The EU INSPIRE Directive: An Infrastructure for Spatial Information in the European Community

The EU INSPIRE Directive:
An Infrastructure for Spatial Information in the European Community

– A briefing document and discussion of implications for UK academia

Author: James Reid, EDINA National Data Centre
Date: June 2011
Status: PUBLIC
Version: 2.1 [draft]

The EU INSPIRE Directive: An Infrastructure for Spatial Information in the European Community

What is INSPIRE? Comments1
The Infrastructure for Spatial Information in the Community (INSPIRE), published The INSPIRE Directive was published in The Official
by the European Commission in July 2004 and made a Directive of the European Journal of the European Union (OJEU) in April 2007 and is
Parliament and of the Council in 14 March 2007, is an initiative to create entitled ‘Directive 2007/2/EC of the European Parliament
a pan European Spatial Data Infrastructure. Its intention is to improve the and of the Council of 14 March 2007 establishing an
interoperability of spatial information across the European Union at a local, Infrastructure for Spatial Information in the European
regional, national and international level. In doing so it aims to facilitate Community (INSPIRE)’, the ‘INSPIRE Directive’ for short.
improvements in the sharing of spatial information between public authorities
and provide improved public access to spatial information. The INSPIRE Regulations were enacted into UK law
(separtely for Scotland, England & wales & N.Ireland) in
December 2009, effective as of 31st December 2009.

• INSPIRE lays down a general framework for a Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) A Spatial Data Infrastructure or SDI is a framework
for the purposes of Community environmental policies and policies or activities of spatial data, metadata, users and tools that are
which may have an impact on the environment. interactively connected in order to use spatial data in
an efficient and flexible way. Another definition is the
“technology, policies, standards, human resources,
and related activities necessary to acquire, process,
distribute, use, maintain, and preserve spatial data”.

It is intended for use in environmental policy making
in the first instance, with the intention that it be
extended wider.

• INSPIRE is based on an infrastructure for spatial information established and While most of the EU member states have SDIs initiatives
operated by the Member States. underway very few have operational national SDIs
• INSPIRE does not require collection of new spatial data2. although various components of SDIs are definitely in
place or being

1
Any text shown in Italics is a direct quote from either the Directive or related Commission documents.

2
However it does require that two years after adoption of the relevant Data Specifications each Member State should ensure that all newly
collected spatial data sets covered by the Annexes (see Appendix) are made available in conformity with the supporting Implementing Rules.
Existing data sets must conform to the Rules within seven years of their adoption.


What is INSPIRE? Comments1
• INSPIRE does not affect existing Intellectual Property Rights. developed. The most referenced SDI in Europe is that
• Data interoperability and data sharing are prime objectives. of North Rhine Westphalia in Germany but this is a sub-
member state SDI. Most SDI initiatives are building SDI’s
from the bottom up. The financing of the construction of
SDIs is a major issue.

INSPIRE was enacted into UK Law December 2009.
Regulatory details are contained in a set of Implementing
Rules (IR) that are being drafted. UK plans for the
implementation of INSPIRE are included in the UK
Location Programme (UK LP) under the auspices of the
UK Location Council (UK LC). The UK LP is implimenting
that UK SDI and will susume repsonsibility for ensuring
conformance with the INSPIRE regulations. Note that the
UK LP’s scope is broader than INSPIRE (in terms of focus
on a broader range of spatial data) although the initial
focus (2009-2012) will be on ensuring compliance with
INSPIRE requirements.
The guiding principles of INSPIRE are:
• that the infrastructures for spatial information in the Member States should
be designed to ensure that spatial data are stored, made available and
maintained at the most appropriate level;
• that it is possible to combine spatial data from different sources (harmonised
data) across the Community in a consistent way and share them between users
and applications;
• that it is possible for spatial data collected at one level of public authority to
be shared between all the different levels of public authorities;
• that spatial data are made available under conditions that do not restrict their
extensive use;
• that it is easy to discover available spatial data, to evaluate their fitness for
purpose and to know the conditions applicable to their use.


What did INSPIRE come from?
The initial motivation for creating a spatial information infrastructure was to
be better able to formulate, implement and monitor European environmental
policies, bearing in mind the costs and upheaval related to cross border
environmental impacts and the changing climate. This environmental orientation
is still very much a driving force in the Directive and explains the inclusion of all
the data sets listed in the Appendix at the end of this document.

To manage the environment effectively, the EU needs the better provision of
spatial data to support environmental policy making, better spatial data flows
between systems to support these policies and better sharing of this data
between governments, agencies and the citizen.

