The European Umbrella Organisation for GI On-going Metadata Initiatives in Europe Christian Chenez Gael Kermarrec

5th EC - GIS Workshop, Stresa June 1999 CONTENT n 1. EUROGI ( n 2. Setting the scene n 3. Analyse of the situation - Problems n 4. Solutions - Proposal n 5. Conclusion

5th EC - GIS Workshop, Stresa June 1999 EUROGI 5 YEARS ON MISSION (1): n PROMOTE, STIMULATE, ENCOURAGE AND SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT AND USE OF GI AND ITS ASSOCIATED TECHNOLOGY – “AT THE EUROPEAN LEVEL”

5th EC - GIS Workshop, Stresa June 1999 EUROGI 5 YEARS ON MISSION (2): n REPRESENT THE COMMON INTEREST OF THE GI COMMUNITY »“ IN EUROPE”

5th EC - GIS Workshop, Stresa June 1999 EUROGI MEMBERSHIP 31/12/98

5th EC - GIS Workshop, Stresa June 1999 EUROGI 5 YEARS ON WORKPLAN OBJECTIVES (1) n THE DEFINITION OF AN EUROPEAN GI POLICY AND THE FACILITATION OF A EUROPEAN GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION INFRASTRUCTURE (EGII)

5th EC - GIS Workshop, Stresa June 1999 EUROGI 5 YEARS ON WORKPLAN OBJECTIVES (2): n TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN MEMBERS OF AFFILIATED ASSOCIATIONS THROUGH CONFERENCE CO-ORDINATION AND DIRECTORIES

5th EC - GIS Workshop, Stresa June 1999 EUROGI 5 YEARS ON WORKPLAN OBJECTIVES (3) n TO EASE DATA EXCHANGE AT THE NATIONAL AND EUROPEAN LEVEL THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF STANDARDS AND TO LIMIT THE IMPACT OF THE CONTRAINTS OF THE VARIOUS LEGAL ISSUES AFFECTING GI

5th EC - GIS Workshop, Stresa June 1999 EUROGI 5 YEARS ON 1999 EUROGI Developments: 1. A STRATEGIC REVIEW resulting in new ‘adapted’ mission, objectives and structure 2. STAFF RELAY : President and Secretariat

5th EC - GIS Workshop, Stresa June 1999 Setting the scene (1) – Metadata Studies at European level: »GI-META (97) -> broad user requirements for a metadata service »VIL (99) -> proposal : an European Clearing House

5th EC - GIS Workshop, Stresa June 1999 Setting the scene (2) n Metadata standardisation, 3 main standards and the OGC specifications: –FGDC (adopted 1994) –CEN pre-standard (adopted in 1998) –ISO (adoption - late in the year 2000) –Metadata is part of the OpenGIS Abstract Specification

5th EC - GIS Workshop, Stresa June 1999 Setting the scene (3) n The ESMI survey of existing metadata services and initiatives: – 13 national or local services and initiatives – 4 Europe wide services – 6 world wide services n Other services and initiatives: 12 n Total : 35 - a non exhaustive list !

5th EC - GIS Workshop, Stresa June 1999 Analysis - Problem (1) n 1. Main European achievements –A European standard but … –A limited number of experts in standardisation –A series of non-coordinated and non- interoperable services

5th EC - GIS Workshop, Stresa June 1999 Analysis - Problems (2) n 2. Difficulty in selecting and implementing a standard: – A critical choice: CEN or FGDC or wait for ISO? Definition and maintenance of core metadata –Investing in learning the standard or using a standard expert?

5th EC - GIS Workshop, Stresa June 1999 Analysis - Problems (3) n 3. Existing services do not communicate: –duplication –inconsistency n 4. Capturing and maintaining metadata is not always seen as a priority by data providers

5th EC - GIS Workshop, Stresa June 1999 Analysis - Problems (4) n 5. Minimum collaboration with users during the definition and implementation phases: a user- friendly focus is needed –User-friendly interface –User-expected content n 6. Potential users are facing initiatives which are not well documented and advertised

5th EC - GIS Workshop, Stresa June 1999 Analysis - Problems (5) n 7. Doing business with metadata seems impossible n 8. Metadata for applications: a new tendency – e-commerce –data management within an organisation

5th EC - GIS Workshop, Stresa June 1999 Analysis - Problems (6) n 9. Several metadata descriptions of the same data set n 10. Lack of a GI product identification system

5th EC - GIS Workshop, Stresa June 1999 Solutions - Proposal (1) n 1. Seek consensus as to with which standard Europe should be working n 2. Manoeuvre to generate a period of stability with the focus on implementation, seek consensus on ‘how to implement’

5th EC - GIS Workshop, Stresa June 1999 Solutions - Proposal (2) n 3. Identify user needs and gather user feedback n 4. Organise a co-ordination process and clustering approach across projects and initiatives - Example : agreement between GISEDI, ESMI, LaClef and GEIXS to maintain and use the core metadata

5th EC - GIS Workshop, Stresa June 1999 Solutions - Proposal (3) n 5. Provide incentives for metadata creation and maintenance (financial resources, knowledge, expertise, standards, tools, etc) n 6. Envisage legislation for public sector metadata content n 7. Study and implement a GI product Identification (numbering) mechanism

5th EC - GIS Workshop, Stresa June 1999 Conclusion (1) n Are metadata so useful? Do other solutions to this strategic problem exist? –In 1999, placing metadata content on the web and offering to potential users the possibility of using intelligent searching engines is not yet a satisfactory solution. The development of metadata content and services adapted to user needs shall continue on a more standardised and co-ordinated way.

5th EC - GIS Workshop, Stresa June 1999 Conclusion (2) n Would it be better to let the market create a metadata infrastructure instead of trying to make it institutionally? An ESMI, LaClef, GISEDI, Datastore/ESRI-UK, etc solution versus an EWSE - INFEO solution? –The real world will ensure that the two approaches will coexist Contd.

5th EC - GIS Workshop, Stresa June 1999 Conclusion (3) n Contd. Question 2. – The challenge is to create a mechanism to have the two approaches inter-linked and coherent –A working group of the GI High Level Working Party proposed in the GI2000 communication with membership from public and private sectors should be mandated to co-ordinate the metadata content and services development.

The European Umbrella Organisation for GI On-going Metadata initiatives in Europe Christian Chenez Gael Kermarrec