Balancing demand for open data with data security is key challenge say European Cadastral Agencies

Meeting the challenge of balancing demand for open government data with data security is a key issue for European National Mapping, Cadastral and Land Registration Authorities (NMCAs), a survey has found.

Of the 26 organisations responding to a joint questionnaire by EuroGeographics and the Permanent Committee on Cadastre in the European Union (PCC), 20 reported conflicts between data openness and security increasing arising from increasing requirements for confidentiality, accuracy and availability.

“Information from cadastral authorities is one of the most valuable resources for a functioning society and is fundamental to the four priorities of Sweden’s EU Presidency: security, resilience, prosperity and democracy,” says Dr Daniel Steudler, Chair of EuroGeographics Cadastre and Land Registry Knowledge Exchange Network (KEN).

“Securing land ownership is the foundation of a market economy and there is a clear need for robustness and resilience of basic infrastructures in times of uncertainty, particularly to prevent and manage catastrophic consequences, such as landslides, flooding and wildfires.”

“To meet the needs of society, co-operation and interconnectivity is key. Information must be readily available, interoperable, and adapted towards digital processes. Data protection therefore presents a real challenge in meeting the demand for cadastral open data.”

“National geoportals, Web Mapping Services (WMS) and National Geodata Infrastructures are just some of the ways in which NMCAs are overcoming issues in co-operating and co-ordinating the sharing of geodata between different authorities.”

Members of EuroGeographics are also working together to deliver pan-European open data through the Open Maps For Europe interface. This includes an Open Cadastral Map prototype which currently provides large-scale coverage for six countries.

This first iteration, developed under the award-winning Open Maps For Europe project, which is co-financed by the Connecting Europe Facility of the European Union, includes Poland, The Netherlands, Czech Republic, Spain, Denmark and Slovenia. The map takes INSPIRE open data and allows the user to find out what is available from national sources in one place before obtaining the data from the official provider. The cadastral map comprises four layers: Administrative Units, Cadastral Parcels (and Cadastral Zones), Buildings (and Building Parts) and Addresses.

The prototype will be enhanced by Open Maps For Europe 2 (OME2) which is co-funded by the European Union.

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.

Open Maps For Europe was co-financed by the Connecting Europe Facility of the European Union and ended in 2022. It was coordinated by EuroGeographics, the voice of European National Mapping, Cadastral and Land Registration Authorities, in partnership with the National Geographic Institute (NGI) Belgium.

The OME2 project is co-funded by the European Union. It is being delivered by a consortium comprising: EuroGeographics, the not-for-profit membership association for Europe’s National Mapping, Cadastral and Land Registration Authorities; National Geographic Institute, Belgium; National Institute of Geographic and Forest Information, France; Hellenic Cadastre; General Directorate for the Cadastre, Spain; and Cadastre, Land Registry and Mapping Agency, The Netherlands.

Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the European Commission can be held responsible for them.

EuroGeographics invites case studies and quality feedback for medium-scale pan-European open data

EuroGeographics is calling for case studies from users of its medium-scale pan-European topographic open dataset, EuroRegionalMap.

The not-for-profit association for European National Mapping, Cadastral and Land Registration Authorities is also asking for feedback on the quality of the dataset available via the Open Maps For Europe online interface. EuroRegionalMap production is coordinated by the Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy (BKG), Germany.

Victoria Persson, Project Manager – Data Access and Integration, EuroGeographics, explains: “EuroRegionalMap, which consists of nearly 7 million objects in 60 layers and seven themes, is produced using our unique data integration process. This harmonises and edge-matches authoritative national geospatial information from 33 members. Quality is assured via an extensive validation test suite.”

“Traditionally, this dataset has been used for backdrop visualisation and cartographic publishing, for spatial analysis, and in combination with other datasets for marketing planning and socio-economic analysis, environmental analysis, and transport management. Now it is available under an open licence, users are embracing new ways to benefit from the data. We are therefore inviting them to share their case studies and feedback on quality so we can better understand – and meet – their needs.”

Case studies and feedback can be submitted via this short questionnaire.

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.

Open Maps For Europe was co-financed by the Connecting Europe Facility of the European Union and ended in 2022. It was coordinated by EuroGeographics, the voice of European National Mapping, Cadastral and Land Registration Authorities, in partnership with the National Geographic Institute (NGI) Belgium.

