Infrastructure for Spatial Information in Europe (INSPIRE) - towards interoperability of land-cover, land-use, and agricultural data sets

Abstract

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) entered into force on the 15th May 2007. INSPIRE lays down general rules to establish an infrastructure for spatial information in Europe for the purposes of Community environmental policies, and policies or activities which may have an impact on the environment.

One of the aspects that INSPIRE regulates is the interoperability and harmonization of spatial data sets and services for 34 so-called data themes that are laid down in the three Annexes to the INSPIRE Directive. These include land-cover and land-use. An open and transparent process for stakeholder participation has been set-up in order to draw-up the draft specifications for the land cover and land use data themes, which in 2012 are expected to become Implementing Rules Legal Acts.

The aim of this article is to stress the importance of stakeholder participation in the development and testing of, and feedback on the draft Implementing Rules Legal Acts that will affect the agricultural, land-use and land-cover communities.