Public bodies are facing the most challenging INSPIRE deadline yet: by December any dataset within scope of INSPIRE must be published in its current form with a view service and a download service.
INSPIRE requires public bodies to publish spatial data they hold relating to 34 environmental themes. The themes include things that describe the environment like habitats; things that impact on the environment such as transport networks; and things that allow us to manage and understand the environment such as management areas and statistical units.
The themes are defined in annexes to the Directive as shown below. Each Annex has a series of deadlines by which data must be published and transformed in line with standard specifications.
|
Annex I |
Annex II |
Annex III |
|
|
Geographical names |
Elevation |
Statistical units |
Buildings |
|
Administrative units |
Land cover |
Mineral resources |
Sea regions |
|
Addresses |
Ortho-imagery |
Natural risk zones |
Land use |
|
Cadastral parcels |
Geology |
Soils |
Energy Resources |
|
Transport networks |
|
Species distribution |
Habitats & biotopes |
|
Hydrography |
|
Oceanographic features |
Human health & safety |
|
Protected sites |
|
Population dist. & demography |
Utility & govt. services |
|
Geographical grid systems |
|
Meteorological features |
Atmospheric conditions |
|
Coordinate reference systems |
|
Environmental monitoring facilities |
Bio-geographical regions |
|
|
|
Area management restriction / regulation zones & reporting units |
Production & industrial facilities |
|
|
|
Agri & Aquaculture facilities |
|
Datasets for the 13 themes in Annex I and II are already published and can be viewed here. So now we are focusing on the 21 themes in Annex III. The scope of the Annex III themes is very broad which means that the Directive will impact on a lot of public bodies, including every local authority.
Defra is responsible for monitoring and coordinating to ensure the UK meets the requirements of INSPIRE. To do this for all the INSPIRE datasets would be impossible, especially as we are a small team, so we are taking a risk based approach along the following lines.
Priority Datasets
We are currently working to identify a small number of 'priority datasets' for each theme in Annex III which we will monitor through to publication. We will be working closely with the organisations who hold the datasets.
But what is a priority dataset? Well there aren't any hard and fast rules but things to consider include:
Are there datasets directly referenced in an INSPIRE data specification?
For example the Protected Sites specification directly references data for NATURA 2000 sites.
Is there a high user demand?
This is quite hard to measure, but we do have some sources of intelligence, primarily from our discussions with stakeholders. Other resources like the ODUG Data Request service also help.
Forms, or has potential to form, a core reference geography
Core reference geographies will be key to delivering INSPIRE data that is easy for the end user to consume and efficient to publish. For example for the Addresses Theme in Annex I, we quickly realised that the most efficient way of delivering the theme would be to publish the National Address Gazetteer (through AddressBase) and their Scottish and Northern Ireland equivalents. This removed the need for local authorities to publish the data individually, saving them time and money.
Quick wins
Some Annex III datasets are already published. We are considering on a case by case basis if these could be the priority datasets so reducing the need to monitor the relevant themes.
Existing aggregations
These are a bit like the core reference geographies. If data is already aggregated in a service why require the data to be republished? We are working with a number of aggregators to publish the central holding, again reducing burdens on individual organisations. More on this in a future blog.
We are currently undertaking a lot of research to produce an initial list of priority datasets against which we will monitor progress.
The list will change over time as our knowledge grows and priorities change.
We need your help
If you have any thoughts on what should be on the list, or indeed on the approach, please share them below or drop me a line via the Helpdesk.
Datasets not on our priority list will still need to be published. The Defra INSPIRE team will still be helping by providing guidance, support, regular communications and events. We will also share as much as we can, as soon as we can, about the approaches we are taking for each theme, particularly where this might negate the need for organisations to do anything!
A word on Local Government
The Local Government Association have been working with us to identify what datasets local authorities hold that are within scope of INSPIRE and we have done a further review to prioritise these datasets. We will be sharing more information on this work soon, but in the meantime local authorities should continue to review their own data and produce metadata for their spatial datasets.
11 comments
Comment by Karina Bradley posted on
I have been to an INSPIRE workshop and I am aware of what it is and the reasons for it, but is there nowhere that says: within Local Government this is the data in Annexe III that you should have, this is what you have to do, and by this date. And more to the point, what are the consequences if we do not meet the requirements by the deadline.
With regard to above, how soon is soon?
Comment by PeterWain posted on
I'd also like some Plain English answers to Karina's questions.
Comment by jon grocutt posted on
As would I.
Comment by AndNewmanGeo posted on
Comment by AndNewmanGeo posted on
Hopefully the answer above helps, Andrew
Comment by PeterWain posted on
I'm not sure whether anyone is monitoring this post as there haven't been any answers. However, I do note that under the Local Government heading above it does say that 'We will be sharing more information on this work soon'. I'm hoping that we'll eventually receive a simple list of datasets which need INSPIREing...
Comment by AndNewmanGeo posted on
Sorry for the delay Peter, hopefully the answer above helps
Comment by AndNewmanGeo posted on
Hi Karina,
Sorry for the delay in replying.
The best place to start to find out more about INSPIRE is getting started: http://data.gov.uk/location/guidance_and_tools#gettingstarted
LGA are currently finalising the local gov. dataset list I will chase them. but they can be contacted at inspire@local.gov.uk. But please note that the list won't be of individual datasets we can't provide that as every LA has different data structures, etc.
Hope this helps, if not drop us a line at UKLocation.Helpdesk@Defra.gsi.gov.uk.
Andrew
Comment by BenAllan posted on
It would be great as well to get guidance over the need for a download service. Your blog suggests that download services need to be in place by this December. But the INSPIRE portal suggest 2015. http://inspire.jrc.ec.europa.eu/index.cfm/pageid/44 Which is correct?
Comment by AndNewmanGeo posted on
Hi Ben,
View and download services must be in place by December 2013 in their current structures. The 2015 deadline is the date by which any new or significantly restructure annex II & III data must be transformed to match the INSPIRE Data Specifications (2020 for existing data).
This guide sets out the timetable... http://data.gov.uk/library/uk-location-getting-started-guide-3-what-needs-to-happen-and-when
Hope this helps, if not contact our helpdesk at UKLocation.Helpdesk@Defra.gsi.gov.uk
Andrew
Comment by BenAllan posted on
Hi Andrew,
Very helpful
Thanks
Ben