This video provides an in-depth look at the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) Programme, which has been established to fulfil the growing need amongst European policy-makers to access accurate and timely information services to better manage the environment, understand and mitigate the effects of climate change and ensure civil security. Under the leadership of the European Commission (EC), GMES relies largely on data from satellites and also on in-situ measurements to observe Earth. ESA is providing satellite technology and the EC is responsible for harmonizing and integrating the data, setting requirements and managing the services. Soundbites are provided by: Thomas Fago, Chairman, Helsinki Commission Group, on the dire situation of pollution in the Baltic Sea; Menghestab Haile, Vulnerability Analysis & Mapping Advisor, WFP (UN), on how GMES datasets provide info on which countries are prone to droughts, floods and deforestation, etc., and helps to plan logistics for food aid by providing info on nearest airport landing strips and nearby ports; and Dr Hartmut Grassl, Director at Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, on how GMES also provides data on land subsidence in countries due to activities such as construction, and extraction of natural gas and oil.