EU will rename European Earth Observation Programme to honour Copernicus
EU will honour Nicolaus Copernicus and rename European Earth Observation Programme to Copernicus. Copernicus monitors the environment on land, sea and in air, and it is used to improve the security of citizens.
Four years ago, a similar initiative ended in a small scandal when the same EU programme was to be named Kopernikus. Some considered the use of the German spelling of scholar’s name an attempt to indicate his German roots.
This time will probably be without controversy, because Copernicus is a Latin transcription of the name. The astronomer’s greatest work "On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres" was written in this language.
Minister of Science and Higher Education Barbara Kudrycka, who recently was in Brussels, supported the new name. "The European Earth Observation Programme (GMES) will change its name to Copernicus thanks to the Polish efforts" - she wrote on Twitter.
Established in 2008 in Lille, European Earth Observation Programme was previously known as GMES, Global Monitoring for Environment and Security). Is compared with the EU\'s ambitious satellite navigation project Galileo.
"By changing the name from GMES to Copernicus we are paying homage to a great European scientist and observer: Nicolaus Copernicus. As he was the catalyst in the 16th century to better understand our world, so the European Earth Observation Programme gives us a thorough understanding of our changing planet" - said Antonio Tajani, EU Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship.
Announcing the new name of the programme at a meeting of the Competitiveness Council, Tajani reported that all services of Copernicus would soon be operational.
The EC emphasises that in a world increasingly threatened by natural disasters and other catastrophes, the programme will monitor the environment on land, sea and in the air, as well as increase the security of the citizens. In addition, the Copernicus will be a driving force for economic growth and employment, as, according to recent studies, it will allow to create up to 85 thousand new jobs in the years 2015-2030
Copernicus consists of a set of services which collect data and provide information using satellites and terrestrial sensors to observe the environment and the natural phenomena occurring on the planet.
The programme enhances safety of EU citizens, for example by better management of natural disasters, allowing for earlier intervention. It also delivers reliable information for monitoring and predicting climate change. It allows to monitor the quality of the atmosphere and the oceans.
PAP - Science and Scholarship in Poland
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