The OME2 project is co-funded by the European Union. It is being delivered by a consortium comprising: EuroGeographics, the not-for-profit membership association for Europe’s National Mapping, Cadastral and Land Registration Authorities; National Geographic Institute, Belgium; National Institute of Geographic and Forest Information, France; Hellenic Cadastre; General Directorate for the Cadastre, Spain; and Cadastre, Land Registry and Mapping Agency, The Netherlands.

Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the European Commission can be held responsible for them.

EuroGeographics and International Cartographic Association agree collaboration to unlock power of location

Tim Trainor, International Cartographic Association, President is pictured (left) with Colin Bray, President, EuroGeographics

Experts in authoritative geospatial data, cartography and GIScience have today (29 August 2023) announced a new international collaboration to demonstrate the power of location.

Members of EuroGeographics, the not-for-profit association for European National Mapping, Cadastral and Land Registration Authorities, and the International Cartographic Association (ICA) will use their collective expertise to support the public good. As a result, they will focus on advocating for the widespread use of information about location by promoting its social, environmental and economic value in solving global issues.

Colin Bray, President of EuroGeographics, said: “As the national authorities for official high-value geospatial information in Europe, high quality and reliability is the calling card of EuroGeographics members. In an ever-changing world, they play a key role in helping to address global and regional issues that extend beyond borders.”

“This requires cooperation to ensure an effective collective response. We are therefore delighted to announce a closer collaboration with the ICA on activities of mutual interest. By sharing opportunities for knowledge exchange and best practice, we will further support our vision of a society empowered by the use of trusted geospatial services.”

Tim Trainor, ICA President added: “We are delighted to have signed a letter of collaboration with EuroGeographics. By working together, our two Associations can contribute to the understanding and solution of world problems by ensuring our respective expertise is employed to maximum effect and full potential for the benefit of society.”

“We look forward to collaborating with Europe’s official sources of national geospatial data to demonstrate the use of Cartography and GI science in decision-making processes and fostering the national and international use of geospatially referenced environmental, economic and social information.”

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.

To find out more about the International Cartographic Association, please visit https://icaci.org/

Final call for abstracts for Fourth International Workshop on Spatial Data Quality

Organisers of the fourth International Workshop on Spatial Data Quality have issued a final call for abstracts.

Submissions covering a wide range of topics, including ways in which data providers can ensure that their data continues to be trusted, ways of bringing together data from multiple sources to ensure seamless, high-quality datasets, and ways to communicate the quality, relevance and content to users, are invited by 17 July.

The event, to be held in Brussels and online on 11 and 12 October 2023, is organised by not-for-profit organisations, EuroGeographics, which represents Europe’s National Mapping, Cadastral and Land Registry Authorities (NMCAs), and EuroSDR, the European Spatial Data Research network that links NMCAs with Research Institutes and Universities. It brings together producers, users, academia and software suppliers to debate spatial data quality, with a particular focus on the impact of new technologies.

More information is available here.

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.

Open Maps For Europe demonstrates demand for pan-European open data from official national sources

More than 4,000 registered users have downloaded around 4,700 datasets and carried out 6 million web service transactions via Open Maps For Europe.

The figures were announced by EuroGeographics, the not-for-profit membership association for Europe’s National Mapping, Cadastral and Land Registration Authorities, which coordinated the project in partnership with the National Geographic Institute (NGI) Belgium.

The organisation also revealed the most popular dataset was EuroGlobalMap, multi-themed topographic open data at 1:1 million scale, followed by 1:250 000 scale EuroRegionalMap and EuroDEM, a 1:100 000 scale digital open data elevation model providing height data. The datasets are also discoverable on the European Data Portal and on the NGI Belgium data portal.

“We are delighted to announce that Open Maps For Europe has far exceeded its initial aim of increasing users of our pan-European datasets by 50%, instead achieving an 1600% increase - a clear indication of its success and demand for pan-European open data from official national sources,” says Victoria Persson, Project Manager – Data Access and Integration, EuroGeographics.

“This is the first time that these datasets, created using our members authoritative geospatial informationand EuroGeographics’ unique data integration process, have been easily discoverable, accessible, and released as open data under a single licence. Our customised approach harmonises official national geospatial information to standard specifications so users can be confident that it is consistent, comparable and easily shared.”