Historically, Europe has had a lack of standards for the provision of spatial data
and no pan-EU Directives for sharing or coordinating their use.
What will it mean?
The Directive creates the framework for spatial information to be collected,
stored, manipulated and made available in a more standardised electronic
environment to facilitate the sharing of information.

When fully implemented it will, theoretically, enable data from one Member
State to be seamlessly combined cross-border with data from all other States.
This is particularly important for activities relating to the environment such as
planning, pollution control, environmental protection and climate change issues.
Although the INSPIRE Directive does not directly refer to e-Government, it will
potentially establish one of the most powerful set of pan European government
(i.e. public) electronic services. It will also be one of the largest data
infrastructures providing access to a huge range of (spatial) data on a national
and pan European scale.


Who will be the users of INSPIRE?
Governments at all levels (EU, National, Regional and Local) will be major users
of the infrastructure for policy-making, implementation and monitoring.

It is expected that businesses will exploit the information for commercial use
and as part of services that they supply to the public sector.

Academics and researchers (see below).

The Public will make more and more use of spatial information, especially
through the viewing services, as will non-governmental and community
organisations.

What and whose Spatial Data?
The Directive applies to spatial data held by or on behalf of public authorities. Spatial data is defined as data with a direct (e.g. grid
‘public authority’ means: coordinates) or indirect reference (e.g. place name,
(a) any government or other public administration, including public advisory postcode) to a specific location or geographic area. This
bodies, at national, regional or local level; is a wider scope than is normal in most SDIs to date.
(b) any natural or legal person performing public administrative functions under
national law, including specific duties, activities or services in relation to the UK Universities are considered to be a public authority
environment; and in the context of the implementation of the Directive
(c) any natural or legal person having public responsibilities or functions, or as the INSPIRE Regulations adopted the definition of ‘
providing public services relating to the environment under the control of a public authority’ used in the Freedom of Information
body or person falling within (a) or (b). (Article 3.9) (FoI) legislation. In practice, as UK HFE is subject to FoI
regulations, it is subject to INSPIRE.
The Directive covers spatial data sets which fulfil the following conditions:
(a) they relate to an area where a Member State has and/or exercises
jurisdictional rights;
(b) they are in electronic format;


(c) they are held by or on behalf of any of the following: Article 12 states
(i) a public authority, having been produced or received by a public authority, Member States shall ensure that public authorities are
or being managed or updated by that authority and falling within the scope of given the technical possibility to link their spatial data
its public tasks; sets and services to the network referred to in Article
(ii) a third party to whom the network has been made available in accordance 11(1) i.e. the infrastructure.
with Article 12;
(d) they relate to one or more of the themes listed in Annex I, II or III. (Article It goes on to to say:
4.2)
This service shall also be made available upon request to
third parties whose spatial data sets and services comply
with implementing rules [explained below] laying down
obligations with regard, in particular, to metadata,
network services and interoperability.

The Commission has consistently argued that it is a
fundamental right for third parties to have access to the
member state and pan European infrastructures3 . This
means that the infrastructure should be available to,
say, a UK academic spatial data infrastructure (as both
consumer and supplier), providing academic data sets
and services comply with the implementing rules. The
same document later states

“Public authorities – affected by the INSPIRE Directive-
have an ‘obligation’ to become part of the ‘network’,
whereas third parties can make a ‘request’ to be part of
it. Such a request shall be granted if the third party can
meet the INSPIRE requirements.”

3
Report of the workshop on the Legislative Transposition of the INSPIRE Directive 2007/2/EC, 17 April 2008.


In cases where multiple identical copies of the same spatial data set are held by This is an important clause. It means that, for example,
or on behalf of various public authorities, this Directive shall apply only to the EDINA would (should) not be asked by the UK Government
reference version from which the various copies are derived. (Article 4.2) to provide access to its copies of the Ordnance Survey
data or hydrographic data etc. because our copies are
copies of the reference version, not the reference
versions themselves. However, it is not clear whether, if
EDINA (or Mimas) derived a product from these data, we
would be required to make this derived version available.

Note that at time of writing, the UK LP (and by
implication the pracitcal manifestation of INSPIRE),
has no definitive position on resolving the ‘golden copy’
issue, instead leaving it data providers to determine
amongst themselves which versions they regard as
authoritative. Whilst a pragmatic approach in a situation
where there is no governance structure in place to
impose authoritative ruling, this potentially means that
multiple versions of the same (or similar) datasets can/
may (and likely will) exist.

