INSPIREdirektiittä

INSPIREdirektiittä, or the INSPIRE Directive, is a European Union directive that aims to create a European spatial data infrastructure. Its full name is the Directive 2007/2/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 March 2007 establishing an Infrastructure for Spatial Information in the European Community. The primary goal of INSPIRE is to make geographical information more accessible and usable across the EU for environmental policy-making and other policies that may have an impact on the environment.

The directive requires EU member states to identify and map data concerning their territory and to make this information available in a consistent and interoperable way. This involves establishing common implementing rules for metadata, data sharing, and network services. INSPIRE covers a wide range of data themes, including addresses, administrative boundaries, transport networks, and environmental monitoring facilities.

Key objectives of INSPIRE include avoiding duplication of effort in collecting and maintaining spatial data, promoting its sharing between public authorities, and enabling informed decision-making. It also aims to facilitate public access to spatial information, thereby fostering greater transparency and public participation in environmental matters. The directive has been implemented through a series of regulations and is a significant undertaking for all EU member states and countries participating in the European Economic Area.