Mission statement (from "VLT/VLTI Science Operations Policy", Council meeting 2004, http://www.eso.org/sci/observing/policies/cou996-rev.pdf "):

"ESO will ... use [calibration] data to monitor the long term evolution of instruments and to produce data products. These data products will result from pipeline processing using the VLT/VLTI Data Flow System."

"Data products will consist of data with the instrumental signature removed as well as data calibrated into physical units. The accuracy of the instrumentation and physical unit calibration will be monitored and maintained by ESO."

"ESO data products, raw data and calibration data will be distributed to the programme PI in electronic form through the VLT/VLTI Science Archive Facility at ESO Garching."