INSPIRE covers 34 Spatial Data Themes laid down in 3 Annexes (Annex I, II or Although the datasets have an environmental bias, the
III) (see end of this document). inclusion of the critical underlying geographic reference
information means that they will be useful across many
The environment will be the first area to be covered but INSPIRE will academic disciplines. The data are key reference data
eventually extend to other themes such as agriculture and transport. sets for research and teaching.


What are the elements of INSPIRE?
The INSPIRE Directive defines the technical elements of an infrastructure for
spatial information to be comprised of “metadata, spatial data sets and spatial
data services, network services and technologies; agreements on sharing, access
and use; coordination and monitoring mechanisms, processes and procedures”
(INSPIRE Directive Article 3.1).
It is very important to understand that in INSPIRE ALL access to spatial data and
metadata occurs via spatial data services and that the implementation platform
for these services will be standards based web services.
The Directive requires that
Member States shall establish and operate a network of the following services
for the spatial data sets and services for which metadata have been created in
accordance with this Directive:
(a) discovery services making it possible to search for spatial data sets and
services on the basis of the content of the corresponding metadata and to
display the content of the metadata;
(b) view services making it possible, as a minimum, to display, navigate,
zoom in/out, pan, or overlay viewable spatial data sets and to display legend
information and any relevant content of metadata; [i.e. to view the data as
maps and other types of visualisations]
(c) download services, enabling copies of spatial data sets, or parts of such sets,
to be downloaded and, where practicable, accessed directly;
(d) transformation services, enabling spatial data sets to be transformed with a
view to achieving interoperability;


Data product specifications will be created for each theme, starting with those A data product specification is a detailed description
in Annex 1. of a data set together with additional information that
will enable it to be created, supplied to and used by
Data and metadata published for INSPIRE must meet INSPIRE metadata and data another party [ISO 19131]. Harmonised data product
interoperability standards. specifications, are a set of data product specifications
that support the provision of access to interoperable
spatial data through spatial data services in a
representation that allows for combining it with other
interoperable data in a coherent way, e.g. combining
data across themes or across borders.

The curent list of Data Product Specifications can be
found at:
http://inspire.jrc.ec.europa.eu/index.cfm/pageid/6/
init/1?category=3
It is important to realise that INSPIRE is very much about interoperability and, as
far is practicable, harmonisation of spatial data sets and services within Europe,
not just access to data.


The INSPIRE Directive defines the technical elements of an infrastructure for This in essence is the definition of an SDI. Sometimes
spatial information to be comprised of “metadata, spatial data sets and spatial refreed to as an Information Infsratructure (as in the UK
data services, network services and technologies; agreements on sharing, access LP’s UK Location Information Infrastrcuture (UKLII)).
and use; coordination and monitoring mechanisms, processes and procedures”
(INSPIRE Directive Article 3.1).

It is very important to understand that in INSPIRE ALL access to spatial data and This is very different to, say, FOI or EIR, where
metadata occurs via spatial data services and that the implementation platform information is provided by public authorities, in response
for these services will be standards based web services. to requests for information, as written responses in
either letters or emails.
The Directive requires that

Member States shall establish and operate a network of the following services What this does not make very clear is the critical role of
for the spatial data sets and services for which metadata have been created in Transformation Services (d). The Directive states that
accordance with this Directive:
Spatial data sets shall be made available in conformity
(a) discovery services making it possible to search for spatial data sets and with the implementing rules either through the
services on the basis of the content of the corresponding metadata and to adaptation of existing spatial data sets or through the
display the content of the metadata; transformation services referred to point (d) of Article
11(1).
(b) view services making it possible, as a minimum, to display, navigate,
zoom in/out, pan, or overlay viewable spatial data sets and to display legend Originally it was thought that Transformation Services
information and any relevant content of metadata; [i.e. to view the data as would provide services for coordinate transformation i.e.
maps and other types of visualisations] transform the data from one spatial reference system
to another. However, it has become clear that, because
(c) download services, enabling copies of spatial data sets, or parts of such sets, the Directive does not require a data producing or data
to be downloaded and, where practicable, accessed directly; custodian organisation to adapt their data production
workflows, the only way data harmonisation will be
achieved, for the majority of existing data sets which will
have their own conceptual schemas, will be through the
deployment of transformation services that can take the
data and transform it from one (local) schema to that
defined by the data product specification for that theme.


(d) transformation services, enabling spatial data sets to be transformed with a That is, it is schema transformation services that are to
view to achieving interoperability; be used to oproduce the data harmonisation that will
lead to a pan-European, interoperable infrastructure.

(e) services allowing spatial data services to be invoked. Invoke Spatial Service Services, amongst other things,
(Article 11). refers to the ability to invoke other services e.g. to chain
services together through web service orchestration
engines a.k.a. “workflow engine”.

