Location the key to quality content for Europe’s Digital Agenda says the Association for National Mapping and Cadastral Agencies

National mapping and cadastral agencies will provide important quality content for Europe’s Digital Agenda, the President of EuroGeographics told a recent meeting in the European Parliament, Strasbourg.

MEPs and representatives from companies such as RIM and British Telecom were among those attending the event, sponsored by EuroGeographics - the Association for National Mapping, Land Registry and Cadastral Agencies - which was part of the British Chamber of Commerce in Belgium’s annual visit to the European Parliament.

“A vibrant digital single market needs quality information from a trustworthy source,” Ingrid Vanden Berghe, President of EuroGeographics told guests. “The authoritative, interoperable geographical information provided by our members crosses national borders and is a vital link among otherwise unconnected information frameworks. It increasingly underpins many everyday activities as well as a new generation of web-based applications provided by industry, SMEs and governments. Uses include providing location information for place-based and thematic policy and services, reducing the costs of these and delivering many benefits in health care, traffic management, environmental monitoring, national security and many other areas of European society.”

“To support the Europe 2020 strategy for smart, sustainable growth, EuroGeographics’ members are currently working to develop the European Location Framework which will link data to a common, maintained location framework of definitive, reliable public sector reference data to realise a host of benefits for a wide range of users.”

The keynote speaker, Róża Gräfin von Thun und Hohenstein MEP stressed the importance of taking a holistic view of the challenges that society faces and the very many opportunities to improve the economy and provide safer societies. She encouraged businesses, especially SMEs and governments, to work together to realise the benefits from the use and re-use of properly funded Public Sector Information.

To find out about EuroGeographics’ activities, visit www.eurogeographics.org

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For further information please contact EuroGeographics’ Secretary General and Executive Director, Dave Lovell, on +32 2 888 71 93, +32 848 663 345 (mobile), email: dave.lovell@eurogeographics.org; Patricia Sokacova, EuroGeographics‘ Membership and Communication Manager on +421 903 056 418/+421 948 388 908, email: patricia.sokacova@eurogeographics.org; or Rhian French on +44 1264 338375, +447892 698 350 (mobile), email: press@eurogeographics.org.

Notes to Editors

EuroGeographics is an international not-for-profit organisation (AISBL/ IVZW under Belgian Law. BCE registration:  833 607 112) and the membership association for the European national mapping, land registry and cadastral agencies. It brings together 56 members from 45 countries, from Portugal to the Ukraine and Iceland to Turkey.

EuroGeographics’ members invest around €1.5 billion in the development of geographical information each year and use cutting-edge technology to create, manage, maintain and make available authoritative national databases.

EuroGeographics members are developing an infrastructure to integrate their national data – including topographic and land information – to deliver the definitive pan-European location framework for a wide range of uses. By sharing best practice and creating standard data specifications and policies, EuroGeographics aims to ensure that members’ individual geographical databases are compatible and can interact with one another. This will provide Europe with the high quality geographical information it needs to develop policies and legislation for the environment, business competitiveness, public services, legal systems, security and more.

To find out more about EuroGeographics, please visit www.eurogeographics.org To see our members’ geographical information in action, please visit our showcase at www.youtube.com/eurogeographics