Workplan for European Umbrella Organization for Geographical Information (EUROGI)
As part of the IMPACT programme, which aims to develop the European information services market, a European Umbrella Organization for Geographical Information (EUROGI) has been established. EUROGI's purpose is to stimulate, encourage and support the development of a European approach to geographical information (GI) services. The first general assembly of EUROGI took place in Luxembourg on 19-20 May 1994. The founding members consist of 12 interdisciplinary national geographical information organizations from nine Member States (Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal and the United Kingdom), three EFTA countries (Switzerland, Finland, Sweden), and the five following pan-European sectoral organizations: - AM/FM Europe; - EGIS; - GISIG (Geographical Information Systems International Group); - GIVE (Geographical Information Vendors Europe); - UDMS (Urban Data Management Society). A workplan has been developed and adopted which centres on the following: - Copyright, costs and data availability; - Standardization; - Information activities; - Projects and information activities in Central and Eastern Europe; - Directories of data, research, training and support schemes. EUROGI will initially concentrate on circulating information and achieving consensus between its members to give more cohesion and more sense of belonging to the European GI community. This will be achieved by the following means: - News service on activities and European issues; - GI conference; - On-line research database; - On-line training database; - Directories of GI data and projects; - Standards and specification workshops; - Examination of legal issues; - Brochure and directory of members' activities.