An INSPIRE Technical Architecture has been developed (see overview diagram at
the end of this document) which follows SOA principles.

In addition to the service types requested by the Directive, further services are INSPIRE maintains it sown registry (the UK LP is
needed to run the infrastructure. A key service type is registries. consodering maintaining a supplmentray UK specifc
registry to mange UK-centric concepts). The INSPIRE
INSPIRE GeoRM services are also proposed to manage the different kinds of Registry is used for the development of the INSPIRE
rights (legal, business contracts, access) between applications and the INSPIRE Implementing Rules by the INSPIRE Drafting Teams,
infrastructure. Examples of GeoRM service functions are authentication, Thematic Working Groups for data specifications for
authorization, pricing, billing and licensing. Current (June 2010) practices on the testing of the draft data specifications, and other
security/GeoRM is reviewed here:http://inspire.jrc.ec.europa.eu/documents/ participants in the consultation process. As such, the
Network_Services/geoRM-BE.pdf Registry does not represent a final consolidated version
and the content, functionality and access are subject
to change to capture the development of the INSPIRE
Implementing Rules. Currently the INSPIRE registry
contains the INSPIRE Glossary and Feature Concept
Dictionary registers which are part of the ongoing process
of the INSPIRE Implementing Rules development and
built upon the data specification development framework
requirements and recommendations. The main goals of
the current registers are:


1.to start building the INSPIRE Glossary and the INSPIRE
Feature Concept Dictionary with the currently available
information, and

2.to allow their immediate use in the INSPIRE
Implementing Rules and data specifications development.

The INSPIRE Glossary and Feature Concept Dictionary
are maintained as an ISO 19135 (Procedures for item
registration) conformant register. The INSPIRE registry
is available for public view. Registered users however,
involved in the INSPIRE Implementing Rules development,
have access to additional functionality.

Accompanying the Directive will be a series of technical Implementing Rules (IRs) The most recent (at June 2010) of the IRs are:
on metadata; data product specifications; network services; data and service
sharing; and monitoring and reporting. Metadata
INSPIRE Metadata Implementing Rules: Technical
Guidelines based on EN ISO 19115 and EN ISO 19119
(Version 1.2) 16.06.2010

Data Specifications
INSPIRE Data Specifications on Addresses - Guidelines v
3.0.1 03.05.2010
• INSPIRE Data Specification on Protected Sites -
Guidelines v 3.1.0 03.05.2010
• INSPIRE Data Specification on Administrative Units -
Guidelines v3.0.1 03.05.2010
• INSPIRE Data Specification on Cadastral Parcels -
Guidelines v 3.0.1 03.05.2010
• INSPIRE Specification on Geographical Grid Systems -
Guidelines v 3.0.1 03.05.2010


• INSPIRE Data Specification on Hydrography - Guidelines
v 3.0.1 03.05.2010
• INSPIRE Data Specification on Transport Networks -
Guidelines v 3.1 03.05.2010
• INSPIRE Specification on Coordinate Reference Systems
- Guidelines v 3.1 03.05.2010
• INSPIRE Data Specification on Geographical Names -
Guidelines v 3.0.1 03.05.2010

Network Services

• Draft Implementing Rules for Download Services
(Version 3.0) 25/09/2009
• Draft Implementing Rules for INSPIRE Transformation
Services (Version 3.0) 07/09/2009

Data and service sharing

Legislation
• Regulation on INSPIRE Data and Service Sharing
29.03.2010

Guidance Documents
• INSPIRE Good practice in data and service sharing
01.06.2010


What is its current status?
The Directive identifies what needs to be achieved. It was adopted on the 15th See http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2009/uksi_20093157_
May 2007 and enacted into UK law as the INSPIRE Regulations on 31st December en_1
2009. To ensure that the spatial data infrastructures of the Member States are and
compatible and usable in a Community and transboundary context, the Directive http://www.opsi.gov.uk/legislation/scotland/ssi2009/
requires that common Implementing Rules (IR) are adopted in a number of ssi_20090440_en_1
specific areas.
There are very few academics involved in SDICS. The
Implementing Rules are adopted as Commission Decisions, and are binding in University of Münster, Germany, and the Institute for
their entirety. The Commission is assisted in the process of adopting such rules Photogrammetry, University of Stuttgart are SDICs in
by a regulatory committee composed by representatives of the Member States their own right, while the University of Freiburg is a LMO.
and European Parliament. The committee is chaired by a representative of the AGILE, a pan European association for university based
Commission (this is known as the Comitology procedure). The committee was geographic information laboratories is a registered SDIC,
established within three months from the entry in force of the Directive. but its engagement to date has been limited.

