ESMI
The LaClef project complemented the work done as part of ESMI, an INFO2000 Project from the first call, now in its implementation phase The relations with ESMI can be seen as twofold. ESMI will build a European Spatial Metadata Infrastructure that will link mostly national and thematic servers of GI (meta) data. EMF will be one of these thematic nodes that will represent the European NMAs.

ESMI objectives are concerned with building an infrastructure, including network and communication tools and interface. La Clef will go further, in initiating an e-commerce prototype, and addressing the delicate issues of on-line-data security and pricing. Good communication between the two projects will be guaranteed, as two EMF partners MEGRIN and EUROGI also belong also to the ESMI Consortium.

GEIXS
The GEIXS project of the EuroGeoSurveys (EGS) has objectives very similar to those of La Clef, except that it deals with geological data. The GEIXS project is concerned with developing a multilingual, high resolution, pan-European thematic metadata service for the European Geological Survey Organisations - a parallel objective to that of La Clef. The GEIXS project does not include the e-commerce aspects, but this is seen by them as a logical next step. Relations between the two projects can be summarised thus: La Clef will benefit from the work done for GEIXS, and the experience acquired during its research and development; La Clef will develop its metadata profiles and search and access services in order to ensure maximum compatibility across the two different sectors.

Post-GEIXS, EuroGeoSurveys and La Clef will collaborate in researching the specific issues concerned with e-commerce, and developing the prototype service.

EUREF
The EUREF Sub-commission of the International Association of Geodesy performs research on geodesy and reference systems, and works at establishing and maintaining a pan-European geodetic reference. The world of GIS is mostly the world of cartographers, and experience shows that the understanding of the rigorous transformation procedures from one co-ordinate system to the other is not common knowledge. Moreover, already published transformation parameters and algorithms are not always known by the people who need to use them. LaClef and EUREF will collaborate in creating a "European co-ordinates" service, which will help users to solve their transformation problems.

For further information, please contact contact@eurogeographics.org