INSPIREdirektiivi

The INSPIRE Directive, formally Directive 2007/2/EC, is an European Union measure that aims to establish an Infrastructure for Spatial Information in the European Community. Its central objective is to enable the sharing of environmental spatial data across EU member states to support policy-making, environmental protection, and sustainable development. It requires member states to build a European Union spatial data infrastructure (SDI) that harmonizes the collection, maintenance, and dissemination of geographic information and makes environmental data more discoverable, accessible, and usable across borders and sectors.

Key elements of INSPIRE include the establishment of metadata for datasets and services, harmonized data models and vocabularies, and a set of interoperable network services. These services enable users to discover, view, download, and transform spatial data. The directive also defines a set of data themes and datasets to be harmonized and mandates the creation of national infrastructures with dedicated points of contact to support implementation.

Implementation is supported by EU-level implementing rules and technical guidelines covering data formats, schemas, and licensing. While national authorities retain ownership and governance of their data, INSPIRE provides a common framework to improve cross-border data sharing and interoperability.

Impact and status: Since its adoption, INSPIRE has become a core element of EU environmental information policy. Member states regularly publish progress reports and update technical specifications, with the goal of facilitating better environmental policy, research, and decision-making through easier access to interoperable spatial data.