1. INFOREST Information and monitoring of the forest environment Action 2141 ISA: 2.1.4 Land resources INFOREST INFOREST action leader G. Schmuck

2. : Forest Activities Forest strategy of the EU EEC 1615/89 (EFICS) Specific Items relating to ForestryEEC RegulationsAgenda 2000 Rural Development Policy DG AGRI DG ENV Reference framework for SFM in context of Rural Development - EFICN EEC Regulations EEC 3528/86 (Protection against Atmos. Pollution). EEC 2158/92 (Protection against fire : infrastructure). EEC 804/94 (Forest fire info. System)

3. INFOREST – Forest Focus & EFICN National Focal point National Focal point National Focal point Scientific and Technical Coordination Center for Forest Focus JRC- IES New monitoring modules Biodiversity Carbon Sinks European Forest Fire Information System National Focal point National Focal point National Focal point Forest Pollution Data Platform DG ENVEEA European Forest Information and Communication network EFICN European Forest Information and Communication network EFICN USERS DG AGRI Rural Development EUROSTAT

4. JRC- European Focal Centre for data management and support 3. Data preparation and evaluation 5: Research and Development Internal JRC Research Network linking to activities on: Soils, Carbon balance – Climate Change (JRC/CC; JRC/GVM; JRC/S&W, JRC/E&H)) Internal JRC Research Network linking to activities on: Soils, Carbon balance – Climate Change (JRC/CC; JRC/GVM; JRC/S&W, JRC/E&H)) External Network linking JRC activities with the MS, other services of the Commission e.g., DG AGRI, International organizations and NGOs DG ENVIRONMENT FRAMEWORK AND COMMUNITY REGULATIONS FOREST FOCUS 1. Management & Co-ordination Scientific Advisory Group (SAG) External contractors 4. Proposal for Commission studies 2. Establishing a data platform FOREST FOCUS

5. 1. Management and Coordination 2. Scientific and Technical Support 3. Data Preparation and Evaluation 4. Proposals for Commission Studies 5. Research and Development JRC- European Focal Centre for data management and support

6. 1. Management and Coordination Scientific and technical supervision of Commission studies and technical aspects of contracts Scientific and technical supervision of Nat. Programmes submitted to the Commission. Interface for technical issues for MS and third parties To establish a communication network for the exchange of technical information / data Proposals for establishing ad hoc advisory groups to the SAG Interface with DG ENV + DG AGRI and inter-services of the Commission SAG secretariat

7. 2. Scientific and Technical Support Design, establish and maintain an up-date database of all FF collected data + studies Develop and implement standards for data handling and data transmission. Develop and implement standards for metadata. Up-dating of FF Technical manuals in collaboration with MS. Maintain a FF Scientific Library with all the technical reports and accompanying information 3. Data Preparation and Evaluation Data screening and validation Data quality assurance; organization of workshops and inter-calibration courses. Data evaluation and reporting for the different levels (0,I,II). Yearly evaluation and reporting to DG ENV and EEA. Data access dissemination according to data dissemination policies.

8. 4. Proposals for Commission Studies 5. Research and Development Preparation of proposals and technical annexes for studies under articles 6 & 7 ITTs for JRC proposals ITTs for DG ENV proposals Technical supervision of technical annexes for MS proposals Support to FF through internal JRC research in all the thematic topics Forest fires (EFFIS) Pollution Level 0 applications (e.g. Image2000) Statistical analysis of survey grids/ data validity Biodiversity Studies and research form other JRC Units (Soils, Climate Change – Carbon sinks, Air quality)

9. Forest Focus Activity on Data Handling (JRC) Level I Crown Condition Level I Soil Level I Foliar Level II Database Meteorological Continuous Soil Inventory 10 Year Deposition Continuous Vegetation 5 Year Foliage 2 Year Crown Condition 1 Year Increment 5 Year Common EU Forest Data Platform Soil Solution Continuous 1.DATABASE INTEGRATION Create a flexible, integrated database bringing together elements previously managed in separate institutes.

10. Forest Focus Activity on Data Handling (JRC) 2. INFORMATION MANAGEMENT Maintain existing procedures for data submission Registration, Documentation, Inventory, Integrity / validation checks, Feedback to NFCs Retain and enhance database integrity checking Plausibility of combinations of parameters Consistency over time Incorporate information on assessment methods in database Basis for creation of formal metadata Using Data Accompanying Report Questionnaires (DARQs)

11. Forest Focus Activity on Data Handling (JRC) Common EU Forest Data Platform 3. DATA DISSEMINATION Provide controlled, secure access to different user communities Commission ServicesScientific CommunityGeneral Public IntranetExtranetInternet Dedicated Access Public Access to aggregated data Registration, Username/Password

12. EFICN European Forest Information and Communication network Multipurpose of forestry in rural areas Assisting in Implementing EU-Forestry Strategy Statistical / geographical / descriptive data and information EUROSTAT JRC DG AGRI Member States & S F C EFI Forest Sector The public

