Evolving Earth observation capabilities for recent land-related EU policies

Earth observation (EO) provides a powerful tool for evidence-based policy-making in the European Union (EU)
and globally. We are entering a golden age of EO science, in which the availability of high-quality, everincreasing
data converges with the growing demand for monitoring land-use changes and evaluating the impact
of policies. This comes at a crucial time, as the EU has recently adopted ambitious environmental and agricultural
policies, including the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the Regulation on Land Use, Land Use Change and
Forestry (EU LULUCF), and the Regulation on Deforestation-free Products (EUDR), whose implementation and
effectiveness will rely on robust EO-based monitoring tools. Encouragingly, existing EO capacities, particularly
through the Copernicus Programme, already provide a strong foundation for policy support. However, our
synthesis reveals that current information products only partially meet the monitoring and compliance needs of
these policies. Fully unlocking the potential of EO will require advancements in temporal resolution
(approaching near-real-time), spatial resolution (≤ 5 m), and rigorous uncertainty quantification. The forthcoming
Copernicus Expansion and Next Generation missions can help close these gaps, particularly if new
products are co-designed with stakeholders and end-users. By strategically aligning technical innovations with
policy priorities, EO stands to become a transformative enabler of the EU’s sustainability ambitions.

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Evolving Earth observation capabilities for recent land-related EU policies

Highlights
• New EU policies drive demand for expanded Earth observation (EO) capacity.
• EO evolves from monitoring to compliance tool for policymakers.
• Copernicus expansion & Next Generation missions to bridge EO gaps.
• User engagement vital to maximize EO adoption and policy impact.