The EU INSPIRE Proposal for Directive: a Suitable Mechanism to Make Spatial Data (More) Available?
- Paper number
IAC-07-E6.1.11
- Author
Dr. Lesley Jane Smith, University of Lueneburg, Germany
- Coauthor
Ms. Catherine Doldirina, University of Bremen, Germany
- Year
2007
- Abstract
Spatial information plays an increasingly important role in the decision-making process at global and European level, particularly in the field of environmental protection. Access to such kinds of information, as well as the compatibility of information storage systems are becoming extremely important issues. Their importance is currently demonstrated by the development of European initiatives such as GMES and GALILEO that have their legal bases in the Directive on public access to environmental information and the Directive on the re-use of public sector information. The current Proposal for a Directive establishing an infrastructure for spatial information in the Community (INSPIRE), introduced by the Commission in 2004 represents the next step in merging and streamlining policy-relevant spatial data and information, with a view to exploiting its full potential. Some of the crucial incentives behind adoption of the Directive are: storage, maintenance and making available of spatial data at the most appropriate level; combining spatial data from different sources across the Community in a consistent way and sharing them between several users and applications; promotion of the unrestricted extensive use of spatial data; facilitation of metadata availability; and finally, providing conditions for use of spatial data. This paper analyses the current draft of the proposed INSPIRE Directive, last submitted to the Council and the Parliament in late 2006. It focuses on the interaction between the differing European mechanisms regulating degrees of access to spatial data, including the future impact of INSPIRE Directive on the availability of spatial information. It concludes with an assessment of the Directive’s practicability in achieving its immediate goals. The paper explores the degree to which a restrictive tendency towards accessing spatial information and data is detectable in Europe’s space policies, particularly through reliance on intellectual property rights (whether belonging to state or private actors). The authors conclude with a few suggestions as to how current and future regulation within the field of accessing information might even be improved.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-07-E6.1.11.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
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