13. EU DATA PORTAL GFIS metadata catalogue EFICNNSDI-nNSDI-1 … EUROSTAT data INDUSTRY data MEMBER STATES data PROVIDER-n data PROVIDER-1 data … User-nUser-1 … Global Forest Info System Providing access to data from global sources. EFICN Providing access to forestry data from European sources. National Spatial Data Portals Providing access to other types of data from European sources. EU Geo Portal Single point of access to European spatial data metadata catalogue metadata catalogue metadata catalogue metadata catalogue EFICN: European Forest Information and Communication Network Concept in relation to INSPIRE Forest Focus data Infrastructure for Spatial Information in Europe

14. The Network shall contribute The Network shall contribute : To improve the co-ordination, communication and co-operation between the Commission and the Member States and between the Member States themselves, under the terms of Article 2(f) of the Council Resolution of 15 December 1998 on a Forestry Strategy for the European Union; To characterise the role and impact of the forestry sector in the rural development policy and to emphasise, in particular, the contribution of the forestry measures to the fulfilment of the undertakings given by the European Community and the Member States at international level as well as to the fulfilment of the commitments made in the Ministerial Conferences on the Protection of the Forests in Europe, under the terms of Article 29.4 of Council Regulation (CE) n° 1257/99; To enhance the availability and quality of statistical information and facilitate the access of all interested parties to information about the forestry sector.

15. 1The Network shall rely on statistical, geographical and descriptive information that are linked to the forest sector, and which are available at the international and the European Community level as well as at the level of Member States. 2 The principal task of the Network shall be : to serve as a forest information and communication tool by providing, on a voluntary basis, a description in the form of metadata about available relevant information sources and data sets on the forest sector and in particular on the forest measures within the rural development programmes under Council Regulation (EC) n° 1257/99. to contribute to awareness - raising of the general public and forest practitioners as regards the implementation of the EU Forestry Strategy by stimulating the information flow in disseminating available descriptive information, such as reports, analysis and studies undertaken in Member States on targeted subject areas; 3The Network shall be designed to allow users to locate and select data and information from different locations using the Internet, to evaluate the information and to select and to use relevant and suitable data for their specific purposes. The Network will require the data and information holders to fill in metadata for each data set in line with agreed. 4 The information that shall be made available by the Network must be conform with the Community and national rules concerning the distribution of information, in particular in accordance with Council Regulation (EC) nº 322/97.

16. EFICS NEFIS NEFIS GFIS EFIS EFICN

17. NEFIS

18. Promote awareness, gain and maintain motivation and confidence of the the data providers and user community beyond the lifetime of the project (too many results from research projects remain on the shelf – there is a need to look beyond the lifetime of the project) Success and continuation of the work is strongly correlated to feedback from the user community (needed for up-dating, improvements etc.,) JRC, together with partners of the NEFIS should encourage the presentation and demonstration of the results in political fora e.g., –Standing Forestry Committee –ToS of the UN-ECE/FAO –IUFRO –DG AGRI –MCPFE Why WP 6?

19. NEFIS - WP 6 Objectives To promote awareness amongst forest community and other data users To continually inform DG AGRI, DG ENV and DG RTD of NEFIS developments and to ensure that NEFIS evolves in accordance with the needs of on-going and future forest and forest-related policies. To ensure that NEFIS will evolve in an integrated manner with other Community networks in this field. To act as the S&T link between the Commission services and NEFIS. To demonstrate the system/service for the forestry/forestry related branches and user communities

20. NEFIS - WP 6 JRC 2 Ensure active link to the DG AGRI, DG ENV and DG RTD Act as S&T link to the Commission Promote and present the result of NEFIS to appropriate European fora (Standing Forestry Committee) high level scientific conferences and individuals (EC officers) Co-ordinate the preparation of final publication EFI2 Contribution to symposium organisation and final publication preparation (input to D12) IUFRO.5.5 Contribution to symposium organisation by promoting the event to IUFRO members. Partner 3 will partake in preparing the final publication in particular regarding WP 2 and WP 3(input to D16) DUT.5.5 Contribution to final publication preparation in particular concerning WP 4 results of which Partner 4 is WP leader (input to D16) UG-SCMC.5.5 Organisation of seminars and conferences which link NEFIS to on-going UG activity on the Forest Model Archive (FMA).

21. NEFIS - WP 6 DeliverablesMilestones Preparation of demonstration package including user guide month 29 Organisation of a symposium month 29 Final publicationmonth 30

22. The symposium aims to bring together the data providers and the information users, but in a wider community than that of the NEFIS partners i.e., also to the the Public domain The symposium is the venue at which working groups are established to ensure the continuation and improvement of the system and to ensure that the NEFIS is well-linked with other relevant initiatives to prevent duplication of work. Document necessary follow-up activities. Why the Symposium in WP6?