CONTENTS OUR MEMBERS. Our members are the National Mapping, Cadastral and Land Registration Authorities in Europe. MEMBERS IRELAND PRESIDENT S REPORT

Transcription

1 2016 ANNUAL REVIEW

2 EUROGEOGRAPHICS ANNUAL REVIEW 2016 EUROGEOGRAPHICS ANNUAL REVIEW 2016 CONTENTS OUR MEMBERS MEMBERS PRESIDENT S REPORT IRELAND ITALY Our members are the National Mapping, Cadastral and Land Registration Authorities in Europe. ABOUT US CASE STUDIES ALBANIA ARMENIA KOSOVO LATVIA LITHUANIA MONTENEGRO As the official bodies responsible for cadastre, land registration, geodetic surveying and mapping activities in their respective countries, each fulfils a unique role providing data and services. These are underpinned by professional, scientific and technical expertise and support a wide range of requirements for national decision making, including positioning, navigation and emergency response. AUSTRIA CYPRUS CZECH REPUBLIC DENMARK POLAND ROMANIA SERBIA SLOVENIA By simplifying access to their data, members are driving applications to realise social, economic and environmental benefits, as well as quicker, more efficient, secure and reliable land registration in support of an equitable property market. EuroGeographics vision is of a European society that makes decisions informed by our members accurate, authoritative and quality-assured data, services and expertise. ESTONIA FINLAND SPAIN SWEDEN A full list of our members can be found on pages 46 and 47. FRANCE 18 SWITZERLAND 42 FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA GEORGIA GREAT BRITAIN GERMANY HUNGARY THE NETHERLANDS TURKEY UKRAINE LIST OF MEMBERS MANAGEMENT BOARD & HEAD OFFICE ICELAND 25 FINANCES

3 PRESIDENT S REPORT With so much data available from so many providers, the need for accurate, detailed geospatial information from trusted sources grows ever more important. European National Mapping, Cadastre and Land Registry Authorities fulfill a unique role by providing definitive, detailed map and land information. As their membership association, EuroGeographics is committed to supporting them as they improve access to this rich source of data to drive applications that deliver very real benefits to Europe, and to ensuring that their responsibilities, capabilities and concerns are understood. During the past year, we have continued to explore ways in which authoritative data from official sources can contribute to European policy developments and aid operational requirements. One such example is our renewed agreement with the European Environment Agency (EEA) which provides rapid access to members authoritative information during times of crisis via the Copernicus Emergency Mapping Service. Our members are also contributing significantly to the United Nations Initiative on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM), in particular through UN-GGIM: Europe for which we are proud to provide the secretariat. We warmly welcome explicit recognition of the important role of geospatial information in various UN policy agendas, as well as the endorsement and broadening of UN-GGIM s mandate. EuroGeographics is founded on a tradition of sharing knowledge and expertise. We have a long, successful track record of producing pan-european geospatial data products to inform policy, enable decision-making and help visualise a range of otherwise complex data. Together with a number of our members and other partners, we have been part of the European Location Framework (ELF) Project. The collaboration, which ended in October 2016, has developed the standards, specifications, tools and technical infrastructure to deliver pan-european geospatial content. This provides a solid foundation on which to build future European Location Services and during the two-year transition to an operational service, ownership will transfer to EuroGeographics and its members. Our vision for future European Location Services is that they will provide the single access point for international users of harmonised, pan-european, authoritative geospatial information and services; and enable National Mapping, Cadastre and Land Registry Authorities to be recognised in their international efforts to contribute to the wider public good. The delivery of an operational service is an ambitious undertaking but the geospatial community has a long and successful track record of positive and strong collaboration. EuroGeographics and its members are committed to working to secure the long-term future of this unique and powerful source of geospatial information by ensuring that it will meet market need for authoritative reference data. Ingrid Vanden Berghe EuroGeographics President 4 5

