Revamp of EU environmental data reporting planned

2477, 05/02/08

The European commission has issued plans to create a single online system for collecting, reporting and analysing environmental data in the EU.

A proposed "shared environment information system" (Seis) would do away with paper-based reporting and bring all EU environmental data flows into a single, interconnected platform, the commission said on Tuesday.

The system will integrate current EU initiatives such as the Inspire spatial information database and the global monitoring for the environment and security (Gmes) programme (EED 25/04/07 http://www.endseuropedaily.com/23084).

The commission says it will draw up a detailed plan for developing Seis later this year. It will probably also propose a revision of the 1991 standardised reporting directive, which sets out the way that governments must report data under certain EU green laws.

The revised directive would modernise the way in which data is made available and could be extended to cover all of the more than 100 existing EU environmental reporting obligations.

Outlining the principles behind Seis, the commission says data should be collected once, managed close to source and shared widely with public authorities and citizens for a variety of uses.

The proposed new system is not geared towards simplification per se, but the commission says it will avoid duplication and reduce data reporting costs. Funding for the new system would come from EU sources such as the seventh research framework programme (FP7), Life+ and structural funds, as well as "adequate allocations from national and regional budgets".

Follow-up: European commission http://ec.europa.eu/index_en.htm, tel: +32 2 299 1111, plus press release

http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/185.

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