Article 2 (1) of the Convention establishing the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), an intergovernmental agency established in 1975 by 19 European Nations, specifies the following Objectives for the Centre:
(a) to develop dynamic models of the atmosphere with a view to preparing medium-range weather forecasts by means of numerical methods;
(b) to prepare, on a regular basis, the data necessary for the preparation of medium-range weather forecasts;
(c) to carry out scientific and technical research directed towards improving the quality of these forecasts;
(d) to collect and store appropriate meteorological data;
(e) to make available to the meteorological offices of the Member States, in the most appropriate form, the results of the studies and research provided for in (a) and (c) and the data referred to in (b) and (d);
(f) to make available to the meteorological offices of the Member States, priority being given to the field of numerical weather forecasting, a sufficient proportion of its computing capacity, such proportion being determined by the Council;
(g) to assist in implementing programmes of the World Meteorological Organisation;
(h) to assist in advanced training for the scientific staff of the meteorological offices of the Member States in the field of numerical weather forecasting.v

2. Implications for Private Sector Meteorological Offices in the ECMWF Member States

The key services provided by ECMWF to the Member States are:
1) Operational production of global atmospheric forecasts and certain marine (wave) forecasts;
2) Provision of subsets of the global archives of observational and analysis/forecast data;
3) Making available the results of the research and studies at the Centre;
4) Making available a proportion of the Centre's computing capacity;
5) Assistance in advanced training in the field of numerical weather prediction.

It should also be noted, in line with the fact that ECMWF is an organization established by countries and not meteorological offices, that one of the two representatives of each Member State in the ECMWF Council '...should (not must) be a representative of his national meteorological service' (Art. 4 (2)). This gives in fact full freedom of choice to the Member States when it comes to the nomination of the members of the ECMWF Council; a Member State could, in particular, decide that a private sector meteorological office and/or another scientific entity such as a University should be represented in the ECMWF Council.

The nominations to the ECMWF Council are made typically by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the Member States before each Council Meeting, which normally are held in the spring and autumn each year.

2.1 Operational production of global atmospheric forecasts and selected wave forecasts

As also referred to above, whilst one of the two representatives of each Member State in the ECMWF Council '...should be a representative of his national meteorological service' (Art. 4 (2)), Art. 2 (1)(e) refers to making the forecasts and archived data '...available to the meteorological offices of the Member States'. It is therefore the right (and obligation) of the ECMWF Member States to make the real-time predictions produced by ECMWF available without discrimination to all governmental and private meteorological services within the country. These sovereign rights cannot be diminished by means of decisions taken by the ECMWF Council, in line with the ECOMET Agreement or otherwise, unless the Member State in question agrees to such limitations.

There is a practical problem with the implementation of the above principle for as long as there is only one dedicated communications link between ECMWF and each Member State (currently the national meteorological office), although such a technical problem easily can be solved in a co-operative spirit as long as the bandwidth of the ECMWF link is sufficient to handle the traffic requirements of both parties.

2.2 Provision of subsets of the global archives of observational and analysis/forecast data

In line with item 2.1 above, and with reference to Art. 2 (1)(e) of the ECMWF Convention, it is also the right of all governmental and private meteorological offices within the Member States to have unlimited access to all data produced and archived by ECMWF.

As ECMWF archived data can be accessed directly over the Internet under special security arrangements using SmartCards, the problem with the single national link is not of major significance here.

2.3 Making available the results of the research and studies at the Centre

Again, with reference to Art. 2 (1)(e) of the ECMWF Convention, the results of the research and studies at ECMWF should be made 'available to the meteorological offices of the Member States', i.e both governmental and private sector meteorological offices are to benefit from these activities.

2.4 Making available a proportion of the Centre's computing capacity

The computing capacity referred to in Art. 2 (1)(f) of the ECMWF Convention can only be made available to 'public agencies of the Member States' (Art. 3 (3)). Obviously, if so decided nationally, the private sector could also benefit from the very substantial computational resources made available by ECMWF, through co-operative arrangements with an appropriate public agency. Such arrangements would be particularly justified if the Member States does not make full use of the computing resources allocated to it.

2.5 Assistance in advanced training in the field of numerical weather prediction

Art. 2(1)(h) of the ECMWF Convention specifies as one of the ECMWF Objectives 'to assist in advanced training for the scientific staff of the meteorological offices of the Member States in the field of numerical weather forecasting. Thus any governmental and private meteorological offices in the Member States should be allowed to participate in these activities on equal grounds.