The ESMI (European Spatial Metadata Infrastructure) project aims to create a single access gate to linked internet services that describe geographic information, thereby giving users access to a wealth of information about geographic data. The partners for the implementation phase are Geodan (the Netherlands), Centro Nacional Informação Geográfica - CNIG (Portugal), EUROGI (the Netherlands), LISITT, Universidad de Valencia (Spain) and MEGRIN (France).

The project is part-funded by DG XIII-E of the European Commission, for two years from 1 January 1998, in the framework of INFO2000 programme. It is one of five geographic information projects selected to receive continued support from the Commission from the 13 definition phase projects of 1997. The projects are supported with the aim of improving access to European geographic information.

The ESMI project will create a European Spatial Metadata Infrastructure by providing mechanisms to directly link users of geographic information with metadata services using Internet.

The project completed a definition phase between January and June 1997.