Implementing Rules will be adopted in a phased manner with compliance EDINA is a registered SDIC.
required between 2010 and 2019. It is expected that the infrastructure will be
fully in place by 2019/20. As far as we can tell, there is no other UK academic
representation in the UK SDICs or LMOs. (National Soil
Five Drafting Teams (metadata, data specifications, network services, data and Resources Institute, at Cranfield University, is a SDIC but
service sharing, monitoring and reporting) were established and are working on this is because soils appear in Annex III.)
the development of the IRs. These teams are comprised of international experts
and include some academics.

Participation in the drafting of these rules was open to organisations with an
interest and could be at different levels. They can propose to organise or be
part of a community with interests in spatial data for particular uses (Spatial
Data Interest Communities – SDICs); they can register as a legally mandated
organisation (LMO); they can propose experts to participate in drafting teams
working on the preparation of the detailed implementing rules. A number of UK
organisations registered to be SDICS and LMOs.


What is happening in the UK?
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is the UK
policy lead department on INSPIRE via the UK Location Programme.UK Location
is a UK pan-government initiative to improve the sharing and re-use of public
sector location information.Established following the publication of the UK
Location Strategy, it incorporates the implementation of the strategy INSOIRE.
Coordination is through the Location Council and its associated committes and
working groups omn which Universities are represented (see below).

The UK Location blueprint is a high level vision for implementation and, in
essence, provides a policy framework to guide implementation. It was developed
with stakeholders from the INSPIRE Working Group and UK based members of the
Implementing Rule Drafting Teams.

Each data provider will be responsible for making its “INSPIRE” data available via
network services (discovery, view, download, transformation and invoke spatial
data services). Data providers will be responsible for the costs of ensuring their
data complies with the INSPIRE metadata and data interoperability standards and
making their data available via network services.

Implementation of INSPIRE in the UK will deliver a step change in data
management, data interoperability and data sharing across the public sector.


Will we have to pay to access and use the data?
“Member States should …make available, as a minimum and free of charge,
the services for discovering and, subject to certain specific conditions, viewing Where charging occurs, it is at the public authority level,
spatial data sets.” not at the point of use.

Initially, the Directive obliged all EC Governments to make the data available Researchers could find themselves in the strange position
free to all public sector bodies. It also guaranteed the right of the public to of getting data free from one country but paying for a
view this data for free. However, a small number of member state governments, similar type of data in another country.
including the UK Government, objected to providing free access to the
information and so amendments were made making the data subject to charges,
if fees would normally have been levied.

Therefore, under the current wording of the Directive, access to the data and
the right to republish it are not free of cost. Even view services can be charged
for.

“Public authorities may license and/or charge other public authorities and
Community institutions provided that:
• It is compatible with the objective to facilitate sharing between public
authorities.
• It is restricted to the minimum necessary to ensure sustained availability and
quality of the data and services.”

Ideally therefore, public authorities would just recover their marginal costs.
There are many lobby groups seeking to amend the Directive to secure free-of-
cost geospatial data but at this stage it looks unlikely that this will be achieved.
Organisations, such as Ordnance Survey, have played a central role in pressing to
retain charging for data and, in turn, their commercial position.


Interestingly, the commission stated in April that free public access for discovery
and view (through network services), was not just limited to only those data
sets covered by the INSPIRE Directive Annexes I, II, III which are classified as
“environmental information”, but “shall be granted (taking account of eventual
derogations and emissions related obligations) to all data sets falling under the
scope of the INSPIRE Directive”4.

The IR on Data and Service Sharing proposes 3 types of model licences: a Basic In the UK, the aim is for data licensing/charging policy
INSPIRE Licence, a Specific INSPIRE Licence and a Framework INSPIRE Agreement. to be simplified/streamlined to support data sharing.
According to the Defra INSPIRE implementation blueprint
The “basic INSPIRE licence” is an agreement on the basis of which access to the (v4 Nov 2009).
spatial data sets and services to Community Institutions and Bodies is provided
without any further restrictions or conditions. Current licensing models and initiatives that will be
supported by the Rights Management Architecture
The Specific INSPIRE Licence takes the form of a Model Licence to be completed
and customized in relation to the access to a particular data set or service. include:
A framework INSPIRE agreement is an upstream agreement concluded between
a Community Institution or Body and one or more public authorities or Member • the Office of Public Sector Information‟s (OPSI) Click-
States, possibly regarding multiple datasets or services. Use licensing framework (including
Information Fair Trader Scheme accreditation);

• INSPIRE implementing rules for governing access and
rights of use of spatial data sets and
services [18]; and

• the Atlantis Initiative‟s Pricing & Licensing Task Force‟s
work developing standardised Public
Body Licensing Principles.

