The Land use/cover area frame statistical survey, abbreviated as LUCAS, is a European field survey program funded and executed by Eurostat. Its objective is to set up area frame surveys for the provision of coherent and harmonised statistics on land use and land cover in the European Union (EU). In addition, it is to provide information on agriculture, the environment, landscapes and sustainable development, ground evidence for calibration of satellite images and a register of points for specific surveys (such as soil, biodiversity etc.) and for the core European in-situ data collection network.
Land cover and land use are of high importance in the definition and evaluation of common agricultural and environment policies.
LUCAS was launched as a pilot in 2001 following Decision 1445/2000/EC of 22 May 2000 on the application of aerial-survey and remote-sensing techniques to the agricultural statistics.
Further information
- Decision 1445/2000/EC of 22 May 2000 on the application of aerial-survey and remote-sensing techniques to the agricultural statistics for 1999 to 2003
- LUCAS -Surveying Europes Landscape - Land Use/Cover Area Frame Survey