Monitoring and Reporting





Monitoring and reporting the implementation of INSPIRE

In order to have a solid basis for decision making related to the implementation of INSPIRE Directive and to the future evolution of INSPIRE, continuous monitoring of the implementation of the Directive and regular reporting are necessary.

Monitoring and reporting have to cover the 4 main fields of INSPIRE Directive: metadata, spatial data sets and services, network services, data sharing. Monitoring follows a quantitative approach and takes place every year, while reporting covers more qualitative aspects and takes place every 3 years.

Implementing rules on monitoring and reporting

Article 21 of INSPIRE Directive defines the basic principles for monitoring and reporting and specifies that detailed rules for the implementation of this Article will be adopted by the Commission.

Implementing rules regarding INSPIRE monitoring and reporting received the positive opinion of the INSPIRE Committee in December 2008 and have been adopted as COMMISSION DECISION regarding INSPIRE monitoring and reporting on the 5th of June 2009. All linguistic versions of this Decision have been published on the Official Journal of the EU no. L148/2009, dated 11/6/2009.

The first monitoring and reporting is due by 15th of May 2010.

The implementing rules for monitoring and reporting consist of two parts, one for monitoring and one for reporting.

Monitoring follows a quantitative approach and is based on a list of spatial data sets and services of the Member States. The list should cover already conformant data sets and services as well as those that still have to be brought into conformity. This list should basically reflect the Member State's plans for the implementation of INSPIRE. Based on the information collected for all the items of the list, indicators can be calculated to evaluate:

  • Existence of metadata for spatial data sets and services
  • Conformity of metadata for spatial data sets and services with the implementing rules on metadata
  • Geographical coverage of spatial data sets
  • Conformity of spatial data sets with the data specifications and of their metadata with the implementing rules on metadata
  • Accessibility of metadata for spatial data sets and services through discovery services
  • Accessibility of spatial data sets through view and download services
  • Use of network services
  • Conformity of network services to the implementing rules on network services

Reporting follows a qualitative approach. Member states will provide information on five main areas:

  • Coordination and quality assurance, including information on the Member State contact point and the coordination structure, as well as a description and evaluation of the quality assurance procedure, including measures taken to improve it
  • Contribution to the functioning and coordination of the infrastructure, including an overview of the stakeholders and of their roles, the measures taken to facilitate sharing and a description on how they cooperate
    o Use of the infrastructure for spatial information, in general and by public authorities in particular; examples of cross border use and efforts made to improve it
  • Data sharing arrangements between public authorities of the Member State, between public authorities and Community institutions and bodies as well as barriers to sharing
  • Cost and benefit aspects, that is an estimate of the costs related to INSPIRE Directive and examples of the observed benefits.

All results of monitoring and reporting will be made available to the public on the Internet.

Guidelines, justification document and templates

Several documents have been developed by the drafting team in order to support Member States in implementing this Commission Decision.

The European Commission is currently developing tools on order to further automate the collection, the transmission and the analysis of the indicators. Member States will be kept informed on the ongoing developments through their Member State Contact Points.