4


The Rights Management Architecture will build on key
aspects of the above licensing models and
initiatives in order to work towards the harmonised
sharing of data among public sector bodies (and
preferably all data providers).

The Rights Management Architecture will seek to address
derivative or residual rights in products
produced from original source data.

Where necessary, data providers may continue to use a
licensing model based on their specific terms
of access and use.

A streamlined licence framework will be designed to
protect copyright and/or database rights, but to
facilitate re-use under the Re-use of Public Sector
Information Regulations. The licencing model wil
utilise existing licence models developed by OPSI.


What are the general problems we should know about?
Recall that INSPIRE is supposed to be built on Member State SDIs. However, Defra has been given the role to lead the transposition
1) the UK does not currently have a formal, integrated SDI although existing but questions have been raised about whether they were
initiatives could potentially contribute to an SDI; the right organisation.
2) creating an SDI requires a GI strategy and again, the UK does not currently
have one (more on this below); The swelling interest in data.gov.uk has lead to a decision
3) implementing a strategy requires governance and co-ordination but no single by the Location Council to integrate the activities of
UK Government department has the lead on geospatial information. the UKLP with data.gov.uk in order to set location
information within the wider context of Public Sector
Information. This poses some risks as the intersection of
the two initiatives is still ill-defined and culturally are
somehat antagonistic.

A recent ‘gateway’ review by the Office of governmet
Computing notes that ‘The Programme is at a pivotal
point in its lifecycle. ‘ It further noted that as a matter
of urgency governence and stakeholder engagemnet
needed to be addressed.

At time of writing a new governance structure is
being proposed that will delineate the new roles and
reposnsibilities between Defra, the Cabinet Office (which
is assuming a broader data publisihing remit enshrined in
data.gov.uk) and the Ordnance Survey (which has been
tasked by government to undertake key implementation
work).


The implementation of INSPIRE within the UK is to be done under the governance In June 2006, the UK GI Panel5 announced that it
of the UK Location Strategy. Thus the Location Strategy is the vehicle for had commissioned the consultancy Know Edge Ltd to
implementing both INSPIRE and the UK SDI. undertake the research work to develop a GI Strategy.
After lengthy consultation, Place Matters: The Location
The involvement of higher education in the Location strategy was minimal. Strategy for the United Kingdom was submitted to
Indeed, it is reported that the geospatial data needs of the academic sector Baroness Andrews, Minister responsible for the GI Panel
were out of scope for the strategy. in October 2007. Very few people saw the final document
before submission.

Baroness Andrews then reviewed the Strategy and on 17
December 2007 said that she hoped to be able to publish
the Strategy “in a few weeks time”. The rpeort was
finally published on 25th November 2008.

Only 4 academics contributed to the Location Strategy.
However, none of the academics were consulted with
respect to academia, rather with respect to their area
of expertise (e.g. policy, technical knowledge). There is
no academic representation on the GI Panel. (“Even the
GI Panel themselves comment that there’s no academic
representation --and that they have no plans to change
this…”6.)

In the UK, a Location Council was set up (replacing the
GI Panel) which acts as the governing body for both the
UK Location Strategy and INSPIRE. The Location Council is
led by Defra.

5
The GI Panel was formed by the UK Government to focus on medium to long term issues relating to geographic information, encourage more
effective, extensive and systematic use of geographic information and provide regular short reports to Ministers. Membership of the panel
was intended to ensure broad representation of key interest groups in government, the private sector and the wider Geographic Information
industry across the United Kingdom.

6
Reported in a presentation by Michael J McCullagh “GI Standards in the UK: A Personal View”, Dec 2006.


In September 2008, Defra wrote at a ministerial level to
DIUS, amongst other departments, to ask for its support
for the Location Strategy, with a request for financial
support in order to get a seat a seat on the Council.
DIUS had some reservations. EDINA and JISC worked to
persuade DIUS of the importance of the UK SDI for UK
academia.

Ultimately a shortfall in fibnacial contributions
towards implementation of the Stratgey led to the
situation where sector inoput provided ‘in-kind’
contribution to the UKLP. The Research Councils now
have a representative on the Location Council (Richard
Hughes, Nerc, BGS) and representation on the Location
Information Interoperability Board (LIIB). The latter body
now (after JISC petitioning) also has a seat on the LIIB.
Contributions are voluntary and unpaid (although the
core UKLP has its own internal finances for maintaining a
core staff and scretariat).

