This document summarizes the development of Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) in Europe and Germany. It discusses the establishment of early national SDI initiatives in countries like Australia and the US in the 1980s and 1990s. It also describes the establishment of the GSDI to foster global SDI development and data sharing. Regarding Germany specifically, it outlines how the country took a decentralized approach to SDI development led by its 16 states and key national organizations like the BKG and GDZ. It discusses Germany's development of common geospatial datasets and standards. Overall the document presents the evolution of SDI initiatives from national to global scales over the past few decades.

1. Spatial Data Infrastructure in Europe
and in Germany
Sajid Pareeth
Gabriel Vincent Sanya

2. What is the National Spatial Data
Infrastructure (NSDI)……?
To encourage the collection, processing, archiving, integrating, and sharing
of geospatial data and Information using common standards and interoperable
systems and techniques
….. And accessible via the web.
NSDI building blocks.

3. Some NSDI milestones
1986 Establishment of Australian Land Information Council (ALIC).
1990 US Federal Geographic Data Committee set up to coordinate the development,
use, sharing and dissemination of surveying mapping and related spatial data
1993 US Mapping Science Committee report on 'Toward a coordinated spatial data
infrastructure for the nation'
1994 Executive Order 12906 'Coordinating geographic data acquisition and access:
the National Spatial Data Infrastructure'
1996 First Global Spatial Data Infrastructure conference in Bonn, Germany
1998 First generation of NSDIs paper identifies 11 initiatives from all parts of the world.
1998
2000 54 countries respond to GSDI survey
2002 Crompvoets claims that 120 countries are considering NSDI development

4. GSDI – An idea at the cusp
Foster SDI development locally to globally
• Access data at a variety of scales and from multiple sources
• Common standards an interoperable systems and techniques
• Heavy reliance on partners world-wide
Goals…..
• Promote and develop awareness and exchanges
• Facilitate data access/discovery via clearinghouse, portal web services
• Stimulate and conduct capacity building
• Conduct and sponsor SDI development research

5. Official Surveying and
Mapping is the task of the 16
federal states each being
responsible for its state
territory in terms of
• Geodetic reference frames
• Real estate cadastre,
• Topographic mapping.
Towards Spatial Data Infrastructure (GDI-DE) of
the Federal Republic of Germany
A decentralised Approach…

6. Collaboration of the states
organised by AdV (since
1949)
Common specifications for
 Geodetic framework
 Real estate cadastre
 Topographic mapping
 IT-based projects (ALKIS,
ATKIS)
 Pricing policy
Sharing experiences and
technologieswww.adv-online.de

7. Decisions of the Federal Government with
respect to improving coordination of the
provision and use of geoinformation in Germany
 1996: Establishment of the national geodata centre (GDZ)
assigned to IfAG
 1997: Establishment of the “Bundesamt für Kartographie und
Geodäsie (BKG)” (Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy)
as successor of the research institute IfAG
 1998: Establishment of the “Interministerieller Ausschuss für
Geoinformationswesen – IMAGI” (Interministerial Committee
for Geoinformation)

8.  Partner of the state mapping agencies
 Technical coordinator for country-wide
topographic datasets
 Service centre
 Quality assurance of the ATKIS®
data sets delivered by the state
mapping agencies
 Providing the AdV metadata
information system (AdV-MIS)
Online delivery
National Geodata Centre (GDZ)

9. BKGBKG
BKG’s mission
 to provide a geodetic and cartographic
infrastructure taking account of the
responsibilities of the states and the
overall responsibility of the federation
(e.g. the national geodata centre)
 to carry out applied research and
technological development
 to represent geodesy and
geoinformation on the international
level

10. www.adv-online.de
BKGBKG
Common reference data sets
for Germany:
 Geodetic reference frames
including a network of 260 GPS
permanent stations
 Official multipurpose cadastre
Automated Real Estate Map – ALK
Automated Real Estate Register – ALB
(in the future ALKIS®
, the new ISO-
based Real Estate Cadastre IS)
 The Authoritative Topographic-
Cartographic Information System
ATKIS®
(developed between
1984-89 , completed in 1998)

