Brief History

The European Earth Observation Program (GMES) provides data useful in a range of issues including climate change, citizen's security and border surveillance. Land, sea and atmosphere - each will be observed through GMES Program, helping to make our lives safer.

The First Sofia GMES operational capacity workshop was organized by the Council of Ministers of Bulgaria in cooperation with the European Commission, Directorate General “Enterprise and industry” and the GMES Bureau, under the aegis of the Prime–minister of the Republic of Bulgaria Mr. Boyko Borissov. The event took place on the 25-26 March, 2010 in Sheraton hotel, Sofia, Bulgaria.

The accent on the First workshop was the operational capacity of the EU-12 member states. The Workshop was officially opened by the Prime-Minister of Bulgaria Mr. Boyko Borissov. The participants were also welcomed by a video address from Mrs. Kristalina Georgieva - European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response.

More than 160 participants from about 15 EU member states and representatives from different EU organizations and institutions such as DG ENTR, DG ENV, DG ECHO, DG JRC, European Space Agency, European Environmental Agency, EUMETSAT etc. took part in the event.

The preparation and organization of the Second EO-GMES Operational Capacity Workshop logically followed the positive opinion of the participants and the success of the First Operational Capacity Workshop.