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+# Copernicus Essential Climate Variables for assessing climate variability
+
+This tool allows you to retrieve Copernicus **Essential Climate Variables** for assessing climate variability from the [Copernicus Climate Data Store](https://cds.climate.copernicus.eu/#!/home).
+
+Copernicus ECV for assessing climate variability is available from the Copernicus portal at https://cds.climate.copernicus.eu/cdsapp#!/dataset/ecv-for-climate-change?tab=overview
+
+To be able to retrieve data, you would need to register and get your [CDS API key](https://cds.climate.copernicus.eu/api-how-to).
+
+The CDS API Key needs to be:
+  - located in a file called `.cdsapirc`in the HOME area 
+    (as defined the `HOME` environment variable).
+  - or passed in an enviroment variable called `GALAXY_COPERNICUS_CDSAPIRC`. 
+    When passed in `GALAXY_COPERNICUS_CDSAPIRC`, make sure the key does not contain
+    the string `key: ` but the key itself only (starting with a number). The file
+    `.cdsapirc` will then be created and placed in the HOME area (using HOME
+    environment variable).