11. DTK10-V
DTK25-V
DTK50-V
DTK100-V
DTK
1000-V
Digital Topographic Maps (DTK)
Digital Landscape Models (DLM)
Base
DLM
DLM 50 DLM 250 DLM
1000
1: 25.000 1: 50.000 1: 250.000 1: 500.000
Digital Orthophotos (DOP)
Digital Terrain Models (DGM)
Object-
based
data
Raster data
Raster data
Grid
DGM5 DGM-
DE
DGM50 /
DGM 250
DGM
1000
DTK250
DTK500-V

12. Interministerial Committee for Geoinformation
 established in 1998 by the Federal Government
 Objective: Coordinating the German SDI → GDI-DE®
• More then 230 tasks are being carried out with Geo Information
• Almost half of the federal agencies in Germany are working with GI
• About 20 different type of data base systems
• About 50 different data types
• Almost 90% of agencies providing or
receiving Geo Information
IMAGI Survey in federal agencies in 2000:

13. Tasks of IMAGI:
- Conceptual framework for GDI-DE®
Interministerial Committee for Geoinformation
- Development of GeoPortal.Bund®, starting with GeoMIS.Bund®
Coordinating pilot projects of the Federal Government
and States to investigate the resources needed to build
the homogenised NGDB and to develop the GeoPortal

14. German Spatial Data Infrastructure (GDI-DE)
GDI-DE®
= {NGDB, network, services,
standards}
GDI-DE®
= {NGDB, network, services,
standards}
National Geo Data Basis
NGDB = {reference data, thematic
data, metadata}
National Geo Data Basis
NGDB = {reference data, thematic
data, metadata}
GeoPortal.Bund®
the central point of entry to GDI-DE
GeoPortal.Bund®
the central point of entry to GDI-DE
http://geoportal.bkg.bund.de

15. Evaluation of the German approach to national
mapping
 Sustainable political support at the highest level
 Co-ordination
Phased implementation
 Selling the benefits

16. Resolution of the German parliament – 15th
February 2001
Federal Government is asked
 to push ahead the implementation of the Spatial Data
Infrastructure for Germany as a public infrastructure
 to promote the interdepartmental use of GI in public
services
 to coordinate the GI activities of the Federal Government,
and to support the Länder (states)
 to promote collaboration with the private sector and
academia

17. Resolution of the German parliament –
10th April 2003
 Acknowledgement of IMAGI’s achievements
 Federal Government is requested to increase the efforts
devoted to the establishment of the GDI-DE®
 Underlining the necessity of coordination of the GDI-DE
process by the Federal Government

18. Lessons learned for the set-up of the ESDI
 Strong political support is needed on the European level
(EP, Council, EC) as well as in the Member States
 Need for a unit on the European level charged to
coordinate the development and implementation of
ESDI
Need for a common process of specifying the various
components that belong to the ESDI
Need for culture of sharing strategies, (pricing and
licensing) policies, experiences, and practical solutions

19. Towards ESDI(INSPIRE)…
DG Joint Research Centre
• Mission: to provide customer-driven scientific and technical support
for the conception, development, implementation and monitoring of
European Union policies.
• The JRC functions as a reference centre
of science and technology for the Union.
• Close to the policy-making process, it serves the common interest of
the Member States, while being
independent of special interests,
whether private or national.
• 7 institutes in 5 countries, 2000 people

20. An INfrastructure for SPatial InfoRmation in Europe
• INSPIRE directive approved by the European parliament on the
12th
Feb 07
• Member States will have to make available free of charge the
services for discovering and, subject to certain specific conditions,
viewing spatial data sets
Why Inspire?
Increasing interest for the spatial dimension
IACS, LPIS, Olive Trees registers, …
• ICZM, ESDP, Urban, Noise, …
EU policies and Geographic Information
Assess needs
• Formulate the policy
• Monitor its implementation
• Evaluate its effectiveness

21. What is the Problem
Different quality and different types of attribute information
Data compiled by
Member States:
– Paper map / site
– Descriptive database
– Digital Spatial data
Data are validated and
integrated
 Data sources:
– In general 1/100.000,
on topographic maps
– Exceptionally 1/250.000
(very large sites)
– Often 1/25.000 –
1/1.500 (cadastre)
European Reference System
European Platform moving ~3cm/year
Differences in sea-level
across Europe and
within a country (in cm)
Finland
Sweden
How do we harmonize the data?

