The EU’s infrastructure for spatial information (Inspire)

SUMMARY OF:

Directive 2007/2/EC establishing an infrastructure for spatial information in the European Community (Inspire)

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE DIRECTIVE?

It lays down general rules setting up an infrastructure for spatial information* in Europe for the purposes of European Union (EU) environmental policies and for policies or activities which may have an impact on the environment.
The European infrastructure builds on that of spatial information that is established and operated by EU countries.

KEY POINTS

The legislation applies to spatial data that:

cover areas where EU countries have jurisdictional rights;
exist in electronic format;
are held by, or on behalf of, a public authority or another body using the network;
relate to environmental information.
EU countries are responsible for ensuring that metadata* are created for the various environmental spatial data* sets and services listed in the legislation. Depending on the subject, these must be established within 2 or 5 years of the rules coming into force.
The European Commission, assisted by a committee, adopts the technical arrangements to ensure spatial data sets and services can work together and harmonises them where this can be put into practice.
These implementing rules were to be adopted no later than 15 May 2009 or 15 May 2012, depending on the subject.
EU countries must establish and operate a network with the following services:
Discovery: to search for spatial data sets and services.
View: to display, navigate, zoom in and out, pan or overlay viewable spatial data sets.
Download: where this can be put into practice, to access directly and download copies of spatial data sets.
Transformation: to transform spatial data sets to achieve interoperability.
Public authorities must be able to link their spatial data sets and services to the national network.
EU countries may limit public access to spatial data sets and services for various reasons, such as legal confidentiality, public security, intellectual property rights or protection of the environment.
The Commission operates an EU Inspire geoportal. This gives access to the national networks.
The legislation does not require the collection of new spatial data.

Evaluation

In August 2016, the Commission published its report on implementation of the INSPIRE Directive (2007/2/EC). Together with this report, it presented a detailed evaluation which was carried out in the context of its Regulatory Fitness (REFIT) programme.
This evaluation has demonstrated that the INSPIRE directive is still largely fit-for purpose, but that further efforts are needed at EU and at EU country level to close the significant implementation gaps and to reap the benefits of the directive. Moreover, specific issues needing attention concern the data policy provisions (Article 17 of the directive) and requirements and use of some of the technical specifications in the implementing rules (including the streamlining of reporting).
As a consequence, the Commission has issued a number of recommendations and actions which it will now implement in close collaboration with the EU countries in a Maintenance and Implementation Work Programme 2016-2020.

FROM WHEN DOES THE DIRECTIVE APPLY?

It has applied since 15 May 2007. EU countries had to incorporate it into national law by 15 May 2009.

BACKGROUND

For more information, see:

‘Inspire Directive’ on the European Commission's website.

* KEY TERMS

Infrastructure for spatial information: covers metadata, spatial data sets and spatial data services; network services and technologies; agreements on sharing, access and use; and coordination and monitoring mechanisms, processes and procedures.

Metadata: information describing spatial data sets and spatial data services, making it possible to discover, inventory and use them.

Spatial data: any data with direct or indirect reference to a specific location or geographical area, such as addresses, transport networks, elevation and land use.

MAIN DOCUMENT

Directive 2007/2/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 March 2007 establishing an Infrastructure for Spatial Information in the European Community (Inspire) (OJ L 108, 25.4.2007, pp. 1-14)