Full membership to EUMETSAT
Iceland has signed the accession agreement to EUMETSAT, European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites
Iceland agreed to its full accession to EUMETSAT 30 August 2013, as the Icelandic Minister for the Environment and Natural Resources, Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson, and the EUMETSAT Director General, Alain Ratier, signed the accession agreement.
As a full member state, Iceland will have unlimited access to satellite earth observation data that relates to many aspects of atmospheric, land and ocean monitoring.
Furthermore, Iceland in cooperation with other memberstates will now be able to take full part in developing EUMETSAT's strategic planning and emphasis in earth observations. As a full member state, Icelandic companies and industry will be able to bid for EUMETSAT tender invitations (ITTs), providing various services to EUMETSAT.
The signing of the treaty took place at Þjóðmenningarhús (Culture House) in the presence of Árni Snorrason, the IMO Director General, Paul Counet, EUMETSAT Head of International Relations, Silvia Castañer, EUMETSAT Head of Legal Affairs, including a number of representatives of the Ministry and representatives from the Icelandic Meteorological Office.
Examples of EUMETSAT meteorological products may be found at the IMO website, such as thermal imagery and scatterometric ocean surface wind data based on meteorological satellite observations.
