Page summary
The voice of Europe’s national geospatial authorities
EuroGeographics proudly represents Europe’s National Mapping, Cadastral and Land Registration Authorities.
Today, our members deliver much more than traditional maps and use cutting edge technologies to collect, maintain and provide high-quality data and services. This trusted geospatial data does more than show where things are. By adding context and clarity to raw information, it reveals connections between people, places and events, empowering precise, confident decision-making with maximum impact. In a world of growing complexity, this fundamental information about location is an invaluable resource for addressing national, regional and global challenges.
EuroGeographics uses multi-level engagement to champion official geospatial data as a sovereign asset for Europe, showcasing the value of members’ data to ensure that their roles, capabilities and concerns are understood. We provide a single point of contact that enables access to members’ expertise and data to deliver solution for issues extending beyond national borders.
Our aim is always to provide positive contributions to those areas of policy development where we, and our members, have a track record, significant expertise and a legitimate interest. This enables us to not only demonstrate and grow our relevance and effectiveness, but also helps members stay connected with policy developments and legislative programmes.
We are registered on the EU Transparency Register and are bound by its code of conduct.
European Engagement
In the European Union (EU), geospatial is defined as a high-value dataset for its important benefits for society, the environment and the economy. A trusted and reliable enabler of cross-border applications, it opens up countless opportunities for reuse thanks to its compatibility with other datasets making it an essential component of critical infrastructure.
Legislation, such as the INSPIRE Directive and the High-Value Data Implementing Regulation, ensures that trusted data from EU members is available via national geoportals – but crucially, it does not make the data useable at pan-European level. This is achieved by our members’ expertise in data harmonisation, standardisation and interoperability. By pooling their collective strengths, we work with our members to transform policy into practical solutions – most recently through the Open Maps For Europe projects and now via the new EuroCoreReferenceMap geospatial reference framework.
Our representation activities build on these successes and focus on the case for sustained EU investment in a European Geospatial Data Infrastructure.
Read the strategic case for a European Geospatial Data Infrastructure.
International Engagement
Internationally, EuroGeographics actively supports and contributes to the United Nations Global Geospatial Information Management Initiative (UN-GGIM) as a Observer Organisation. We are also a permanent member of the UN-GGIM: Europe Executive Committee, for which we provide the secretariat.
UN-GGIM raises awareness of the important contribution that geospatial information plays in reporting and monitoring progress towards achieving the sustainable development goals of the 2030 Agenda, and in support of the Sendai Framework for disaster risk reduction and the Paris Agreement on climate change.
European National Mapping, Cadastral and Land Registry Authorities have an important role to play in this global initiative and therefore it is important that our members’ distinctive voice and interests are heard in the development of its policy. EuroGeographics is therefore committed to representing members’ interests regarding UN-GGIM issues. To do this, we assert our own view and position to help form, communicate and implement UN-GGIM policy. In particular, our efforts are focussed on avoiding duplication and to emphasise complementarity of our two very different organisations.
EuroGeographics members also participate in a number of other regional and international collaborative groups, such as the Arctic SDI, regional collaborations within the Western Balkans, and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). We continue to represent our members’ interests and promote their role through these initiatives and, where practical, support them through our participation at conferences, workshops and other meetings.
Activities to support members
Membership of EuroGeographics ensures official providers of authoritative pan-European geospatial data and land information are connected to – and have the opportunity to contribute to – international initiatives that in turn deliver significant value and benefits at national level.
Representation benefits for members include:
- Proactive engagement with policy makers, elected representatives and portfolio holders to ensure the collective voice of members is heard within the EU and UN – even when individual members are unable to participate in consultations, meetings, events and briefings themselves.
- Membership the Policy Knowledge Exchange Network – a central pillar of EuroGeographics’ Representation Strategy.
- A continual policy tracking and monitoring service covering both EU and non-EU developments provided by a full-time senior Policy Officer.
- Weekly policy bulletins, bi-monthly policy summaries, and legal analysis, tracking records, and briefing papers as appropriate.
- Joint events with key stakeholders.
- Dedicated policy pages within the member-only section of our website.