The objective of the GMES Action Plan's Initial Period  was to prepare proposals for the Implementation Period (2004-2008), jointly between EC and ESA, for the establishment of a European capacity for Global Monitoring for Environment and Security by 2008. The strengths and the weaknesses of the current European capacity for monitoring and information production were identified, as well as the needs for improvements, in the scientific, technical, legal, economic and institutional domains.

Initial Period Work-Flow

The GMES Action Plan's Initial Period consisted in the following activities:

• Strand 1: Delivering Information and Services and Learning

These activities included thematic projects  and the consolidation phase of the ESA GMES Service Element -GSE (http://earth.esa.int/gmes ). Projects have been selected and funded under EC and ESA programmes.

• Strand 2: Assessments and Recommendations

The purpose of the cross-cutting  assessment studies was to develop and assemble the documentation and expertise on which to base proposals to promote a European capacity for global monitoring of environment and security. As the work progressed, results were discussed in GMES Forum and with GSC Working Groups.

The final report  for the Initial Period, submitted to the Council and the European Parliament, has been published in February 2004. It delivered proposals for GMES activities in the 2004-2008 timeframe.

The review focused on:

• The analysis of lessons learned;
• The proposal to the relevant authorities and actors of an organisational set-up;
• An impact analysis (cost and benefits) of the establishment of a fully-fledged GMES activity.

The report is based on a thorough analysis and structuring of user requirements. It entailed descriptions of the services and system design meeting those requirements, the organisational framework and the assessment of the international dimension, to be adopted by the relevant authorities.