“The Open Maps For Europe 2 (OME2) project now builds upon this success by delivering a prototype for harmonised large-scale, high-value pan-European open dataset. OME2 will develop a new production process and technical specification for free-to-use, edge-matched data under a single open licence. Authoritative 1:10 000 scale data for 10 countries will be delivered via the Open Maps For Europe online interface, developed by IDOX France.”

The award-winning Open Maps For Europe project was co-financed by the Connecting Europe Facility of the European Union.

The OME2 project, co-funded by the European Union, is being delivered by a consortium comprising: EuroGeographics, the not-for-profit membership association for Europe’s National Mapping, Cadastral and Land Registration Authorities; National Geographic Institute, Belgium; National Institute of Geographic and Forest Information, France; Hellenic Cadastre; General Directorate for the Cadastre, Spain; and Cadastre, Land Registry and Mapping Agency, The Netherlands.

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.

Open Maps For Europe was completed at the end of 2022. It was co-financed by the Connecting Europe Facility of the European Union, and coordinated by EuroGeographics in partnership with the National Geographic Institute (NGI) Belgium.

The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of EuroGeographics and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the European Union.

Fourth International Workshop on Spatial Data Quality launches call for abstracts

Abstracts are now being accepted for the fourth International Workshop on Spatial Data Quality to be held in Brussels and online on 11 and 12 October 2023. The deadline for submissions is 17 July.

The 2023 event is organised by not-for-profit organisations, EuroGeographics, which represents Europe’s National Mapping, Cadastral and Land Registry Authorities (NMCAs), and EuroSDR, the European Spatial Data Research network that links NMCAs with Research Institutes and Universities. It brings together producers, users, academia and software suppliers to debate spatial data quality, with a particular focus on the impact of new technologies.

Carol Agius, Head of Representation and Stakeholder Engagement, EuroGeographics said: “We are living through a time where trust is becoming more important, because it is becoming harder to gauge and measure. A large aspect of trust is based on source and provenance, and NMCAs have long been viewed as the source of official and high-quality spatial data for evidence-based decision making.”

“This workshop will address a wide range of topics examining how data providers can ensure that their data continues to be trusted, as well as ways they can bring together data from multiple sources to ensure seamless, high-quality datasets and communicate the quality, relevance and content to users.”

Joep Crompvoets, Secretary General of EuroSDR added: “Innovative technologies are being employed to capture, manage, maintain and update spatial data faster and more effectively. While NMCAs are implementing these new efficient and cost-effective methods, they also need to ensure that there is no impact on quality and that their processes are keeping up with both technological advances and user expectations for data accuracy. We look forward to discussing possible solutions to these and other challenges in October.”

Papers are invited on all topics related to spatial data quality, including (but not limited to):

• Lifecycle management

• Qualitative differences in methods of edge-matching

• Generalisation – maintaining quality

• Harmonisation

• Quality evaluation of spatial data

• Use of international metadata and standards

• Quality issues in spatial data infrastructures (e.g. national, INSPIRE)

• Communication/visualisation of spatial data quality

• Spatial data usability/quality from the users perspective

• Impact of data quality on decision making

• Data Quality and AI (including algorithms)

• Data Quality and 3D

• Research trends in spatial data quality

• Practical implementation of spatial data quality assessment

• Quality standards

• Software for measuring quality

• Quality of 3rd party data, crowdsourced/OSM etc.

• Spatial data quality policies

• Data quality and trust

All abstract submissions will be independently reviewed by the programme committee members.

Programme Committee

• Jonathan Holmes (Committee Chair), Ordnance Survey

• Carol Agius, EuroGeographics

• Victoria Persson, EuroGeographics

• Joep Crompvoets, EuroSDR/KU Leuven

• Anouk Huisman, Kadaster Netherlands

• Tony Baving, Kadaster Netherlands

• Frédéric Cantat, EuroSDR/IGN France

• Nóemie Gremeaux, IGN France

• Joren Van Gysegem NGI Belgium

• Karin Mertens, NGI Belgium

• Kevin Thompson, Tailte Éireann

• Nienke Eernisse, Ordnance Survey

More information is available here.

