Foto: Gatis Dieziņš (Aizsardzības ministrija)
Leaders from 47 European National Mapping, Cadastral and Land Registration Authorities met in Latvia recently to share insights on delivering authoritative data in increasingly uncertain times.
Hosted by the Latvian Geospatial Information Agency with support from the State Land Service, the EuroGeographics 2025 General Assembly was one of the biggest gatherings of geospatial experts in the not-for-profit Association’s 25-year history.
During the two-day event, members re-elected Tomaž Petek from Surveying and Mapping Authority of the Republic of Slovenia, as President and Suren Tovmasyan, Cadastre Committee of the Republic of Armenia, to the Management Board.
Welcoming delegates, Tomaž Petek said: “EuroGeographics is a remarkable example of what can be achieved through Europe-wide cooperation. The Association celebrating its silver jubilee however is very different to the one established at the turn of the Millennium. Today, we are recognised as the point of contact for advice, comment, and supply of European geospatial and land information from official national sources, not only in Europe, but also at global level through our partnership with the United Nations Statistical Division and UN Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM).”
“Bringing together, not only members’ collective expertise, but also their data across national boundaries is the Association’s primary strength and a powerful symbol of certainty and trust in a complex and uncertain world. We remain united by a common purpose to support the public good, and we have overcome many different challenges to ensure that official data is recognised as an essential component of national, European and global critical infrastructures.”
Sallie Payne Snell, Secretary General and Executive Director, EuroGeographics added: “Welcoming us to Riga, the Minister of Defence recognised that members have long been trusted sources of geospatial information but that today a modern mapping agency must be able to operate under conditions of uncertainty.”
“This week, we have demonstrated why their data can be trusted, why it can be relied upon, and why it is fundamental resource that enables us to look to the future with confidence and certainty in challenging and unpredictable times.”
“As we take our next steps together in realising our vision of a society empowered by the use of trusted geospatial services, our focus must be on enabling access to members’ high-value data and expertise through its integration into the infrastructures we depend upon as a modern society.”
EuroGeographics General Assembly coincided with the publication of the Association’s latest Annual Review which features case studies demonstrating how members fulfil an essential role ensuring fundamental information about location is available for confident, informed decision making. Examples include security, climate change and environmental monitoring to economic growth and prosperity.
Read EuroGeographics Annual Review.
EuroGeographics is an international not-for-profit organisation (AISBL/ IVZW under Belgian Law. BCE registration: 833 607 112) and the membership association for the European National Mapping, Cadastral and Land Registry Authorities.