CoastGIS’99: geomatics and coastal environment
GI potential for society and the economy. GI2000 also recognizes the
importance of GI to support EU policies: CAP, transport, ESDP, environment, etc.
The barriers to European market development are analysed, and finally,
the document suggests areas for EU actions.
The first action is to provide political leadership, co-ordinating activities between all market place actors, at the European level. A High
Level Working Party (HLWP) should define common goals to which
everyone can subscribe, organize the debates and discussions on geographic information, stimulate co-operation and synergies between the
key players, from public and private sectors.
The second action is to stimulate the development of a European
Geographic Information Infrastructure. Such an infrastructure will
have to provide the basic elements to enable sustainable development
of the European GI market.
Why GI2000?
The GI economy
The digital information economy
There is a growing need to improve the decision-making process, and
increase its efficiency. Most decisions we take have an impact on space,
in one way or another. We travel, or make people travel, pollution
concerns everyone, many political decisions impact our landscape and
our mobility. Technology increasingly develops the information society,
and GI is part of that development.
Two important questions are: Is there a digital information economy?
What are the main features of the European digital information market?
The first feature is a mixed economy, with strong participation of the
public sector, being an important producer, user and distributor of
digital information. This participation makes the economic analysis
difficult. Many questions are far from being solved today, and regulating
the market makes for fiery debate.
The central questions to the debate are:
- where is the line between commercial activity and public service?
- what is the role of public service? Is access to public information free?
- does free access to public information means information for free?
- how can competition between the public and private sectors be regulated ?
The European digital information market is also multicultural and
multilingual, making it rich, but also complex. The scientific potential,
the cultural heritage of Europe are huge, the challenge is now to build
on them to succeed in reaching sustainable information market growth
and in being competitive in a global context.
What is specific to the GI economy?
The information market now needs some basic infrastructure. A key
issue for its development, this essentially encompasses all information
49
GI potential for society and the economy. GI2000 also recognizes the
importance of GI to support EU policies: CAP, transport, ESDP, environment, etc.
The barriers to European market development are analysed, and finally,
the document suggests areas for EU actions.
The first action is to provide political leadership, co-ordinating activities between all market place actors, at the European level. A High
Level Working Party (HLWP) should define common goals to which
everyone can subscribe, organize the debates and discussions on geographic information, stimulate co-operation and synergies between the
key players, from public and private sectors.
The second action is to stimulate the development of a European
Geographic Information Infrastructure. Such an infrastructure will
have to provide the basic elements to enable sustainable development
of the European GI market.
Why GI2000?
The GI economy
The digital information economy
There is a growing need to improve the decision-making process, and
increase its efficiency. Most decisions we take have an impact on space,
in one way or another. We travel, or make people travel, pollution
concerns everyone, many political decisions impact our landscape and
our mobility. Technology increasingly develops the information society,
and GI is part of that development.
Two important questions are: Is there a digital information economy?
What are the main features of the European digital information market?
The first feature is a mixed economy, with strong participation of the
public sector, being an important producer, user and distributor of
digital information. This participation makes the economic analysis
difficult. Many questions are far from being solved today, and regulating
the market makes for fiery debate.
The central questions to the debate are:
- where is the line between commercial activity and public service?
- what is the role of public service? Is access to public information free?
- does free access to public information means information for free?
- how can competition between the public and private sectors be regulated ?
The European digital information market is also multicultural and
multilingual, making it rich, but also complex. The scientific potential,
the cultural heritage of Europe are huge, the challenge is now to build
on them to succeed in reaching sustainable information market growth
and in being competitive in a global context.
What is specific to the GI economy?
The information market now needs some basic infrastructure. A key
issue for its development, this essentially encompasses all information
49