CEOS satellite data exchange principles
for global change data
Source: CEOS Yearbook, 1995.
At the sixth CEOS Plenary meeting held in London on December 9-11 1992, the following
data exchange principles were adopted. They represent an elaboration on the principles
adopted in 1991, and were developed at an ad hoc CEOS Data Policy Meeting in Paris
in October 1992, hosted by CNES.
Resolution on satellite data exchange principles in support of Global Change
research.
RECOGNISING that the members of CEOS are actively involved in supporting global
change/climate and environmental research and monitoring efforts of the international
scientific community, as well as pursuing other uses of Earth observations data
such as local/regional research, operational environmental monitoring, and commercial
RECOGNISING the investments made by governments and international agencies in
support of global change/climate research and monitoring and the value of non-satellite
data to these programs
TAKING INTO ACCOUNT that the acquisition, processing, and supply of data, especially
space data, involve major investments, and that data have value
RECOGNISING that these investments and values should be respected by data suppliers
and users
RECOGNISING the existence of various policy aims such as maximising the use of
data from all sources and shifting the funding responsibility for certain remote-sensing
systems to users or other sources
AWARE that success in global change/climate and environmental research and monitoring
requires a continuing commitment to the establishment, maintenance, validation,
description, accessibility, and distribution of high-quality long-term data sets,
many of which rely on spaceborne observations
ANTICIPATING the potential benefits of compatible policies and mechanisms for
data exchange in obtaining access to global data
REAFFIRMING the commitment of CEOS Members to the general principles of non-discriminatory
access to data
RECOGNISING the importance of appropriate legal regimes for the exchange of remotely
sensed data
RECOGNISING the common goal of providing data to global change researchers from
all missions on a consistent basis reflecting primarily the cost of filling the
user request
RECOGNISING also that the constraints of the mission operations and of available
resources may require different mechanisms for data exchange/sharing to be found
in different programs
CEOS Members endorse the following principles relating to satellite data exchange
in support of global change/climate and environmental research and monitoring
and agree to work toward implementing them to the fullest extent possible. Principles
for data exchange in support of other data uses beyond global change/climate and
environmental research and monitoring will be developed for CEOS endorsement as
a next step.
1) Preservation of all data needed for long-term global change/climate and environmental
research and monitoring is required.
2) Data archives should include easily accessible information about the data holdings,
including quality assessments, supporting ancillary information, and guidance
and aids for locating and obtaining the data.
3) International standards - including those generated by the CEOS Working Group
on data - should be used to the greatest extent possible for recording/storage
media and for processing and communication of data sets.
4) Maximising the use of satellite data is a fundamental objective. An exchange/sharing
mechanism among CEOS Members is an essential first step to maximise use.
5) Non-discriminatory access to satellite data by non-CEOS Members for global
change/climate and environmental research and monitoring is essential. This should
be achieved within the framework of the exchange and sharing mechanisms set up
by CEOS Members.
6) Programs should have no exclusive period of data use. Where the need to provide
validated data is recognised, any initial period of exclusive use should be limited
and explicitly defined. The goal should be release of data in some preliminary
form within 3 months after the start of routine data acquisition.
7) Criteria and priorities for data acquisition, archiving, and purging should
be harmonised.