EuroGeographics’ members within the European Union are required to produce and make data available under the INSPIRE Directive and must also comply with the Reuse of Public Sector Information as well as other Directives. Many European institutions rely on European datasets created from our members national information to inform key decisions and we believe that they should have one agreed geospatial policy, that takes into account the role of national mapping, cadastral and land registry authorities, for informing policy development and legislation.
Our current main policy areas of interest within the European Union are:
- The Digital Single Market
- The European Spatial Data Infrastructure (INSPIRE)
- European Earth Observation Programme (Copernicus)
- Cadastral issues related to policy, such as the eJustice portal.
- Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)
The Policy Knowledge Exchange Network (KEN) is a central pillar of EuroGeographics’ EU Affairs and Representation Strategy, which in turn is essential to the delivery of our vision. Our latest public briefings are available here. Members also have access to our weekly policy news summary , as well as dedicated policy pages within our Members’ Newsletter.
Our members’ role in the provision of authoritative geospatial data and services is increasingly important, and even critical, in helping to address the key regional and global challenges facing the world today – such as climate change, sustainable development, famine, pandemic diseases and increased global urbanisation.
Internationally, EuroGeographics actively supports and contributes to the United Nations Global Geospatial Information Management Initiative (UN-GGIM) as a Observer Organisation. We are also a permanent member of the UN-GGIM: Europe Executive Committee, for which we provide the secretariat.
UN-GGIM raises awareness of the important contribution that geospatial information plays in reporting and monitoring progress towards achieving the sustainable development goals of the 2030 Agenda, and in support of the Sendai Framework for disaster risk reduction and the Paris Agreement on climate change.
European National Mapping, Cadastral and Land Registry Authorities have an important role to play in this global initiative and therefore it is important that our members’ distinctive voice and interests are heard in the development of its policy. EuroGeographics is therefore committed to representing members’ interests regarding UN-GGIM issues. To do this, we assert our own view and position to help form, communicate and implement UN-GGIM policy. In particular, our efforts are focussed on avoiding duplication and to emphasise complementarity of our two very different organisations.
EuroGeographics members participate in a number of other regional and international collaborative groups, such as the Arctic SDI, regional collaborations within the Western Balkans, and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). We continue to represent our Members’ interests and promote their role through these initiatives and, where practical, support them through our participation at conferences, workshops and other meetings.