The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences. Vol. XXXVII. Part B4. Beijing 2008 
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1.2 The infrastructure of spatial data: between the 
tendencies of globalization and the European integration 
1.2.1 European directives: The process of Romania’s 
integration to the European Union implies the obligation to 
align to the legislation and standards of the community, 
including in what regards the “spatial data infrastructure” (SDI). 
The INSPIRE frame directive (Infrastructure for Spatial 
Information in Europe), initiated by the European Commission, 
was adopted in 2005 under the name of “INSPIRE work 
program”. The rules of application foresee the technical 
orientations for the achievement and operationalization of the 
program, considering the environmental spatial information, but 
also from other activity sectors (agriculture, transport, energy, 
etc.). The purpose of the work program is realizing a European 
SDI through the introduction of new unifier concepts and 
methodologies at the level of national infrastructures, whose 
finality would be the easy and total access to the spatial data of 
the Member States. For the support of the INSPIRE Directive, 
there are other projects that have to be considered, amongst 
which we remind RISE (Reference Information Specifications), 
whose main purpose is creating a Rough Guide for the creation 
and application of spatial data specifications, in correlation with 
the international standards. 
1.2.2 The international-regional context: If at a world level, 
the United Nations Convention upon climatic changes, come 
into effect in 1998, or the Kyoto Protocol in 1992 claim, among 
other things, that the geographic information and the data in the 
environment must be used in monitoring the development of 
world states, in this sense an important role being played by the 
“spatial data infrastructure” (SDI) in Europe, EGII (European 
Geographic Information Infrastructure) defines a 
complementary infrastructure at a regional level. The 
coordination of this last organism is ensured by the EUROGI 
(European Umbrella Organization for Geographic Information). 
On the other hand, if in “horizontal plan” the SDI agenda (at a 
global and European level) fusions and can be found in the 
international-regional context, in “vertical plan” we notice that, 
in the purpose of “global observation”, IGOS (Integrated Global 
Observing Strategy) represents a unification factor between the 
“spatial observation” systems and the “terrestrial observation” 
systems. 
1.3 The national experience and the new technological 
approach 
Within the integration, Romania comes with a personal, 
recognized experience in what regards the professional 
preparation of generations of photogrammetrists - the turning 
point being represented by the university medium - but also in 
what regards the practical achievement of wide scope works, 
begun half a century ago, in 1958, through the creation of the 
Photogrammetry Center in Bucharest - a true standard unit in 
the field. 
1.3.1 Romania’s dower: 
The national experience finds its principle in the first plans of 
systematization for the cities of Bacäu and Curtea de Arge§, 
executed through aero-photography in 1924 by the Aerial 
Cadastre Division next to the Civil Aviation. From this 
reference point, gradually, large surface works were achieved, 
started by the Photogrammetry Center in 1958 and continued by 
its successors until the current National Center of Geodesy, 
Cartography, Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing 
(NCGCPRS). 
The beginnings of applications in the field of remote sensing 
are found sometime around the ‘70s, within the 
Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing Laboratory (Lab. P&RS) 
from within the Technical University of Civil Engineering of 
Bucharest (TUCEB). If the first Course in Photogrammetry 
was taught in 1949 by Professor Nicolau Barlad at the Faculty 
of Geodesy from within the Military Technical Academy 
(MTA), the first Course in Remote Sensing was taught in 1970 
by Professor Nicolaie Oprescu at the Faculty of Geodesy from 
within the TUCEB. In this context, we underline the role played 
by Lab. P&RS in collaboration with NASA (National 
Aeronautics and Space Administration) and with RCSA 
(Romanian Committee for Spatial Activities). In synthesis, we 
note: (1) the collaboration, at an international level, with NASA 
(1970-1975) regarding the use of ERTS-LANDSAT data for the 
investigation of natural resources; (2) the collaboration, on an 
internal level, with RCSA (1970-1988), which materialized, 
among numerous studies, as well under a documentary report, 
in the editing of 35 issues of the Remote Sensing Bulletin. 
In what regards the beginnings of governmental cooperation at 
a regional level, from them we can keep in mind two 
participations that are more important: (a) at the permanent 
remote sensing “work group” Counsels from within the 
INTERCOSMOS (1972-1989); (b) at the CORINE LAND 
COVER program (1994-1995), both benefiting from the 
collaboration of a large number of specialists from various 
profile institutions in Romania. 
In preparation for our country’s integration to the EU, a recent 
page in the European collaboration, in the spatial field, is 
constituted by the signing by the ESA (European Spatial 
Agency) and ROSA (Romanian Spatial Agency) of an 
Agreement through which Romania becomes the third of the 
former countries participant to INTERCOSMOS that obtains 
the status of European state Cooperator with ESA (after the 
Czech Republic and Hungary); the signing of the Agreement 
ensures a new communitarian frame important in the 
application of the EU program aiming at agriculture, forester 
culture, telecommunications, disasters, etc. 
Going back to the recent history (after the revolution in 
December 1989) in the field of photogrammetry, we will 
mention the gradual transition to digital technology use, 
effectuating works within the national projects which, 
according to the strategy adopted, will cover the whole territory; 
they are realized by both state organizations and private firms, 
under the coordination of the National Agency of Cadastre and 
Real Estate Advertising (NACREA). It is important to notice, in 
this sense, the first aero-photogrammetric flights made in the 
years preceding the integration (2004-2007), using medium and 
large format digital cameras or other detection techniques (SAR, 
LIDAR), mounted on various aerial platforms (planes, 
helicopters). 
1.3.2 The new technological approach in Romania: 
The transition of the photogrammetry bases from classic 
geometry to modem information technology has known, in 
Romania, an adjusting period developed in two phases, as 
follows: the first, by using the hybrid procedure (film plus 
scanning), using latest generation photo cameras; the second, by 
using the complete procedure (directly digital), using medium 
and large format digital aerial cameras. In both situations, the