Access to data is based on a principle of full, open and free access as established by the Copernicus data and information policy Regulation (EU) No 1159/2013 of 12 July 2013. This regulation establishes registration and licensing conditions for GMES/Copernicus users.

Free, full and open access to this data set is made on the conditions that:

1. When distributing or communicating Copernicus dedicated data and Copernicus service information to the public, users shall inform the public of the source of that data and information.

2. Users shall make sure not to convey the impression to the public that the user's activities are officially endorsed by the Union.

3. Where that data or information has been adapted or modified, the user shall clearly state this.

4. The data remain the sole property of the European Union. Any information and data produced in the framework of the action shall be the sole property of the European Union. Any communication and publication by the beneficiary shall acknowledge that the data were produced “with funding by the European Union”.

The yearly Ploughing Indicator (PLOUGH) indicates the temporal extent (0-6 years) since the last ploughing activity observed on (non-permanent) grassland as observed from the available satellite imagery within a period of 6 years prior to the respective reference year. To maintain consistency between PLOUGH, Grassland layer (GRA) and Herbaceous cover (HER) some adaptions have been made to the historic PLOUGH product. Class 0 - indication of ploughing in current year, former class 0 converted to class 253, class 100 will contain all pixel that change between two years due to changes in the HER but not ploughed. The PLOUGH is derived by taking into account the series of binary HER layers, the Base Vegetation Layer (BVL) classifications and High Resolution Vegetation Phenology and Productivity (HR VPP) Plant Phenology Index (PPI) quantiles. BVL classes 4 (crop) and 7 (overlaying layer between herbaceous and crop) indicate a ploughing event. Low HR VPP PPI quantiles indicate low vegetation at a certain time of the year. For years with missing information (2016 and earlier) the ploughing information from the historic PLOUGH product is considered which causes some issues described in the ATBD.

This dataset is a continuation of the HRL Plouing Indicator timeseries, previously generated on a 3-year update cycle since 2015. The models and input data used to generate the product have evolved and therefore higher quality is to be expected as the timeseries progress.

Quality assurance follows the ISO9000 standards for Quality Management and comprises of dedicated procedures of ongoing quality checks (QA breakpoints) during implementation of the production chain, in order to keep persistent control over the various stages of production, assure fitness-for-purpose of the end-products and that all quality requirements are fulfilled. Priority has been given to the target thematic accuracies to be achieved by each product, as well as to the issues of product consistency (spatial, thematic, temporal) and homogeneity. Quality Assessment: The quality assessment has been performed according to INSPIRE Data Specifications. The data quality elements considered are:

(i) Completeness,

(ii) Logical Consistency,

(iii) Thematic Accuracy,

(iv) Temporal quality and

(v) Usability.

Each of them (excl. the Thematic Accuracy hereafter) forms a section in the QA/QC Procedures.