[okfn-discuss] INSPIRE directive consultation up for comments

Wed Mar 11 15:21:15 UTC 2009

We're collecting comments - with evidence please - on the
transposition of the INSPIRE directive, See
http://www.openrightsgroup.org/consult/consultation-on-the-transposition-of-ec-inspire-directive/

“INSPIRE [a European Directive] aims to make available consistent
spatial data sets about the environment and create services for
accessing these datasets so that they can to be more easily shared or
combined to benefit the development and monitoring of environmental
policy and practice. This consultation seeks views on the policy
principles that will inform the drafting of Statutory Instruments to
transpose the Directive and on the Directive’s impact.”

Typically, the questions - copied below - are user-unfriendly :(

(1) Annex 1 Paragraph 2. We propose on grounds of consistency to adopt
the definitions of ‘public authority’ already used in the
Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) and Environmental
Information (Scotland) Regulations (EIR(Scotland)), rather than the
definition in the INSPIRE Directive. We would welcome your views.

(2a) Annex 1 Paragraph 9(c)(i) concerns the limit we propose to put on
the application of INSPIRE to local authorities. The Directive
generally applies to public authorities but by way of derogation10
covers the lowest level of government only if there are national laws
or regulations requiring the collection of spatial data sets. We
intend to limit the scope of this SIs so that they apply only to
District Councils or above in England and their equivalents in
Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales; and then only in circumstances
in which such local authorities are legally required to collect or
disseminate spatial data sets. We would welcome your views.

(2b) Annex 1 Paragraph 25 sets out the derogations on the provision of
Network Services. For example, public access to spatial data sets and
discovery services may be limited where this would adversely affect
international relations, public security or national defence. The
Directive proposes wider limitations for public access to spatial data
sets and view, download, transformation services and services allowing
spatial data services to be invoked which are also set out in
paragraph 25. We propose to adopt these when drafting the SIs and
would welcome your views.

(2c) Annex 1 Paragraph 29 sets out the derogations on data access and
sharing between public authorities when this would compromise the
course of justice, public security, national defence or international
relations. We propose to adopt these when drafting the SIs and would
welcome your views.

(3) We would like to hear from you if you have any other issues about
the way we propose to transpose this Directive or the content of the
SIs
Impact Assessment

(4) We would welcome from you detailed information about the costs and
benefits of INSPIRE and in particular how information about costs and
benefits might be collected following transposition.

(5) Are there any other matters in this Consultation Document on which
you would like to comment?

-- 
Michael Holloway

Operations Manager, Open Rights Group
Phone: +44 (0) 20 7096 1079
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/openrightsgroup
Web: http://www.openrightsgroup.org
Fax: +44 (0) 20 7070 7011
Office: 7th floor, 100 Grays Inn Road, London WC1X 8AL, UK