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.

EuroGeographics renews agreement with Kadaster Netherlands to provide UN-GGIM: Europe Secretariat

Colin Bray, President of EuroGeographics (left) is pictured with Frank Tierolff, Chair Executive Board Cadastre, Land Registry and Mapping Agency, The Netherlands (right) at the signing of the SLA.

EuroGeographics has renewed its Service Level Agreement with The Netherlands’ Cadastre, Land Registry and Mapping Agency (Kadaster) to provide secretariat services for the European regional committee of experts for global geospatial information management – UN-GGIM: Europe.

The membership association for the European National Mapping, Cadastre and Land Registry Authorities, which has UN-GGIM: Europe observer status, has supported the Executive Committee in delivering its objectives since 2015.

Tomaz Petek, Chair of the UN-GGIM: Europe Executive Committee, said: “The Netherlands is responsible for providing a secretariat to UN-GGIM: Europe and has done so very successfully for the past eight years through its agreement with EuroGeographics. We are pleased that it has once again entrusted this role to the Association which has extensive experience of bringing organisations together to find solutions to common challenges.”

Carol Agius, Head of Representation and Stakeholder Engagement, EuroGeographics provides the Secretariat to UN-GGIM: Europe, promoting its activities and ensuring that relevant organisations are well informed about the initiative.

She commented: “It is a great privilege to fulfil this important role and to continue to support the work of UN-GGIM: Europe which contributes to the more effective management, availability and integration of geospatial information in Europe. For the mapping agencies that we represent, UNGGIM is an important forum to advocate their contribution to the better understanding and sustainable development of our world.”

EuroGeographics is an Observer on the UN-GGIM Europe Executive Committee and an Observer organisation at the UN-GGIM Committee of Experts.

It recently announced a collaboration with UN-GGIM to unlock the power of geospatial data to benefit people and planet by providing a platform for knowledge exchange and capacity building.

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.

To find out more about UN-GGIM: Europe, please visit www.un-ggim-europe.org

EuroGeographics and EUROGI agree collaboration to promote use of geospatial data

EuroGeographics and EUROGI have announced a collaboration to promote the widespread use of geospatial data.

The European not-for-profit associations, which represent national mapping, cadastral and land registration authorities, and users and producers of geospatial data, respectively, will work together on activities of mutual interest. These include opportunities for knowledge exchange and the sharing of expertise and best practice.

Colin Bray, President of EuroGeographics, said: “We are proud to represent official providers of geospatial data across geographical Europe. Members’ accurate, high quality, reliable high-value location data is fundamental to everyday life and underpin the infrastructures we rely on as a modern society. We are committed to working with them to ensure it can be easily accessed by users and producers. Furthering our cooperation with EUROGI is a very positive step in achieving our vision of a society empowered by the use of trusted geospatial data and services.”

Hans Breemerch, President of EUROGI added: “As a non-governmental umbrella organisation for geographic information, we provide an insight into the needs of a wide range of users and producers. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with EuroGeographics to realise our vision for location-based information and technologies to serve as core enablers of the European digital society.”

The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Colin Bray, President of EuroGeographics (left) and Hans Breemerch, President of EUROGI (right) at Geospatial World Forum 2023.

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.

EUROGI is the independent not-for-profit non-governmental umbrella organisation for geographic information representing users and producers from all sectors of European society.

To find out more about EUROGI, please visit https://eurogi.org/

Project launched to prototype large-scale high-value pan-European datasets

National providers of geospatial information have today announced plans to create a prototype for harmonised large-scale, high-value pan-European open datasets.

Open Maps For Europe 2 (OME2) will develop a new production process and technical specification for free-to-use, edge-matched data under a single open licence. Authoritative 1:10 000 scale data for 10 countries will be delivered via the user interface built by the award-winning Open Maps For Europe Project.

The prototype will provide three datasets, identified as key themes by users and defined as high-value in European Commission’s implementing rules for the Open Data and reuse of Public Sector Information Directive – administrative boundaries, transport and hydrography. OME2 will also enhance the five existing Open Maps For Europe datasets, including the pilot Open Cadastral Map.

