The Group on Earth Observation XII Plenary and the 2015 Mexico City Ministerial Summit, as well as all associated meetings and events, will be hosted by the Government of Mexico and will take place in Mexico City from 9 to 13 November 2015. The AfriGEOSS Side Event will take place on the 10th of November 2015, (14.00 – 18.00 PM). The AfriGEOSS initiative, developed within the GEO framework, aims to enhance Africa’s capacity for producing, managing and using Earth observations data and information and to strengthen the link between GEO activities and existing capabilities and initiatives in Africa. The Side Event will review progress made towards the implementation of AfriGEOSS since its launch, including progress on developing the concept for data access and dissemination in Africa. The Workshop aims at creating synergies and coordination with a number of activities contributing to AfriGEOSS in order to strengthen efforts. In particular the side event will use the recently awarded PanAfGeo project to explore harmonization with existing efforts, especially in the area of mapping and training. PanAfGeo will enhance the capacity and role of African National Geological Surveys (i.e. regional mapping and exploration, mineral resources assessments, trainings, etc.), and therefore represents an opportunity for many African GEOSS stakeholders involved in the geosciences to have their concerns addressed. In this framework the session has the scope to initiate discussions on the involvement and role of non-Geological Survey stakeholders and the benefits to GEOSS. GEO has been formally listed as a key PanAfGeo stakeholder, and its opinion will be taken into consideration during the project development. Moreover PanAfGeo will partially continue the AEGOS (Africa-Europe Geoscientific Observation Network) Project, which was contributing to AfriGEOSS. If you are interested in attending the workshop, it is necessary to register at the following...

The Launch of the European Minerals Yearbook at the Raw Materials Diplomacy Dialogue between the EU and advanced mining...

The Spanish newspapers “Adelantado de Segovia” and “El Norte de Castilla” reported about the EuroGeoSurveys (EGS) -Association of Geological and Mining Surveys of Ibero-America (ASGMI) Workshop held in Madrid from the 19th to 23rd of October, of which field trip “Urban geology and natural risks inside the city of Segovia” took place in Segovia on the 22nd October. The meeting of the Directors of the Geological Surveys of Europe and Latin American, as well as USA and Canada, has been particularly welcomed by the local press. The Memorandum of Understanding signed between EGS and ASGMI represents indeed a historical moment, possibly leading to funding opportunities for geological cooperation between the two continents under Horizon 2020. Moreover, the field trip allowed participants to discover the geological heritage of Segovia, and see a place where the human activities interfered with the geological process since more than 60,000 years, producing situations of natural risks and the exploitation of geological resources. The full article are available in Spanish: 2015-10-23, El Norte de Castilla, pag 12 2015-10-23, El Adelantado de Segovia, pag 14 2015-10-22, El Norte de Castilla, pag 8 2015-10-20, El Adelantado de Segovia, pag 10...

On the 20th October 2015 the EMODnet Open Conference “Consolidating the Foundations, Building the Future” was held at the Grote Post in Oostende, Belgium, gathering more than 300 participants. The event aimed at reinforcing the foundations and considering avenues for the further development of an open, user‐friendly and fit‐ For‐Purpose pan-European Marine data infrastructure. Blue Growth and Blue Economy have been at the centre of the debate. In his welcoming speech, MEP João Ferreira reiterated the attention of the European Parliament for establishing a sustainable blue economy. It is estimated that between 3 and 5 % of the EU’s GDP comes from the overall maritime sector, which employs around 5,6 million people and generates EUR 495 billion for the European economy. Therefore a more comprehensive approach is necessary, taking into account all sectoral and inter-sectoral activities. In this process, marine data access and availability become crucial issues. There is a serious lack of data concerning our seas and oceans. The European Marine Observation and Data Network EMODnet responds to this problem by compiling and distributing marine data bundled in 7 different themes. The data are accessible from one single platform (the EMODnet portals), and are harmonized and interoperable. EMODnet-Geology currently includes 36 organizations providing data, most of which are National Geological Surveys. During the second phase of EMODnet, which ends in October 2016, the benefits of the portal have been proven with concrete applications in Marine Spatial Planning. Mr Alan Stevenson, leader of EMODnet-Geology and co-Chair of EuroGeoSurveys Marine Geology Expert Group, presented one example. For the first Regional Plan for the Trade and Sea Area in Finland, drawn up by the Regional Council of Kymenlaakso for the Baltic Sea, Finnish marine geologists interacted with planners in order to evaluate what kind of environmental...

PRESS RELEASE GEOLOGY CONNECTS TWO CONTINENTS • More than 50 General Directors of the Geological Surveys of 20 Latin American countries and 34 European countries, together with the United States and Canada, will gather in Madrid from the 19th to the 23rd October to explore new ways of cooperation. • EuroGeoSurveys, the Geological Surveys of Europe, and the Association of Geological and Mining Surveys of Ibero-America (ASGMI), will celebrate the Annual Assembly at IGME Headquarters. IGME is member of both organizations and will host the meeting. This combination of national geological organizations of both continents has never happened before, therefore representing a historically relevant fact. • EGS and ASGMI will share a joint two day-workshop titled “Closer Ties: International Cooperation in Earth Sciences between Ibero-America and Europe” and will sign, for the first time in history, a collaboration agreement that will involve more than 14.000 professionals working within the members of the both organizations, which joint budgets will reach 1.500M€. • The World Bank and the European Commission (Directorate General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs and Directorate General for Development and Cooperation) will contribute with proposals for financing the Earth Sciences cooperation between the two sides of Atlantic. Madrid, 16th October 2015 The Workshop (that will be held in English and Spanish with simultaneous translation at the Gomez Pardo Foundation c/Alenza no. 1 on the 20th and 21st October) will be inaugurated by Marina Villegas, Director General of Technical and Scientific Research of the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, together with Jorge Civis, IGME Director, Santiago J. Muñoz Tapia, ASGMI President, and Koen Verbruggen, EGS President. The Workshop will focus on geological risks, mining and environmental conflicts, as well as institutional strengthening, for which will be studied possible European and international sources...