This interim technical report on the feasibility and functional structure of the Geological Service for Europe delivers a foundation for further stakeholder discussion, needs analysis, and refinement of assessment of the best model for a sustainable Geological Service for Europe (GSE). The work presented here was carried out in the first eleven months of the Geological Service for Europe project (GSEU) and is based on discussions within the GSEU network, as well as with stakeholders including EU institutions, organisations with structures considered potentially compatible with a future GSE, the European Commission, researchers, and industry.
The primary strategic goal of the Geological Service for Europe project (GSEU) is to establish a common concept and vision for a sustainable Geological Service for Europe (GSE). Under task 9.3, this concept and vision is being developed through analysis of the governance, financial, and operation models that will allow effective implementation of such a service. This first, interim, deliverable from WP9, task 3, presents initial analyses based on stakeholder discussions within the EuroGeoSurveys (EGS) and GSEU network, the broader research community, and with stakeholders from the EU institutions and industry.
This report presents a broad framework for the key elements of the purpose, structure, scope, and operations of a GSE. This is followed by an overview of a range of organisational structures and their governance models, as well as presentation of illustrative case studies, with a first-order assessment of their general applicability and of key elements important in framing a model for a future sustainable GSE. Finally, these various elements are drawn together to identify key objectives and actions for an interim roadmap to progress towards the establishment of a sustainable GSE.