The OME2 project, co-funded by the European Union, is being delivered by a consortium comprising: EuroGeographics, the not-for-profit membership association for Europe’s National Mapping, Cadastral and Land Registration Authorities; National Geographic Institute, Belgium; National Institute of Geographic and Forest Information, France; Hellenic Cadastre; General Directorate for the Cadastre, Spain; and Cadastre, Land Registry and Mapping Agency, The Netherlands.

“Data is at the very start of the value chain, and the European Commission recognises geospatial as high-value data (HVD) offering a wealth of opportunities for reuse due to its compatibility with other datasets,” says Victoria Persson, Project Manager – Data Access and Integration, EuroGeographics.

“By addressing the challenge of finding, accessing and licensing authoritative pan-European harmonised edge-matched, large-scale data, OME2 benefits both users and national providers of geospatial information.”

“For users, it saves time by providing machine-readable data as APIs from one central portal under one easy-to-understand open data licence. As a result, they will no longer need to visit individual Member State geoportals to access specific datasets, spend significant resources connecting them, or agree to multiple licences.”

“For our members, who are recognised as important enablers of cross-border data applications and services, the prototype shows how public sector demand for geospatial information in all common data spaces of the European Strategy for Data can be met.”

“Furthermore, by allowing data to be easily uploaded, converted to the specification for each HVD theme, harmonised and edge-matched, OME2 will enable members to re-use techniques nationally and share good practices, advancing the data sharing tools needed to deliver free-flowing, interoperable data for the single market.”

The project corresponds with Member States’ obligations to implement high-value data and will be completed at the end of 2025.

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. Open Maps For Europe was co-financed by the Connecting Europe Facility of the European Union and ended in 2022. It was coordinated by EuroGeographics, the voice of European National Mapping, Cadastral and Land Registration Authorities, in partnership with the National Geographic Institute (NGI) Belgium.

OME2

The OME2 project is co-funded by the European Union. It is being delivered by a consortium comprising: EuroGeographics, the not-for-profit membership association for Europe’s National Mapping, Cadastral and Land Registration Authorities; National Geographic Institute, Belgium; National Institute of Geographic and Forest Information, France; Hellenic Cadastre; General Directorate for the Cadastre, Spain; and Cadastre, Land Registry and Agency, The Netherlands.

Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the European Commission can be held responsible for them.

Flexibility in implementing rules for high value geospatial data welcomed

Europe’s National Mapping, Cadastral and Land Registration Authorities (NMCAs) have welcomed the European Commission’s definition of geospatial information as a high value dataset.

Responding to the implementing rules, their membership association EuroGeographics commended the Commission for its public-sector friendly approach which recognises the investments already made by NMCAs. It also highlighted the recognition of national providers of official geospatial information as important enablers of cross-border data applications and services as an important step forward.

“We are pleased that many of the suggestions made by our members have been acknowledged in the implementing rules that define and set out arrangements for the publication and re-use of high value datasets,” says Sallie Payne Snell, Acting Secretary General and Executive Director, EuroGeographics.

“Our first impression is that the final technical specifications are flexible. However, our members must receive financial support in implementing them to ensure overall coherence and long-term sustainability. We will be discussing this further to determine which of our members’ existing geospatial datasets already meet the criteria.”   

“The value of data lies in its use and re-use, therefore our members are keen to effectively implement this Regulation and increase the availability of their data in the single market, and beyond. We believe that this goal can only be achieved as a joint vision and action of policymakers, data holders and data users, and we are pleased that the rules show a coordinated approach regarding the technical specification.”

“Our challenge now is to meet the needs of users in a way that can be sustained for the benefit of all.”

EuroGeographics and its members already have first-hand experience in implementing the HVD Regulation through the Open Maps for Europe project (co-financed by the Connecting Europe Facility programme). This provides easy access to free to use harmonised official geospatial open pan-European data and thus addresses the risk of fragmented implementation, which was specifically recognised as a key obstacle to the functioning of the single market for data.

It now plans to build upon this success by developing the production process and prototype the creation of large-scale high value pan-European data.

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.

Open Maps For Europe is coordinated by EuroGeographics, the voice of European National Mapping, Cadastral and Land Registration Authorities, in partnership with the National Geographic Institute (NGI) Belgium. It is co-financed by the Connecting Europe Facility of the European Union.

The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of EuroGeographics and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the European Union.