New Copernicus Cooperation Arrangement between the Commission and Japan to boost exchange of Earth Observation data in areas of common interest
On 17 January 2023, Director-General Timo Pesonen of the Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space has signed, on behalf of the European Commission, a Copernicus Cooperation Arrangement with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) of Japan. The Arrangement was signed in the margin of the EU-Japan Space Dialogue taking place in Brussels the same week.

The aim of this new Arrangement is to facilitate reciprocal data sharing of Earth Observation data between the EU and Japan. It represents a milestone in the efforts to address together common global challenges with space-based data.
This Arrangement will provide mutual benefits to both sides. End-users in Japan will enjoy easier and simplified access to Copernicus data through the Tellus Data hub, which will host the Copernicus Sentinel data and establish a link with the Copernicus Data Access System (DAS). The Copernicus ecosystem in Europe will get access to data from Japan’s non-commercial Earth Observation satellites. Access to in-situ data from Japan will enhance the quality and precision of Copernicus services for the benefit of all users.

Sources: Delegation of the European Union to Japan and Copernicus

Published: April 2023