22. But good local data already exist and are already exist
and are accessible !

23. Standards are not Enough
Road network between Germany and Netherland–semantic inconsistencies
Example of problems on cross Border-Areas
Geographic Information
Interoperability !
• Existing de-facto and de-jure
Standards
(OpenGIS, ISO, W3C, etc.)
are a good & important
starting point for an ESDI,
but need additional glue to provide
– commonly agreed & harmonized,
unambiguous application
profiles
– quality measurement of distributed (!) services
(certification of services)
– Additional standards where needed
– awareness and training on GI interoperability

24. Overall Context
Needs
• Better information needed to
support policies
• Improvement of existing information
flows
• Differentiation across regions to be
considered
• Revision of approach to reporting and
monitoring, moving to concept of
sharing of information
Situation in Europe
• Data policy restrictions
– pricing, copyright, access rights,
licensing policy
• Lack of co-ordination
– across boarders and between levels
of government
• Lack of standards
– incompatible information and
information systems
• Existing data not re-usable
– fragmentation of information,
redundancy, inability to integrate
EC Proposal COM(2004) 516 for a
Directive establishing an
infrastructure for spatial information
in the Community -INSPIRE
EU has islands of
data of different
standards and
quality...

25. Proposal INSPIRE Framework Directive
- Overview -
I. General provisions
II. Metadata
III. Interoperability of spatial data sets and services
IV. Network services
V. Data-sharing and re-use
VI. Coordination and complementary measures
VII. Final provisions
This overview addresses the main issues only

26. • Establish an infrastructure for spatial
information in the EU to support:
– environmental policies and
– policies that affect the environment,
• Based on infrastructures of the Member
States that include
– metadata, spatial data sets and services; network
services; agreements on sharing, access and
use; and coordination and monitoring
mechanisms, processes and procedures.
Proposal INSPIRE Framework Directive
I - General Provisions-
INSPIRE requires also specific implementing rules
to be adopted through Comitology

27. ROADMAP
From Commission proposal to Community Directive
implementation - 3 phases:
– Preparatory phase (2004-2006)
• Co-decision procedure
• Preparation of Implementing Rules
– Transposition phase (2007-2008)
• Directive enters into force
• Transposition into national legislation
• INSPIRE Committee starts its activities
• Adoption of Implementation Rules by Committology
– Implementation phase (2009-2013)
• implementation and monitoring of measures

28. Overview of requirements
• metadata*
• spatial data sets and spatial data services*
• network services*
– EU geo-portal
• access and rights of use for
Community institutions and bodies**
• monitoring and reporting mechanisms **
• process and procedures
* technical: under JRC responsibility
** legal/procedural: under Eurostat responsibility

30. • make European public data more accessible and compatible
• create the right conditions to use geo-technologies in addressing
critical issues
• save money, protect investments and create new jobs
• facilitate the private and public sector in developing new e-services
• help in improving the quality of life and protect the environment (e.g. tsunami)..
The benefits - INSPIRE will…

31. Key-Players in the development of ESDI.

32.  (ESDI) will be a web service-based infrastructure
All EU-funded geospatial projects MUST be INSPIRE-compliant to be an
ESDI
Initial focus on environmental policies will be enlarged to other sectors
Openness and transparency (Cultural change)
 Research communities should become familiar with SDI concept
 strengthen Links and interface with international initiatives
Think of services rather than of data!!!
Conclusions

33. Thank you for your attention !
INSPIRE:INSPIRE:
http://inspire.jrc.ithttp://inspire.jrc.it