1. Cordination of Geographic Information in the Commission and the ESS
DIMESA Director’s meeting Environmental statistics and accounts Eurostat, April 2012
Daniele Rizzi
Unit E4 – Regional Statistics and Geographical Information

2. The coordination of GI in the Commission
Problem statement (1)
Several Commission Directorates-General generate and use geographic information for community policy making and assessment (Environment, Transport, Regional policy, Research, External relations, …)
The INSPIRE directive sets the framework for harmonised spatial information in MSs and in the Commission
DIMESA meeting April 2012

3. The coordination of GI in the Commission
Problem statement (2)
Georeferenced statistics are increasingly being collected, and the use of statistics in combination with geographic information is being recognized as a powerful tool for validation and analysis
Resource restrictions are making even more evident the need for a more efficient use of available sources of information and a more coordinated common approach
DIMESA meeting April 2012

4. The coordination of GI in the Commission
Envisaged approach
Maximisation of the exploitation of existing know-how and resources
Avoid duplication of efforts
Share of roles and responsibilities between Commission DGs
Envisaged role for Eurostat
Focus on issues more directly related with statistical priorities:
Combination of GI and statistics
Improve the coordination of GI issues in the ESS
Reduce the activities directly related to the overall implementation of INSPIRE
Maintain the Commission internal geoportal,
Proposed short term action
Set up a permanent, high level interservice group for GI coordination
DIMESA meeting April 2012

5. The European Statistical System and Geostatistics
Background
As in the Commission, National Statistical offices and National Mapping Agencies or other GI authorities in Member States already cooperate, but more coordination and further synergies are needed
INSPIRE, Statistical Regulations and other thematic reporting obligations set the regulatory framework at the European level
Vision
The ESSC should take a leading role in further awareness-raising and coordination of an increased integration of two sources of information, geospatial and statistical, which ultimately would lead to an increased capability to monitor and understand human and natural phenomena, reduce burdens related to duplications of efforts and provide better information for policy making
DIMESA meeting April 2012

6. The European Statistical System and Geostatistics
Proposed actions
High level workshop with NSIs and NMCAs (15-16 May)
Session on geostatistics in the 2012 DGINS conference
Follow up point in a ESSC meeting second half 2012
Creation of a high level permanent structure of discussion within the ESS
Further and enlarged cooperation in the framework of the GEOSTAT project (Representing Census data in a European population grid), in particular for the exploitation of the 2011 census
Support of actions at national level
Follow up of the first GEOSTAT project
Call for proposals supporting geostatistical activities
DIMESA meeting April 2012

7. Thank you for your attention !
DIMESA meeting April 2012