Concern has been expressed in the past at the ‘top down’ nature of the current The first UK Location User Group was held in May 2010
process in UK believing it would be better if more ‘bottom up’ involvement could with the next scheduled for Spetmber. The LUG forms
be encouraged. Much of the focus has been on the providers of data to the SDI. one aspect of the UKLP commincatiosn strategy which
There appears to have been very little consultation with end users. includes roadshows, Newsletters and advice and support
to Early Adopters.
There is also concern about the maturity, stability or direct applicability of
the International standards and specifications under consideration. It has been The immaturity of some of the IRs and issues unearthed
proposed that the Network Services implementing rules define the expected as part of initial attempts at implementation have led
functionality of services as independent as possible from technological progress, to a raft of revisions to technical gudiance documents
generic enough to adapt to a changing environment, and therefore ensure their and in some areas (specifcally, the Metadata guidelines)
long term fitness for purpose. fundamental issues with the standards will need to be
addressed ‘prgamatically’ at MS level.


What has been the involvement of universities in general in
INSPIRE.
Nether research or education is explicitly mentioned in the Directive. However, The UK is dealt with specifically below. But, in summary,
the benefits to universities was recognised in the original proposal for the we conclude that academia should be a key stakeholder
Directive which stated “other user groups are also expected to benefit, including in the UK SDI and INSPIRE, possibly as data contributors,
the private sector, universities, researchers and the media” (p.3)7. but most certainly as users.

Universities are only indirectly mentioned in the work plan for the
implementation with respect to awareness raising, capacity building and change
of management practices, and support to education and training initiatives
related to INSPIRE.

There are no special Spatial Data Interest Communities (aside from EDINA)
related to education and there are very few people involved from the
educational sector in the technical development of the Implementation Rules.
In part this reflects the fact that there was no financial support from the
commission.

It is unfortunately the case that in the majority of member state SDIs there
are very few cases where consideration of research and education has been an
explicit part of the SDI process.
What will it mean?
Whilst academic establishments such as universities are covered by the definition
of public authority it is unlikely that much of the geospatial data they hold
would come under INSPIRE in the first instance. Geospatial data sets held by the
research councils are more likely to come under INSPIRE.

However, there are two caveats to this. First, as the focus shifts from the data in Data curation is poorly practised by other public
the first two annexes to the third, it is possible that data held within universities authorities so it is possible that the only copies of earlier
might come within scope e.g. species distribution, habitats, atmospheric versions of certain geospatial data sets are held by
conditions. Second, studies of environmental change require an understanding of academic researchers.
how phenomena change over time. This requires access to historic data and

7
Proposal for a DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL establishing an infrastructure for spatial information in the
Community (INSPIRE) SEC(2004) 980.


What will it mean?
earlier editions of data which may be held only by universities (or rather
researchers and research teams within universities). In both cases, Universities
will be required to make these data available. As the Commission stated
“Whether or not a data set falls under the INSPIRE obligations does not depend
on the scale, the specificity of the data sets, or the level of government involved
in their management. When the data sets, at any level of government, are
relevant for developing, implementing or monitoring laws or regulations which
may have an impact on the environment, INSPIRE obligations should apply. Such
conditions could equally apply to data sets collected by a research project
activity as the INSPIRE Directive makes no distinction between ‘operational’
and ‘research’ data sets. INSPIRE could be considered a positive incentive to
safeguard valuable research data sets after the ending of a project.” 8.

The Commission also stated in April 2008 that it is “a fundamental right of
third parties to enrich the European Spatial Data Infrastructure with data sets
currently hidden or difficult to find”.
What does it mean for Universities and Colleges as Users?
Academics and researchers in a wide range of fields are likely to benefit directly
by easier access to data facilitated by the Directive.

Over the last decade, the vast majority of collection development expenditure
by JISC and the research councils has focused on the UK and on core reference
data sets. Much UK research and teaching is about places outside the UK.
Researchers can face real difficultly in getting access to geospatial data in other
countries, particularly Europe. The ability to make seamless connections across
the wide range of data types and thematic areas will, as well as reducing the
barriers to accessing data, will also open up new opportunities for understanding
all kinds of change processes and enable national and international comparisons.

The establishment of national SDIs, which together will form the European SDI,
will further facilitate improved access to spatial data at a national level too.
This is particularly important within the UK, where access has been particularly
problematic.

