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”.

Generation of a Land Cover/Land Use (LC/LU) dataset by visual image interpretation and delineation based on Very High Resolution (VHR) satellite data from 2012 ±2 years. Additional in situ and ancillary datasets relevant for the production were also integrated into the workflow to support the LC/LU analysis. During the production of the 2018 update the 2012 status map was revised and improved: thematic and geometric errors were corrected, and thematic accuracy was improved. The classification provides 55 distinct thematic classes. The class definitions follow a pre-defined nomenclature based on the Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services (MAES) typology of ecosystems (at level 1) and are further harmonised with Corine Land Cover and adapted to the specific characteristics of grasslands habitats (levels 2 to 4). The Minimum Mapping Unit (MMU) is 0.5 ha and the Minimum Mapping Width (MMW) is 10 m. The positional accuracy is less than 5 m (according to geo-location accuracy of satellite imagery delivered by ESA: less than 5m RMSE). Producer’s accuracy assessment approach: stratified random point sampling. Interpretation of sampling points was performed on the best available reference data. The overall accuracy is higher than 85%.

For more information, please consult the CLMS N2K Product user manual here: https://land.copernicus.eu/user-corner/technical-library/n2k-product-user-manual-2021/at_download/file.