The GISCO project Challenges for the future

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The GISCO projectChallenges for the future

• 5th EC-GIS workshop
• Stresa, Italy
• 28th - 30th June 1999
• josefine.oberhausen_at_eurostat.cec.be
• European Commission- Eurostat GISCO

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Structure of the presentation

• 1 Introduction
• 2 Technical aspects of the GISCO project
• 3 Contents related issues
• 4 Applications
• 5 Link between geography and statistics
• 6 Conclusion

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1 Introduction

• Origin CORINE project
• Commission Task Force on Spatial Statistics
• GISCO established in 1992
• GISCO now part of unit E4 Regional accounts and
  indicators, population and geographical
  information systems

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2 Technical aspects of the GISCO project

• Current data base architecture built around
  proprietary system
• file structure specific to software
• data stored on one UNIX server in Luxembourg
• user needs to transfer data in own environment
  before using the data
• SQL not supported by this system

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2 Technical aspects of the GISCO project

• 3 types of users identified
• advanced user Arc/Info
• intermediate user ArcView
• potential user Intranet/Internet applications

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2 Technical aspects of the GISCO project

• Limitations of the current architecture
• No interactive access to the data
• The need to copy the data in the user's
  environment
• Access restricted to a small group of trained
  specialists
• Proprietary system
• Update procedure based on the replacement of one
  layer by its new version

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2 Technical aspects of the GISCO project

• Technology the various components
• The database
• The geographical data server
• The communication layer
• The specific applications
• Intranet and/or Internet applications

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2 Technical aspects of the GISCO project

• Impact on the contents
• Update on the basis of records
• Start and end date
• Change information should be available
• The actual contents of GISCO does not conform to
  this.
• Eurostat is working on a long term solution.

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2 Technical aspects of the GISCO project

• What do we gain?
• Data accessible online
• Updates via transactions
• More users
• Architecture closer to OpenGIS recommendations

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3 Contents related issues

• GISCO contains data on a wide variety of subjects
  (topographic and thematic data)
• It is essential to structure the data
  systematically
• The system is based on two main hierarchical
  levels
• Themes
• Layers

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3 Contents related issues

• Data integration
• Three types of integration
• Logical integration
• Physical integration
• Geometric integration
• GISCO maintains 3 scales
• 1 3 000 000
• 1 1 000 000
• 1 1 00 000

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3 Contents related issues

• Major problems
• Information access
• different map projection and scales
• high costs of data
• missing standardised transfer formats
• differences in data quality
• Absence of long-term solutions

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3 Contents related issues

• better quality data needed!
• Considerable progress achieved with SABE data set
  provided by MEGRIN
• Testing PETIT (MEGRIN)
• Joint NSI - NMA meetings
• political support for GI and GIS through
  co-operation with DG XIII and JRC

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4 Applications

• need for more spatial analysis project examples
• increase activity of GISCO team in this area
• creation of the applications designer function
• need for multidisciplinary teams

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4 Applications

• provide appropriate technical tools inside
  Eurostat/Commission
• acquire necessary know how about methods and
  technical possibilities
• explore new technology

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4 ApplicationsExamples

• GISCO Analysis projects this year
• in cooperation with JRC
• interregional migration
• transportation richness indices for regions
• usage of CLC for mapping population density and
  rural areas
• in co-operation with DG VII
• accessibility of theTran-European Transport
  Network

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5 Link between geography and statistics

• NUTS Nomenclature of territorial units for
  statistics
• established to provide a single uniform
  territorial breakdown for the production of
  regional statistics for the European Union
• is used since 1988 for Community legislation
  (Structural funds)

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5 Link between geography and statistics
REGIO Regional database
GISCO
SIRE
NUTS
Local database
GIS OF THE COMMISSION
Levels 1-5
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5 Link between geography and statistics

• The NUTS is a hierarchical nomenclature
  consisting of 5 levels
• lowest level NUTS 5 commune equivalent
• provides reference for the SIRE data base
  (European infra-regional system)
• NUTS levels 1 to 3
• reference systems for regional statistics
• REGIO data base covering a variety of statistical
  domains

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5 Link between geography and statistics

• The NUTS nomenclature is defined for EU 15
• NUTS comparable administrative breakdown is
  defined for EFTA countries and Central European
  Countries
• GISCO contains the corresponding boundaries down
  to NUTS 5

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5 Link between geography and statistics

• Problems
• keep updates at level 5 going
• change information 1991 - 1995 only for
  nomenclature available
• missing change information for the corresponding
  boundaries

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5 Link between geography and statistics

• in 1994 boundary study - results
• acquisition of administrative boundaries from
  MEGRIN
• need for a nomenclature management system
• future stepspilot exercises with 3 member states
  to improve situation

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6 Conclusion

• Decide on new architecture
• Need for better quality data
• Need for value added spatial analysis
  applications
• Improving the link between geography and
  statistics

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Thank you for your attention!