1. European Commission - DG ENV 1 Presentation outline The rationale for ESDI EESDI: approach, features and principles EESDI initiative: just started Strenghts and challenges From EESDI to ESDI: outlook for the long term future EESDI: contribution of GI community Environmental European Spatial Data Infrastructure EESDI

2. European Commission - DG ENV 2 Since more than 10 Years: Europe is trying to kick-start a thriving market of GI services... Towards ESDI...with limited success Industry is frustrated GI Community is frustrated Users are frustrated Nevertheless, a lot of progress has been made

3. European Commission - DG ENV 3 What has been achieved to date? Towards ESDI Many GI organisations, networks, lobby groups, have been created and come to maturity Standards have been created Technology is maturing Awareness is rising Mentality is changing Elements of SDI are in place More is needed to create a flourishing EU GI market ! Many applications are being developed, although operational usage is limited

4. European Commission - DG ENV 4 The time has come for a new approach Towards ESDI

5. European Commission - DG ENV 5 EESDI: A new initiative of DG Environment that : Environmental European Spatial Data Initiative EESDI - a new approach builds upon what already exist reaches out to other policy themes (such as transport, agriculture, regional policy, fisheries, health) works closely together with research, industry, government, ICT, GI communities and other stakeholders is driven by the user community is cross-thematic: water, soil, nature, bio-diversity... is harmonised across the EU and the accession countries has strong political foundations

6. European Commission - DG ENV 6 Embedded in Environmental Community legislation EESDI features A stepwise approach starting with what is feasible today, aiming at a stable, harmonised GI infrastructure in ten years from here A co-operative approach: Interim EESDI Expert Group Working Groups: on thematic data requirements: water, air... on common data requirements/reference data on data policy and standards/interoperability EESDI framework legislation

7. European Commission - DG ENV 7 EESDI is at the service of the citizen GI shall be relevant and accessible at all levels of environmental decision-making: local, regional, national, community Collect once, use many times at different scales Access of information:in line with Aarhus Convention and with revised access to information Directive EESDI Principles

8. European Commission - DG ENV 8 16 May 2001: creation of EESDI team in DG Environment End September 2001: establishment of an interim EESDI Expert group … Adoption of Commission Proposal Discussion in Council and EP, followed by adoption Implementation by Member States EESDI: current status

9. European Commission - DG ENV 9 Strengths of EESDI approach Environment is a broad sector with strong spatial dimension Data requirements not minimalist (if duly justified by benefits) User-pull ensures sustainable solution: information is relevant user will require and use applications to exploit the information applications and information will be maintained Consensus across all sectors is not a condition for making progress Environment sector shares common values of: transparency and openness stakeholder involvement sharing of information

10. European Commission - DG ENV 10 EESDI challenges how to ensure the availability of reference data? how achieve compatibility with initiatives taken in sectors beyond the environment? how to integrate past or ongoing work ? how to co-ordinate with international and global initiatives? how to avoid sacrificing long term interoperability for short term results?

11. European Commission - DG ENV 11 From EESDI to ESDI Reference data D ataStandardsD ataStandards Environment Common thematic data requirements Agriculture Common thematic data requirements AirAir NoiseNoise SoilSoil WaterWater DataPolicyDataPolicy Other themes...

12. European Commission - DG ENV 12 Lift up your ambitions in existing projects: ETemII, GETIS, GINIE: Create deliverables that can feed directly into the EESDI WGs Contribution of the GI community For the 7th IST Call, propose authoritative projects of which the outcomes can directly feed into EESDI Work together in an open-minded way to find common solutions: it is sometimes better to come to an agreement at expert level than to let the politicians decide! Establishing the EESDI Expert group: use the network Inspire yourself from the good examples presented during the workshop: e.g. from Poland, Germany,...

13. European Commission - DG ENV 13 EESDI Thank you for your attention Marc.Vanderhaegen@cec.eu.int