EUROGI has recently published an open
letter, which has identified some of
the major questions we need to be
addressed, the debate about which
should lead to the identification of
a strategy to guide those who have
the responsibility in the development
of standards so that relevant and
sensible ones can be brought to the
market in timely fashion and be used.
c. Role of the Private/Public
Sectors
A debate has started in many National
arenas with regard to the respective
roles of the public and private
sectors with regard to GI. This is
an important issue with many
different shades of opinion held in
different countries by a wide range
of organisations involved. EUROGI
will © support and’ facilitate ' this
debate but it is clear that some form
of partnership between the relevant
sectors will be crucial to effective
developments.
d. Data Availability
This is one of the key issues. An
EGII should strive to provide access
to a broad readily available high
quality platform of base data within
a .uniform infrastructure across
Europe, so that every market niche is
open to everyone, so that existing
data can be combined to provide
relevant reliable, valuable
information and so that new data can
be effectively and immediately used.
Meta data services and standards are
critical to the achievement of this
aim. A great deal has already been
achieved in some national and
disciplinary areas, but the quality
and coverage is patchy. The current
DGXIIIe projects on base data and
meta data services will help to shine
light on what has happened so far and
identify the shortfall in the present
situation. This platform can then be
used to encourage others to fill in
the gaps and yet more to increase the
awareness of the information that is
available cin s/what'"^ globally is
comparatively a data rich region.
THE GLOBAL SITUATION
While Europe has been debating its
requirement for a GI infrastructure
parallel initiatives (some far more
advanced in implementation) have been
started in other parts of the world.
In the USA with its National Spatial
Data Infrastructure (NSDI), in
Australia, Japan, SE Asia and more
recently Korea activities are well
advanced with strong political
support.
There ‘are ^ currently 'a number | of
tentative steps being taken to
explore the need for and viability of
a Global GI. A number of meetings,
mostly unofficial have taken place in
many parts of the world over the past
year, some of which have involved
various members of EUROGI. The next
such meeting will take place with
invited delegates under our auspices
in Bonn : hosted” by “our- German
Association (DDGI) in September where
some of the next steps will be
discussed. It is also of
significance that the UN and the
World Bank have now become interested
in these activities. It is important
that Europe plays an appropriate role
and EUROGI will work to ensure that
it does.
CONCLUSION
We live in interesting times. Europe
has the means but needs to
demonstrate the political will to
create a GI information
infrastructure that will benefit the
market-place and its citizens, a will
that supports, stimulates and
challenges private companies and
public !'bodies!csto: invests:in:tthe
creation and improvement of an EGII.
EUROGI will play its part.
International Archives of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. Vol. XXXI, Part B6. Vienna 1996
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