8


Are there other roles for UK academia?
The UK academic sector can make a significant contribution to the EDINA is one of the leaders in the area of geospatial
implementation of the UK SDI and INSPIRE in general in the following ways services in the UK; and much of its work is relevant
to the implementation of INSPIRE. For example,
• through the knowledge and expertise it has in providing on-line geospatial EDINA’s work on catalogues and registries (data and
services (from MIMAS and EDINA specifically but also JISC in general) and data web services), its community profile of ISO 19115 for
management practices, academia, the online metadata tool for creating 19115
• through its involvement with the standards bodies and projects conducted in metadata (GeoDoc), its use of open geospatial standards
the use of open geospatial standards, in its services.
• its awareness of the latest research through academics who are working in the
field of geomatics, With respect to INSPIRE more generally, EDINA is Chair of
• with respect to awareness raising, the UKLP Metadata Working Group and has representation
• capacity building (e.g. the sharing of the practical knowledge that has been on the LIIB and various other WGs. It has developed the
gained through the R&D that has been conducted on e-infrastructures and Scottish Discovery Metdata Portal (now a UK LP Pilot)
GRID), and has provided Ordnance Survey with the software
• through the provision of web processing services, customisations to the open source software being
• its expertise in access management e.g. the UK Access Management Federation adopted by UKLP in order to bootstrap OS’s obligations
and SDSS, and under INSPIRE.
• support for education and training.

The need for training of the GI community to implement (components of) INSPIRE
has already been indentified and is something that academia could provide.
Likewise there is a need to train the end-users of spatial data and related
information.

Key to implementing INSPIRE over the coming years will be skills development,
both among geographic professionals and other professional groups who use
spatial information or support its use.


Finally, what are some of the issues we should be concerned
about from UK academia’s view point?
• Representation and engagement
Whilst academic involvement with the UKLP and INSPIRE has improved since
2008 with represnettaion on the location council (research) and the uivneristy
sector on the LIIB, broader engagement by the wider academic sector remians
piecemeal and lacks coherence. The potential for a coordinating group under
the auspi ces of GWG could be explored providing an awareness rasing and selh-
help ethos towards wider readiness within the sector for dealing with INSPIRE
obligations.
• Impact on JISC services
There is the potential for the UK SDI to impact on the services currently funded
by JISC, particularly where data currently provided by, for example Digimap,
becomes available from another public authority or from an organisation on
behalf of a public authority e.g. Ordnance Survey, UK Hydrographic Office. For
example, OS might stand up a set of view and data download services. This
needs further consideration, not least it is important for us to understand the
position of academia with respect to INSPIRE as it relates to charging.

On the other hand, and as mentioned above, the Commission has made it clear
that they see it as a fundamental right for third parties to have access to the
member state and pan European infrastructures. This means that the UK SDI,
and other infrastructures making up the European SDI should be available to a
UK academic spatial infrastructure, making a large number of geospatial data
sets available for research and use in education. Indeed, the UK academic spatial
data infrastructure might be a part of a European wide academic spatial data
infrastructure.


Links to relevant documents and web sites

The INSPIRE Directive
http://www.ec-gis.org/inspire/Directive/l_10820070425en00010014.pdf

Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing an infrastructure for spatial information in the
Community (INSPIRE)
http://www.ec-gis.org/inspire/proposal/EN.pdf

The European INSPIRE Portal at JRC
http://inspire.jrc.it

INSPIRE in the UK – Intra-governmental Group on Geographic Information (IGGI)
http://www.iggi.gov.uk/initiatives.php (Click on Green Arrow to display INSPIRE related information)


INSPIRE Spatial Data Scope

Annex I Annex III

1. Coordinate reference systems 1. Statistical units
2. Geographical grid systems 2. Buildings
3. Geographical names 3. Soil
4. Administrative units 4. Land use
5. Addresses 5. Human health and safety
6. Cadastral parcels 6. Utility and governmental services
7. Transport networks 7. Environmental monitoring facilities
8. Hydrography 8. Production and industrial facilities
9. Protected sites 9. Agricultural and aquaculture facilities
10. Population distribution –demography
Annex II 11. Area management/restriction/regulation zones
& reporting units
1. Elevation 12. Natural risk zones
2. Land cover 13. Atmospheric conditions
3. Identifiers of properties 14. Meteorological geographical features
4. Ortho-imagery (Aerial Photography) 15. Oceanographic geographical features
5. Geology 16. Sea regions
17. Bio-geographical regions
18. Habitats and biotopes
19. Species distribution
20. Energy Resources
21. Mineral resources

The EU INSPIRE Directive: An Infrastructure for Spatial Information in the European Community

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