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EuroSpec could adopt
as its own the following words taken from the introduction
of the Proposal for the INSPIRE Directive (of 27 Jul 2004):
“Policies
need to be employed to reduce duplicated data collection
and to assist and promote the harmonisation, broad dissemination
and use of data. Such policies should result in increased
efficiency, the benefits of which can be reinvested in improving
the availability and quality of information. ….
… Spatial information can play a special role in this
new approach because it allows information to be integrated
from a variety of disciplines for a variety of uses. A coherent
and widely accessible spatial description of the Community
territory would deliver the requisite framework for coordinating
information delivery and monitoring across the Community.
Within the very wide field of spatial information, reference
information plays a crucial role, as being the foundation
of the whole infrastructure. The need for seamless access
to pan-European or cross border reference information is becoming
increasingly apparent. The main drivers for this can be seen:
- within the European Commission, in particular to support
the development, implementation and monitoring of policies
and directives; and,
- in the private sector, particularly in the road transport
market.
The strategic goals for EuroSpec, aligned with the general
EuroGeographics strategy, are meant therefore to answer that
demand within the scope of the above vision. They are not
cut from previous EuroGeographics’ strategy, but must
rather be viewed as ambitious extension of the previous strategies
and achievements, to meet today’s expectations and needs.
The strategic goals addressed by EuroSpec
are:
1. EuroGeographics members the NMCAs being
the official custodian of national Base Reference Information,
need to expand their role to being collectively also the leading
suppliers of pan-European and cross-border Reference
Information.
Thus going beyond
the current successes of harmonised pan-European small scale
products: SABE,
EuroGlobalMap
and EuroRegionalMap.
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2.
EuroSpec will provide the foundation of the ESDI by defining
information and product specifications that
will be recognized as standard by the industry and will underpin
the geographic information overall interoperability.
Building on the current harmonised EuroRegionalMap specifications
developed on the DIGEST standard and the FACC catalogue,
and on the findings of various interoperability projects
such as GiMoDig.
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3.
EuroSpec will clarify and simplify the pricing and
licensing of pan-European data by creating a common
framework.
Extending the achievements of the current agreements that
allow licensing information from some 40 different owners
under common terms, to refined concepts and principles that
can be implemented for distributed Internet services, while
respecting national legal frameworks and business strategies.
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4. EuroSpec will establish a distributed
service infrastructure to enable users across Europe
to access interoperable high quality up-to-date reference
information, metadata and geodetic services.
A considerable shift from the current main products supported
by a centralised organisation, the EuroSpec distributed
service infrastructure will allow direct access to the national
main Base Reference Information sources, in their most up-to-date
status.
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5. EuroSpec will forge partnerships
with the key actors of the European GI marketplace, and establish
a sustainable financial model to address
and minimise the costs involved in producing and using pan-European
reference information.
Developing the existing
collaboration with key pan-European players (such as
the EC, EUREF, EuroSDR, EUROGI), industrial partners and
service providers, as well as with each member NMCA.
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