The GI1 and GIS2 Project: a key action for the GI

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The GI1 and GIS2 Project a key action for the
GIGIS community
1 GIGeographic Information 2 GISGeographic
Information Systems

• Alessandro Annoni

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JRC in the 5th Framework Programme

• The JRC carries out Community research
  programmes. Specific programmes have been
  designed for the JRC for 1999-2002 as part of the
  Fifth Framework Programme.

• The JRC Work Programme is the result of an
  interactive planning process involving a series
  of consultations with the customer Directorates
  General (DGs)
• The GIGIS Project is one of the 85 projects for
  non nuclear activities of the JRC approved at the
  end of the consultation process

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Why harmonisation, why interoperability ?
EU enlargement and transnational activities
require

• Harmonized data, not limited by national
  boundaries, coherent databases describing
  fundamental resources, such as soil type,
  meteorological information, land cover,
  demography, protected areas, .

• The operational use of spatial databases requires
  that distributed catalogues are interoperable,
  and accessible to distributed users. We need an
  adequate technology to access and process
  distributed spatial data.

GI
GIS
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Why the SAI leadership ?

• The SAI experience and independence are key
  elements to assemble and manage such dbs and to
  act as technical co-ordination point supporting
  the growth of the GIGIS market in Europe.
• The recent evolution of GIS technology gives a
  chance to the European industry to re-enter in
  the global market (JRC can help to correctly
  defend the European needs).

• The GIGIS project therefore focuses on
  harmonisation of pan-european thematic datasets
  and on interoperability of GIS systems.

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Why a project covering bot GI GIS ?

• GI and GIS activities must be co-ordinated in a
  unique project

• to work out obvious synergies
• to increase the overall efficiency

• the GIGIS project is an horizontal activity
  towards the Provision of Spatial Information
  Services

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The objectives

• To conceive, create or harmonise Pan-European dbs
  to be used to support and monitor the EU policies
• To assist in the creation of the European
  Geographic Information Infrastructure (EGII)
• To develop methods to improve statistics using GI
  data
• To provide scientific- technical support on
  GIGIS to EC developing a common European
  position
• To operate GI communications facility
  http//ams.emap.sai.jrc.it/dg3gis
• To create link / synergies with projects relevant
  for the development of GI and GIS market

• To achieve these objectives several partners must
  be involved of private and public sector, from
  administration, industry and research in
  different domains

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Policy framework

• Spatial information becomes more and more
  relevant to support a range of EU sectorial
  policies
• The Common Agricultural Policy (Agri-environment,
  Agriculture, ..)
• Regional Policies (Spatial Planning, Structural
  funds)
• Environmental Policies (Natura2000, Agenda 21,
  ..)
• Aid and Development Policy (European Development
  Fund,..)
• Industrial Policies (Competitiveness / EU
  enlargement, ..)
• Others (Transports, Fishery, Coastal Zones
  Management, )

• A discussion is under way for a European Data
  policy (COM 585/98 Green Paper on Public Sector
  Information In information Society), in addition
  a GI Policy could be maybe defined in future
  through the GI2000 initiative

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Potential benefit for GIGIS community

• Direct benefits will include
• Technology Transfer, Promotion of Standards, New
  Infrastructures,
• Increased demand of GI to define and monitor
  sustainable policies.
• Indirect benefits as results of the actions
• to develop a new GI European culture (emphasizing
  the importance of GI in the decision-making
  process)
• to identify specific European needs or problems
  and to defend them in the globalisation process
• to set-up a inter-DG task force to co-ordinate
  actions of the EC that could have a relevant
  impact on GIGIS.

• GIS Industry, GI data providers, Researchers,
  Consultants, Application Managers could benefit
  from the increasing demand for Spatial Services.

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Scientific/technical approach
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Technical support/concertation for EC

• Participating in the process to define a European
  GI policy providing technical expertise
• Input to defining base data and other thematic
  data required at European level
• Establish and co-ordinate links with European and
  international initiatives, as for example EUROGI,
  AGILE, GISIG, OGC, MEGRIN, ....
• Author strategic documents relating to GI
  research in close collaboration with GI actors
  and researchers.
• Operate GI communication facilities

• Long term perspective to be the technical
  contact point and interface between EU community
  and others DGs on GI and GIS

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Technology watch interoperability, standards and
market monitoring

• Monitor the emergence and consolidation of
  standards aimed at the interoperability of GI and
  GIS (e.g. ISO, CEOS, OGC, CEN , EUROGI, ..)
• Monitor the evolution of the Technology in
  relation to GIS and evaluating their impact on
  Europe
• Study the applicability of technology and/or
  protocol to the interoperability of geographical
  information and prototype and demonstrate the
  feasibility of technology and/or protocol

• The GIGIS project will not define new standards
  but will promote the use of the emerging ones and
  will help European community to adopt them.

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Assist the creation of the EGII

• Provide recommendations to the policy making
  process (help in formalisation of user
  requirements)
• Help in identifying the technological constraints
  due to the GI properties (operating as test
  environment for different models for data access
  and data integration)
• Supporting the creation of new thematic networks
  in collaboration with active organisations (e.g.
  EEA, GISIG, ..)
• Extend the use of GI in domains in which it is
  still under-used (ex. to improve statistics).
  GIGIS will contribute to a future European
  GeoStatistical system driven by Eurostat (GISCO
  task force NMAs and NSIs)

• The GIGIS project will help in Technical aspect
  to assist EC officers and EU actors to define and
  create an EGII

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Set-up PAN-European thematic dbs

• GIGIS contributes to develop the thematic part
  of the EGII (not only identification and solving
  technical GI problems). Foreseen activities are
  Conception, Creation and/or Harmonisation of some
  thematic PE spatial dbs to be used to support and
  monitor EU policies (European Soil Information
  System, Land Cover, Agro-Meteorology, Natura 2000
  Protected areas, Rural Landscapes)
• For agri-environmental aspects a specific
  catchment information system has been defined

• The GIGIS approach is multidisciplinary (less
  cost for more users)
• Most of these activities will be the support and
  co-ordination of thematic networks (ESB, ETC-LC,
  ETC-NC, Meteo Services,..)

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Conclusions

• The success of the GIGIS project will depends on
• the capability to catalyze the interest and to
  get involved relevant organisations and actors
  both (within EC and EU)
• the progress of the on going debates on data
  policies (a key element to speed up the creation
  of the rules for EGII)
• the flexibility and ability of European industry
  to adapt their business plan to emerging
  technologies and to new user requirement and new
  user culture.

• This project is a key action for GIGIS. It show
  the intention of a better EC approach in spatial
  related activities (at least for RTD)
• The EC GIS workshop should continue to provide
  the opportunity to know EC actions and to help in
  identifying new EC priorities

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