An EU-funded project is running a four-day training seminar in Strasbourg this week to help national civil protection authorities use EU satellite services in disaster management.
The SUNSHINE project’s second Training Seminar is being held from 3 to 6 March 2026 at the University of Strasbourg, following a first seminar in Tallinn in November 2025, the European Commission informed in a statement on Friday.
Julien Marion, General Director of Civil Security and Crisis Management in France, opened the seminar and said satellite data was needed to increase the safety and security of EU citizens.
He also cited the EU’s satellite navigation programme Galileo and said it will soon be able to send alerts from space directly to citizens.
Participants include operational responders and technical experts from across the European Union, with the programme focused on using EU space-based services in national disaster management workflows.
Training includes practical work on the Copernicus Emergency Management Service, which provides satellite mapping and data to support emergency response, and the Galileo Early Warning Satellite Service.
More seminars planned in Romania and Croatia
Two further training seminars are scheduled for Timișoara in Romania from 5 to 8 May 2026 and Zagreb in Croatia from 23 to 26 June 2026, the Commission said.
Participants in the training will also be eligible for SUNSHINE simulation exercises planned in Brussels on 24–25 March 2026 and 6–7 October 2026.
SUNSHINE is coordinated by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space, working with the Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations.
