Supplementary memorandum by Association
for Geographic Information (OS 13(b))
URBAN AFFAIRS
SUB-COMMITTEE
INQUIRY INTO
ORDNANCE SURVEY
(OS-GB)
I am writing to you in my capacity as AGI Chair
2002.
I returned from Luxembourg on 21 March 2002
where I have been attending meetings at the European Commission
and as a result I was unable to attend the inquiry on the 19 March
2002. I have read the unedited text of the Examination of Witnesses
regarding Ms Sally Keeble MP currently available on the DTLR Select
Committee web pages and this has given me cause for concern.
In the text of the transcript (paragraphs 170
and again at 180 onwards) there are questions and answers related
to the European Commissions work. These references are I believe
related to the reuse of Public Sector Information and also the
European need to manage the data required to enable sustainable
policy making on the environment both at European level and the
national level (INSPIRE).
On behalf of the Association for Geographic
Information I wish to submit further information to the Urban
Affairs Committee. This is to clarify the situation as I feel
the evidence that has been provided on Tuesday 19 March by the
Minister is in fact showing a lack of awareness on the European
Commission initiatives referred too. Indeed many organisations
within the UK including the UK Government, the Ordnance Survey-GB,
and the AGI have been involved with since 1998. I feel the DTLR
Urban Affairs sub committee's attention should be drawn to the
facts.
The European Commission published a green paper
on Public Sector Information: A Key Resource for Europe in January
1999. EC COM (1998) 585. During the consultation period the UK
Government, the Ordnance Survey-GB, the AGI and many other parts
of government within the UK were involved and submitted responses
which are available on the European Commission web site. This
green paper led to a European Commission communication on 23 October
2001 COM(2001) 607 eEurope 2002: Creating a EU Framework for the
exploitation of Public Sector Information. On the 21 January 2002
the European Commission published a draft legal framework Towards
a EU framework for the Exploitation of PSI. Again the AGI, the
UK Government and the Ordnance Survey-GB submitted responses which
I have enclosed.
The eEurope and eGovernment initiatives have
been ratified by the current UK Prime Minister and his Ministers
at several European Council of Ministers meetings and has endorsed
the actions regarding the reuse of Public Sector Information now
underway by the European Commission. The key point here is that
this is not a surprise initiative (as expressed in the transcript
of Tuesday 19 March 2002) as both the UK Government and the Ordnance
Survey-GB have been actively involved in this process for over
three years now. All the submissions received by the European
Commission on this can be found at the following URL. Included
in these is one from the Ordnance Survey-GB and one from the UK
Government.
http://www.cordis.lu/econtent/psi/psi—reuse—consultation—replies.htm
The European Commission Environmental European
Spatial Data Infrastructure (E-ESDI) project renamed late in 2001
as INSPIRE (Infrastructure for Spatial Information in Europe)
is also not new. INSPIRE is as a result of earlier agreements
made by the EU Council of Ministers to which the current Prime
Minister has agreed too and signed on behalf of the UK. This includes
the Aarhus Agreement in 1998, The Global Monitoring for Environment
and Security, and the European Water Directive to name just a
few. Again these initiatives have involved the UK Government including
the DTLR and Ordnance Survey-GB personnel and as such pre-date
the OS-GB stage one quinquennial review. I have enclosed a number
of documents on the INSPIRE project which will enable further
information to be located if required. I would suggest that those
involved would not say that INSPIRE has come as a surprise.
It is also not clear whether the impact of the
above-mentioned agreements, legislation, projects were taken into
account in the OS-GB state one quinquennial review.
I hope that the above information together with
the enclosed will enable the final documents produced by the Urban
Affairs sub committee on this inquiry to address the inaccuracies
mentioned in the evidence given on the 19 March 2002. I have also
informed the European Commission personnel involved in the above-mentioned
initiatives and projects as there may be a need to improve general
awareness amongst member states to overcome the lack of awareness
demonstrated within the transcript of the Urban Affairs committee
proceedings on Tuesday 19 March 2002.
I thank you for inviting the AGI to give evidence
on the 19 March 2002 and I am happy to offer the services of the
AGI to provide further information that may help your inquiry
on OS-GB if that would be of assistance.
Chris Corbin
AGI Chair 2002
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