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:

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

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Computer assisted visual refinement of the status 2012 data based on the precursor LC/LU product for reference year 2012. The main dataset for visual image interpretation was the DWH_MG2b_CORE_03 dataset (Optical VHR2 coverage over EU 2011-2013 and Riparian zones), mainly consisting of 1.5m VHR2 SPOT-6 and 2.5m VHR2 SPOT-5 HRG and 2m Pleiades satellite data. Subsequently, intersection of classification results with additional data (Urban Atlas 2012) was performed.

The first version of the LC/LU dataset (produced in 2015 under the GMES Initial Operations phase) related to rivers pertaining to Strahler levels 3 to 8. The pre-defined nomenclature on the basis of the MAES typology of ecosystems was composed of 79 classes. In 2017, to allow for a harmonisation of the nomenclatures applied to the different local component products (Costal Zones and N2K), a revision of the nomenclature was undertaken which resulted in a reduction of classes (down to 56). A LC/LU dataset covering rivers pertaining to Strahler level 2 was produced applying the new nomenclature and the previous dataset (covering Strahler levels 3 to 8) was re-coded to the new nomenclature. The two datasets were merged together and a harmonised dataset covering rivers pertaining to Strahler levels 2 to 9 was produced. In 2020 an additional exercise of harmonisation of the nomenclature (re-naming and re-coding) took place. The current LC/LU layer differentiates 55 thematic LC/LU classes covering Strahler levels 2 to 9 for the reference year 2012.

Positional Accuracy: less than 5 m (according to geo-location accuracy of satellite imagery delivered by ESA: less than 5m RMSE). Thematic accuracy (area-corrected Overall Accuracy) ≥ 85% (at CODE_4 level). Accuracy Assessment approach: Stratified Random Point Sampling. Interpretation of sampling points has been performed on the best available reference data.