IAG Reference Frame Sub-Commission for Europe (EUREF) |
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Associate Member since 2008 Official Website (external link): www.euref.eu and epncb.oma.be
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| The IAG ( International Association of Geodesy) constituted the EUREF Sub-Commission at the IUGG (International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics) General Assemblyheld in Vancouver, 1987. EUREF is integrated in the Sub- Commission 1.3, Regional Reference Frames, under Commission 1 - Reference Frames, with the designation Sub-Commission 1.3a, Reference Frame Sub-Commission for Europe. |
| The reference frame to be established and maintained by EUREF should be the geodetic infrastructure for multinational projects requiring precise geo-referencing ( e.g. three-dimensional and time dependent positioning, geodynamics, precise navigation, geo-information). |
| Since then, EUREF has been developing activities related to the establishment and maintenance of ETRS89 ( European Terrestrial Reference System) and EVRS ( European Vertical Reference System). ETRS89 provides geocentric, three-dimensional positions with millimeter accuracy, in a unique homogeneous reference system for the whole Europe, while EVRS does the same for the height. |
| ETRS89 is ideally suited, and commonly used, as the backbone for modern mapping and Earth Science applications in Europe. A key instrument in maintaining ETRS89 is the EUREF Permanent Network (EPN), covering the European continent with numerous well-distributed sites. The stations that integrate the EPN observe continuously with high accuracy GPS/GLONASS and in the future Galileo receivers, operating under well-defined standards and guidelines that guarantee the efficiency of the EPN and the long-term quality of its products. In addition, the EPN constitutes the European contribution to, and densification of, the International GPS Service (IGS), and contributes also to the realization of the International Terrestrial Reference System (ITRS), to the monitoring of tectonic deformations in Europe, to long-term climate monitoring and to the development of the standards and the operational means to disseminate GNSS data over the Internet. |
| These systems are the basis for georeferencing in Europe, and have been recommended for adoption by the European Union for INSPIRE, and Eurocontrol. Moreover, EUREF should cooperate closely with EuroGeographics, the organisation of the European NMCA ( National Mapping and Cadastre Agencies), and EUPOS. |
| EUREF organize annual symposia addressing activities carried out at national and European-wide level related with the global work and objectives of EUREF.
All the persons who attend a EUREF Symposium constitute the Plenary. The EUREF Symposium is an open forum, and may be attended by any person interested in the work of the Sub-commission. The Plenary ratifies the TWG proposal for EUREF Chair, elects TWG members, decides on the constitution of Working Groups for the implementation of special projects, on the proposals presented by the TWG, on the adoption of scientific and technical methodologies and, in general, on the relevant issues for the maintenance and development of EUREF work. |
| EUREF is one of the units of the International Association of Geodesy (IAG) as associated members in the ICG. The main focus of the work lies in the Working Group D Reference Frames, Timing and Applications and Working Group B Enhancement of performance of GNSS services. This mainly concerns the use of the satellite navigation services for the realization of the continental reference system ETRS89 as well as the establishment of services for the provision of information and data for precise positioning tasks with centimeter accuracy. |
| The ICG is important for strategic considerations and planning of EUREF since at the annual meetings fundamental decisions are taken for the further development and homogenization of the satellite navigation services. |
| Year | Title and Speaker (link to the presentaion material) |
| 2012 (ICG-7) | EUREF Infrastructure Galileo ready - Johannes IHDE |
| 2008 (ICG-3) | Development of the EUREF GNSS Services and Reference Networks - Johannes IHDE |
| 2007 (ICG-2) | EUREF: The Continental ITRF and IGS Densification for Europe - Johannes IHDE |
| EUREF publications are available under http://www.euref.eu/euref_docs.html, EUREF presentations available under http://www.euref.eu/euref_symposia_meetings.html. |
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