

> BKG

> BGR

> GIW

> DLR

A central element for setting up the GEOSS is the improvement of the interoperability of EO systems by progressing international data standards and data policy agreements. On the national level in Germany, these topics are managed in the context of the Geo Data Infrastructure Germany (GDI-DE®) together with the geo information industry. Hence a close coordination of GDI-DE and national GEOSS activities is necessary. This cooperation takes place in the Interministerial Committee for Geo Information (IMAGI), which also harmonizes national activities with the implementation of the European INSPIRE directive.

On behalf of the BMVBS a National GEO Secretariat has been established at the DLR Space Agency. Major tasks are the coordination and administrative support of the German GEO Delegation, for GEO Committees and the consultations in the European GEO High level Working Group (GEO HLWG). Furthermore bundling and disseminating relevant information, communication with the GEO secretariat in Geneva and the general point of contact for German stakeholderss are part of the tasks.