CoastGIS’99: geomatics and coastal environment
European Environmental policy
To provide environmental information to support European policy, the
European Environmental Agency (EEA) was created. Again, rhe EEA
faces huge problems in obtaining coherent data and intormation on a
European scale. The EGII will help make coherent pan-European data
sets available.
Fisheries policy
The EC DG XIV responsible for fisheries is also creating a GIS service to
support its policy. They too will need the EGII to be effective.
Regional policy
DG XVI has been one of the first to use territorial data. Like all EC services,
rhey suffer from the lack of coherent and timely data available for the
European territory. Also, the EU is now launching a new programme
requiring large amounts of territorial information: the European Spatial Development Programme (ESDP).
This list of European policies lor which the planning, monitoring and
management will be improved is not exhaustive, many other policies, programmes, activities will benefit from the EGII.
• A political role
The Information Society is a global issue. The Commission plays an
important political role in defining rules and regulations. It tries to organize the market, bearing in mind sustainability and improving citizens’
living conditions.
Such a political role involves many diversified activities. We will focus
on two of them:
- Green Paper on access to public data;
- GI2000.
Green Paper on access to public data
The Green Paper starrs by defining the stakes:
- content is the key issue to enable the development of the Information Society;
- public sector information is a premium content resource;
- barriers at European level prevent improved access to information
and its better exploitation.
From there, the Green Paper defines its main objectives, bringing
citizens and businesses closer to the administration, raising awareness
of the wide ranging potenrial of data exploitation and re-engineering
the public sector towards electronic government.
For citizens, easier access to information throughout Europe means
more transparent administrative procedures, improved workers mobility, enhancing the reality of the single market and contributing to the
European integration process. In addition, public data exploitation
offers potential for new economic activities, boosting economic activity
47
European Environmental policy
To provide environmental information to support European policy, the
European Environmental Agency (EEA) was created. Again, rhe EEA
faces huge problems in obtaining coherent data and intormation on a
European scale. The EGII will help make coherent pan-European data
sets available.
Fisheries policy
The EC DG XIV responsible for fisheries is also creating a GIS service to
support its policy. They too will need the EGII to be effective.
Regional policy
DG XVI has been one of the first to use territorial data. Like all EC services,
rhey suffer from the lack of coherent and timely data available for the
European territory. Also, the EU is now launching a new programme
requiring large amounts of territorial information: the European Spatial Development Programme (ESDP).
This list of European policies lor which the planning, monitoring and
management will be improved is not exhaustive, many other policies, programmes, activities will benefit from the EGII.
• A political role
The Information Society is a global issue. The Commission plays an
important political role in defining rules and regulations. It tries to organize the market, bearing in mind sustainability and improving citizens’
living conditions.
Such a political role involves many diversified activities. We will focus
on two of them:
- Green Paper on access to public data;
- GI2000.
Green Paper on access to public data
The Green Paper starrs by defining the stakes:
- content is the key issue to enable the development of the Information Society;
- public sector information is a premium content resource;
- barriers at European level prevent improved access to information
and its better exploitation.
From there, the Green Paper defines its main objectives, bringing
citizens and businesses closer to the administration, raising awareness
of the wide ranging potenrial of data exploitation and re-engineering
the public sector towards electronic government.
For citizens, easier access to information throughout Europe means
more transparent administrative procedures, improved workers mobility, enhancing the reality of the single market and contributing to the
European integration process. In addition, public data exploitation
offers potential for new economic activities, boosting economic activity
47