Objective
In June 1994, the Corfu European Council of Ministers adopted the recommendations of the Bangemann report and has since integrated them into the Commission's plan of action titled 'Towards a European Policy .Framework for Geographical Information' (COM(94)347 of 19/7/94). The purpose of this plan is to stimulate the development of the European multimedia industry, and its advocates the establishment of a European infrastructure which will consist of a legal and statutory framework guaranteeing the free circulation of information across the internal borders of the Union. One of the essential components of this infrastructure is geographical information (G.I.) itself, in view of the fact that most of the data includes a geographical component. The European G.I. industry market could be a veritable mine of employment promising rapid growth, so the G.I. sector development has a strategic nature. The digital part of the G.I. sector has been the object of a motivation plan on the European level as part of the IMPACT programmeinstituted by DGXIII, and is currently the object of an even more ambitious motivation plan within the context of the INFO2000 programme, the follow-up to IMPACT. The interest of the European Commission arises from the fact that the European G.I. market is underdeveloped with respect to the level attained by this market in other spheres of the economy and with respect to other technological sectors. One of the main factors that may be cited to explain this situation is a lack of information, technical know-how and confidence on the part of potential users. So the purpose of the strategy proposed by DGXIII is to encourage the supply and use of G.I. abundantly and without obstacle at a competitive price from one end of the continent to the other. Its success is dependent on certain conditions, in particular, a better-informed public, improved technical education of decision makers, better understanding of the market by data producers and improved circulation of information pertaining to the most efficient uses of G.I. The GeoWEB-EUROPE project satisfies the above mentioned conditions. Its proposes to undertake the collection, processing and dissemination of technically and economically strategic information on G.I. The aim of the GeoWEB-EUROPE project is to set up a multilingual and pan-European service of strategic information concerning G.I. in order to develop the market of G.I. dedicated media, to develop the G.I. market itself (data, equipment, services) in Europe, and to help the European value-added companies in this sector become better informed and more competitive. This service will provide information on the following topics : a) the development of operational applications and of the G.I. market, b) the digital geographical data available in Europe and the national and European policies in force with respect to G.I. This information will be provided on a multimedia information medium and will include the following elements : a) a multilingual printed technical newsletter on G.I. uses and markets, b) a multilingual interactive Web server with access to other information, data and metadata servers, c) an annually updated CD-ROM summing up the main points of the information published in the newsletter and the server. Links with existing initiatives will be put, in particular with the CEO project, with the MEGRIN Group GDD directory and with others metadatabases, with the Catalogue of Data Source of EEA...
Topic(s)
Data not availableCall for proposal
Data not availableFunding Scheme
CSC - Cost-sharing contractsCoordinator
Ramonville-Saint Agne
France