EUMETSAT is an intergovernmental organisation created through an international convention agreed by 18 European Member States: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. These States fund the EUMETSAT programmes and are the principal users of the systems. EUMETSAT also has seven Cooperating States: Slovak Republic, Hungary, Poland, Croatia, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro, Slovenia and Romania.

The role of EUMETSAT is defined by an International Convention which came into force in 1986 and states that the primary objective of EUMETSAT is to establish, maintain and exploit European systems of operational meteorological satellites. A revised Convention that came into force in November 2000 adds that a further objective is to contribute to the operational monitoring of climate and the detection of global climate change. In each case it is the operational, long-term nature of the objectives which is stressed, giving a clear direction for EUMETSAT's role.

EUMETSAT will support the VGISC proposal in the SIMDAT project by offering a limited free contribution in human resources to the meteorology activities. EUMETSAT will bring into the project its expertise in databases management and satellite communication technology. EUMETSAT will participate in the specifications of the requirements and in the testing and validation of the four technology components.

EUMETSAT website