1. The progress in GISCO 2000/2001 Working Document E/GIS/44
By Anette Björnsson

2. Structure of the presentation
GISCO reference database update
Reference database architecture
Spatial analysis
Relations with the GISCO user Community
New projects in GISCO

3. GISCO reference database update
General update
update of the NUTS/SABE link
Inclusion of coastlines and lakeshores
Inclusion of climate data
Inclusion of gazetteer data
During the last year 3 new data sets have been included in the GISCO reference database.
The Climate data comes from the MARS meteorological database. It contains data from 1500 meteo observations across the European continent.
The gazetteer data comes from NIMA. The contents of this is location, class, designation and names of features for each country
Two new layers on coastlines and lakeshores has been created
Two general updates have taken place in October 2000 and May 2001

4. During the last year 3 new data sets have been included in the GISCO reference database.
The Climate data comes from the MARS meteorological database. It contains data from 1500 meteo observations across the European continent.
The gazetteer data comes from NIMA. The contents of this is location, class, designation and names of features for each country
Two new layers on coastlines and lakeshores has been created
Two general updates have taken place in October 2000 and May 2001

5. Climate data
During the last year 3 new data sets have been included in the GISCO reference database.
The Climate data comes from the MARS meteorological database. It contains data from 1500 meteo observations across the European continent.
The gazetteer data comes from NIMA. The contents of this is location, class, designation and names of features for each country
Two new layers on coastlines and lakeshores has been created
Two general updates have taken place in October 2000 and May 2001

6. During the last year 3 new data sets have been included in the GISCO reference database.
The Climate data comes from the MARS meteorological database. It contains data from 1500 meteo observations across the European continent.
The gazetteer data comes from NIMA. The contents of this is location, class, designation and names of features for each country
Two new layers on coastlines and lakeshores has been created
Two general updates have taken place in October 2000 and May 2001

7. Reference database architecture
The new archietcture is:
Object oriented geodatabase
Spatial and attribute data in a relational database
Follows ArcGIS and ISO for metadata
Currently focusing on migration of database
Already last year it was mentioned that a new architecture was being tested for the GISCO reference database.
The new architecture is (points from above).
Currently the work focuses on the conversion of selected GISCO layers to a Geodatabase, the development of tools for converting data to and from the Geodatabase, the conversion of existing metadata to the ISO standard, the development of a map production tool for in-house creation of statistical maps, tools for generalising and updating spatial data, and the development of an Intranet application for data display and download.

8. Spatial analysis
Project on geographical disaggregation of statistical data
main objective:
disaggregation of 1991 population data at commune level using CORINE land cover classes
main conclusion:
after disaggregation there is no longer the effect from border regions of different areal size
The reason for making this project is that in EU there are communes with very different sizes looking at both areas and population. A skewness is therefore introduced where large areas with small population exists together with small areas with large population. The following population densities are difficult to compare. To avoid this problem this project was carried out with the aim of disaggregating the population using the CORINE land cover classes. The project succeeded in doing this.

9. Result of disaggregation
Population density before disaggregation
Population density after disaggregation
The reason for making this project is that in EU there are communes with very different sizes looking at both areas and population. A skewness is therefore introduced where large areas with small population exists together with small areas with large population. The following population densities are difficult to compare. To avoid this problem this project was carried out with the aim of disaggregating the population using the CORINE land cover classes. The project succeeded in doing this.

10. Relations with the GISCO users
usual yearly meetings with GISCO users and contributors
GIS Framework contract
Special projects:
E-ESDI
NATURA 2000
ESPON
As is usually the case during a project year for GISCO we’ve had meetings in the User and technical Committees and twice in the COGI. I’m not going to spent time on these as the first two for a have very few points and the points of the COGI will be presented tomorrow under point 3 and 4
The projects of specific interest to GISCO will all be presented tomorrow and I’ll not spent time on these either.
But I’ll say a few words about the GIS framework contract. In September this year a Framework contract was signed for the use of GIS in the Commission in general. This means that contrary to the situation before there’s now one contract covering the whole Commission. This was estimated to be more efficient

11. New projects in GISCO Water Framework Directive GISCO web-application
Workshop with PHARE-countries
Spatial redistribution of Statistical Data from the Farm Structure Survey
The last year new projects have commenced with GISCO either as initiator or contributor.
GISCO is participating in a WG under the WFD concerning the development of a common GIS system in the MS. The first meeting took place in September this year. Completion of the first step is foreseen for end 2002
GISCO has launched a new project having parts of the information on the web. Information about the NUTS and the GISCO reference database will be available at the Intranet and the GISCO newsletter will from 2002 be available through EUROPA. This also implies that the newsletter will no longer be produced in a paper version
A workshop dedicated to the PHARE countries has been organised and took place yesterday and the main conclusions will be presented by the end of today
The last project is a project which will evaluate how the Farm Structure Survey, with a spatial dimension defined by districts and NUTS regions, can be improved to support the Common Agricultural Policy in relation to environmental issues and meaningful relevant spatial units.