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The EEA/EIONET Information SystemThe EEA/EIONET Information System

current applications and further current applications and further developmentsdevelopments

relevant for EECCA countriesrelevant for EECCA countries

Stefan Jensen

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The purposeThe purpose and some general principles and some general principles::

• To support all EEA and EIONET activities related to the flows of data and information from countries and other organisations to EEA, through to the assessments and knowledge provided back to the countries.

• including, to communicate environmental information effectively to Europe´s citizens using the full range of communication channels.

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Shared EEISinformation

The vision of s shared European The vision of s shared European Environmental Information System (EEIS)Environmental Information System (EEIS)

othercountries

Users

SharedEIONET information

InformationInfrastructure

European UnionEEA, Eurostat

EEAMember countries

Policy makers,Env. experts, Media,Informed public

User accessshared tools

e.g. Reportnet tools

EECCA countries

International Organisations, Conventionse.g. UNEP, UNECE, OECD, Basel Conv.

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The EEA/EIONET information systemThe EEA/EIONET information system

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Na

tio

na

l sy

ste

ms Dissemination

Availability

Da

ta

co

llect

ion

IT / Integration

Da

tah

an

dlin

g

Pro

du

cti

on

Data Information Knowledge

Pro

du

cts

an

d s

erv

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s

The EEAThe EEA information information handlinghandling

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Future trends:Future trends:Extended cExtended communication channelsommunication channels

• From “Report producer” to a producer of a wide range of products and services • New type of products (Short briefings

targeted to key clients – with the underpinning information and data being accessible through the web site)

• More focus on the general public• Products for younger audience

(multimedia)• Local (“What’s in your backyard?”)

information

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Issues to be adressed around Issues to be adressed around environmental information provisionenvironmental information provision

1. Framing content through environmental indicators / obligations

2. Identfying systems and tools

3. Common standards and interfaces

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1.1. Framing content: INDICATORSFraming content: INDICATORS

The purpose of a core set of indicatorsThe purpose of a core set of indicators

• to provide a stable and manageable basis for indicator reporting by EEA (EEA Signals)

• to prioritise improvements in data quality from countries to European level

• to streamline contributions to other indicator initiatives (eg structural indicators)

• in doing so, to strengthen environmental dimension alongside economic and social dimensions

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1st phase July 2002:

400 indicators relevant to policy objectives and distributed across DPSIR

2nd phase. May 2003:

350 indicators relevant to policy objectives and distributed across DPSIR

3rd phase. February 2004:

37 indicators relevant to policy targets and data availability

The history of theThe history of theCore set of indicatorsCore set of indicators

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Number of indicators per Number of indicators per topictopic

• Air quality (6)• Ozone depletion (1)• Climate change (4)• Biodiversity (4)• Terrestrial (2)• Water (7)• Waste 2)

> What is an appropriate indicator set for EECAA countries ?

• Agriculture (2)• Energy (5)• Fishery (3)• Transport (3)

Total: 37

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1.1. Framing content: OBLIGATIONSFraming content: OBLIGATIONS

The purpose of the Reporting obligation database The purpose of the Reporting obligation database (ROD)(ROD)

• To assist in the analysis of member countries reporting obligation burden

• To support member countries in planning and fulfilling reporting obligations

• To assist in streamlining the flow of data to EEA as a part of REPORTNET

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What can ROD be used for?What can ROD be used for?

• Due dates for reporting obligations• Countries participating in a reporting

obligation• The “report to” organisation• The legislative framework• deliveries made to the Reportnet central data

repository

> What is necessary content for EECCA reporting(e.g. conventions)?

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ROD deadlinesROD deadlines

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2. Information system/services to share:2. Information system/services to share:

• Environmental monitoring and data reporting incl. harmonisation aspects > Reportnet e.g. http://eionet.eu.int/rn

• Free access to general environmental information provided by countries >SERIS http://seris.eea.eu.int

• Web services for the public >EPER (Emmission polluting facilities) http://eper.cec.eu.int

OZONEWEB (National ozone levels) http://ozon.eionet.eu.int

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Reportnet - What are the goals?Reportnet - What are the goals?

Improve European environmental reporting by:

• Streamlining• Quality improvement • Ensuring Transparency and availability

of information reported by countries

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policy relevant

Ag

reed

QA

/QC

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Harm

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ised

colle

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Transparent and open source

system

Provide onceuse for many

purposes

EEA information principlesEEA information principles

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Reportnet – a system to share with Reportnet – a system to share with othersothers

• 4 out of of 14 EIONET priority data flows are exclusive

• Open Reportnet system architecture• 130 reporting obligations in ROD • EEA reports (e.g. Kiev report) use

information from other resources

> A place for EECCA country data to be used in pan-European reports

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The Reportnet “football”The Reportnet “football”

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Reportnet services…Reportnet services…

• A set of integrated services for EEA and others (Calendar of dataflows, EEA in ROD)

• Public web services > to be used by others (http://rod.eionet.eu.int )

• Open systems (EPER uses ROD, CDR, etc)• Data exchange with other distributed

systems [XML RPC, RSS, RDF, etc] (Ex. reporting deadlines in calendar on ETC websites)

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SERISSERISState of the environment reports State of the environment reports

information systeminformation system

• An offer for countries to register the (meta)data of their relevant state of the environment reports

> A way to reference main European reports (including EECCA countries) at one place (they do not have to physically be there)

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3. 3. CCommon standards and interfaces (I)ommon standards and interfaces (I)

• Metadata standards (available)• CDS Model, DublinCore, ISO11179

• Environmental data standards (less available)

• Spatial data standards (INSPIRE initiative)

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e.g. Data standards (normative e.g. Data standards (normative specifications)specifications)

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3. 3. CCommon standards and interfaces (II)ommon standards and interfaces (II)

• Technology standards• E.g. XML, web services

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Same issues for this EECCA cooperationSame issues for this EECCA cooperation

What do we want to share?- Metadata, reports,(monitoring)data, indicators?

Which common services do we want to have?- A shared place for data and information?- Several shared places based on the content?- A distributed architecture of information providers?

Where do we like to apply common standards?