A major development has recently taken place in tackling climate change and addressing the challenges related to the environment and the European Green Deal. The European Association of Geological Surveys (EuroGeoSurveys, EGS) announced the launch of the Geological Service for Europe (GSEU) project, which will directly support the vision of the European Green Deal by focusing on the Earth and its subsurface resources—energy, water, and minerals. A Geological Service for Europe for a healthy planet and a climate-neutral economy.
The main goal of GSEU is to develop and permanently maintain a pan-European geological data infrastructure and related information services to ensure the sustainable and safe use of Europe’s subsurface and its resources. The GSEU consortium includes 48 partner organizations from 36 European countries (comprising both national and regional geological survey organizations as well as associated partners). The project will run for five years starting from September 1, 2022, and is largely funded by the European Commission through the Horizon Europe programme, with additional contributions from Europe’s Geological Surveys, amounting to a total budget of €24 million.
Through its implementation, GSEU will: (1) develop harmonized pan-European data and information services, (2) build upon the existing European Geological Data Infrastructure (EGDI), and (3) strengthen the national and regional network of Geological Surveys.
The project focuses on nine thematic work packages:
1) Coordination and Management
2) Critical Raw Materials, International Centre of Excellence and UN Framework Classification
3) Inventory of Geothermal Energy and Underground Storage
4) Assessment, Protection, and Sustainable Use of Europe’s Groundwater Resources
5) Coastal Vulnerability Assessment and Optimized Siting of Offshore Wind Farms
6) Geological Framework for the European Geological Data and Information System
7) European Geological Data Infrastructure – EGDI
8) Communication, Dissemination, and Exploitation
9) Geological Survey Network and Sustainable Services for Europe
EAGME is a founding member of the Association of Geological Institutes of Europe and played a key role both in drafting and implementing the programme, through its scientific personnel and Greece’s National Representative, Dr. Konstantinos Laskaridis, Head of the Directorate of Mineral Resources and Mining. Notably, on September 13–15, 2022, the 49th Meeting of National Representatives will take place in person for the first time in two years, hosted by EAGME at its facilities, with around 50 representatives from 31 countries and 32 Geological Institutes in attendance.
EuroGeoSurveys, the coordinator of the GSEU project, is a non-profit international association of Europe’s Geological Surveys that has been promoting collaboration among Europe’s leading geoscientific institutions for over 50 years. EGS jointly addresses European issues in the field of geosciences and participates in projects that directly inform EU, regional, and national policy-making, for the benefit of all European citizens.