Current State
Several standardisation bodies work on standards in the geospatial field. Also, various cross-cutting and thematic standards exist at an international level. These standards are important but can be interpreted and implemented in different ways resulting in incompatibilities in managing and integrating location information. Compliance with existing legislation (notably INSPIRE) helps, but does not guarantee, the creation of harmonised pan-European or cross-border products, including core reference data sets. Significant efforts have been made towards the standardisation of spatial data modelling, sharing and exchange and these are recognised as a point of strength of location interoperability practices in Europe. However, the challenge from the geospatial domain use of standards that are not applied in other domains still remains. The adoption of a common location architecture approach fitting within a national, EU or international ICT architectural framework supports the standardisation and reuse of location information in a broader context. Current governance and funding models leave gaps in relation to the interoperability arrangements required for the creation and sharing of EU-wide core reference data. The Open Data Directive commitment to share open high value datasets is a worthwhile development. Public administrations also struggle with the deployment of emerging and innovative technologies, and the integration with existing geospatial technologies.
Vision
Core reference location data has been defined and a funding model has been agreed for its ongoing maintenance and availability. Data quality is maintained with effective feedback from users. Geospatial and location-based standards and technologies are used consistently and in simplified ways, enabling interoperability and reuse, and integrating broader ICT standards and technologies, including solutions promoted by the ISA2 Programme, as well as emerging technologies. There is a strong focus on commonly accepted APIs such as the latest OGC web services and those being developed for INSPIRE. These standards are applied in all areas related to the publication and use of location information in digital public services, including metadata, discovery, view, exchange, visualisation etc. There are well developed and widely deployed architectural approaches for integrating dynamic and static location data.
LIFO Monitoring
The Location Information Framework Observatory (LIFO) monitors the implementation of EULF Blueprint recommendations in European countries. Read about the implementation of recommendations in the Standardisation and Reuse focus area in the LIFO Country Factsheets or the LIFO European State of Play Report. Explore the results for selected countries at LIFO Interactive Dashboards - Focus Areas.
Recommendations
| Recommendation 10 | Adopt a common architecture to develop digital government solutions, facilitating the integration of geospatial requirements. |
| Recommendation 11 | Reuse existing authentic data, data services and relevant technical solutions where possible. |
| Recommendation 12 | Apply relevant standards to develop a comprehensive approach for spatial data modelling, sharing, and exchange to facilitate integration in digital public services |
| Recommendation 13 | Manage location data quality by linking it to policy and organisational objectives, assigning accountability to business and operational users and applying a “fit for purpose” approach |