6.2.20 10 Official Journal of the European Union L 35/23 COMMISSION DECISION of 5 February 2010 setting up the GMES Partners Board (2010/67/EV) THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION, Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, Whereas: Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) is an Earth observation initiative led by the European Union and carried out in partnership with the Member States. Its objective is to foster better exploitation of the industrial potential of policies of innovation, research and technological development in the field of Earth obser- vation and to provide information services. In order to achieve the objective of GMES on a sustainable basis, it is necessary to coordinate the activities of the various partners involved in GMES and to develop, establish and operate a service and obser- vation capacity meeting the demands of users. For this purpose, the Commission may need to call upon the expertise of specialists in an advisory body. In its Communication entitled ‘Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES): we care for a safer planet’ ('), the Commission announced the establishment of a Partners Board to assist the Commission in the overall coordination of GMES. It is therefore necessary to set up a group of experts in the field of GMES and Earth observation and to define its tasks and its structure. The group should help to ensure the coordination of contributions to GMES by all partners, making best use of existing capacities and identifying gaps to be addressed at Union level. It should assist the Commission in moni- toring the coherent implementation of the European Earth Observation Programme (GMES). It should monitor the evolution of policy and enable exchange of good practices in GMES and Earth observation. (1) COM(2008) 748 final. (6) (10) The Partners Board should be composed of represen- tatives of the Member States with competence in the Earth observation, environment and security sectors. Representatives should be nominated by their national authorities responsible for Earth observation in their Member State. Rules on disclosure of information by members of the Board should be provided for, without prejudice to the Commission’s rules on security as set out in the Annex to  Commission Decision  2001/844/EC,  ECSC, Euratom (%). Personal data relating to members of the Board should be processed in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2000 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data by the Community institutions and bodies and on the free movement of such data (3). Provision should be made for the participation of Norway and Switzerland, members of the European Space Agency, in the work of the group. Representatives of organisations involved in Earth observation, in particular former members of the GMES Advisory Council, should be able to attend meetings of the group as observers. It is appropriate to fix a period for the application of this Decision. The Commission will in due time consider the advisability of an extension, HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS: Atrticle 1 The GMES Partners Board The GMES Partners Board, hereinafter referred to as ‘the Board’, is hereby set up. 17, 3.12.2001, p. 1. OJL3 OJ L 8, 12.1.2001, p. 1.