4 ABOUT US EuroGeographics - Connecting you to maps and land information for Europe EuroGeographics is an international not-for-profit organisation representing Europe s National Mapping, Cadastral and Land Registration Authorities. Our strength lies in our extensive membership and we are proud to represent 61 organisations from 46 countries covering the whole of geographical Europe, delivering benefits for each regardless of the geographical, technical, political, organisational, linguistic and business parameters in which they work. By providing a single point of contact, we enable government, business and citizens to benefit from their collective expertise, products and services. Our activities focus on maintaining a network that helps each member to improve their capabilities and role; facilitating access to our members data, services and expertise; and representing our members interests in those areas of policy development where they have a track record, significant expertise and a legitimate interest. What we do EuroGeographics: Represents our members interests and promotes their role in Europe and internationally; Maintains a network that helps each member to improve their capabilities and role by providing a platform for sharing best practice and experience; Facilitates access to our members data and expertise through products and services; and Undertakes joint projects that help members develop their national spatial data infrastructures, and improve the integration and use of their data at European level. Representation EuroGeographics represents members interests in the European institutions and internationally to ensure that their roles, capabilities and concerns are understood. We continue to be registered on the EU Transparency Register and are bound by its code of conduct. Our representation strategy is based upon the principle of constructive participation. This enables us to demonstrate members relevance by delivering value to policy development and legislative programmes in those areas where they have a track record, significant expertise and a legitimate interest. Internationally, we actively support and contribute to the United Nations Global Geospatial Information Management initiative (UN-GGIM) and provide the secretariat for UN-GGIM: Europe, one of its five regional committees. Knowledge Exchange Members place tremendous value on collaborating to find solutions to common challenges. This willingness to share experiences and best practice is central to the success of our Knowledge Exchange Networks (KENS) which provide an open forum for discussing issues of mutual interest. Products and Services EuroGeographics remains committed to providing easy access to, and encouraging greater use of, map, land and geographic information from the European National Mapping, Cadastre and Land Registry Authorities. We currently offer four pan-european products produced using official geospatial data from our members. Products have standardised, transparent pricing and licensing agreements, including an open data licence for our 1:1 million scale topographic dataset, EuroGlobalMap which is produced with support from The National Institute of Geographic and Forest Information (IGN France). The development and delivery of our dataset of official administrative and statistical regions, EuroBoundaryMap, along with our 1: scale multi-themed topographic mapping, EuroRegionalMap, is coordinated by Germany s Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy (BKG). Each product is harmonised to standard specifications, so users can be confident that the information provided is consistent, comparable and easily shared - regardless of its national source. European Location Services EuroGeographics is working with members to develop future European Location Services. The goal is to provide easy access to pan-european geographic and land information from official, national sources. Our vision is that European Location Services will provide the single access point for international users of harmonised, pan-european, authoritative geospatial information and services. This will enable national mapping, cadastral and land registry authorities to be recognised in their international effort to contribute to the wider public good. We also pursue joint activities with other associations working in the field of mapping, cadastre and land information. These partnerships complement and add to the development of our KEN activities, bringing greater opportunities for professional development. 6 7

5 MEMBERS CASE STUDIES 8 9

6 ALBANIA ARMENIA Activities in Albania focus on important geospatial initiatives Republic of Armenia rolls out service improvements Albania s State Authority for Geospatial Information (ASIG) focused on a number of important projects during These include the delivery of an Orthophoto and Digital Terrain Model (DTM) as well as approval of new sets of geospatial information standards and regulations. In addition, ASIG concluded its cooperation agreement in principle with the Japanese Government through the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The agreement, to produce a digital 1:2 000 scale Base Map, will enable the generalisation of 1:10 000, 1: and 1: scale datasets for inclusion in EuroGeographics pan-european products. The National Geoportal (geoportal. asig.gov.al) now offers 51 services for a range of themes such as cadastral parcels, addresses, land cover and land use which are published through Web Map and Web Map Tile Services (WMS and WMTS). Following a tender process, a new, INSPIRE-compliant geoportal is being developed and is expected to be completed by the end of April The State Committee of the Real Property Cadastre is implementing a new electronic evaluation system across its network of regional offices following a successful pilot in the Armenian capital, Yerevan. The initiative enables citizens to assess the quality of service provided to drive improvements, identify possible gaps and deliver appropriate solutions. It is part of a series of complex and continuous reforms which are increasing the transparency of the system and simplifying administrative processes. During 2016, the State Committee also introduced a new mobile registration system for queue management. This creates a virtual ticket through an app downloaded to a mobile phone or tablet so that users can queue for service without the need to visit an office. Users can select a specific service office, service, date and time, as well as create a tag and receive a reminder. In addition, the system enables citizens to choose the time most convenient to them to receive services whilst also allowing the State Committee to ensure the efficient use of its resources. Improving service quality and delivering new solutions continue to be key objectives for the organisation

7 AUSTRIA CYPRUS Enhancing the quality of addresses in Austria Cyprus unveils window on its work with new web portal Austria s Federal Office of Metrology and Surveying (BEV) has developed a new geocoding application and web services to enhance the national address system. Addresses are core data used by many organisations as well as by citizens and are key for the integration of geoinformation (geocoding). In Austria, addresses collected by the 2,100 municipalities are quality checked, geocoded and stored in a central register at BEV. Quality checks validate the position of an address within a cadastral parcel. Although these quality checks result in a consistent dataset, its use for routing purposes was restricted as, until recently, there was no link between the Austrian routes network (transport network) and the geo-referenced addresses. A new workflow established within the automated IT services enables a link from addresses to the nationwide transportation graph (GIP) and the ability to route with these data. Enhancing quality and adding attributes were not the only challenges, the solution also requires a sustainable collaboration within an interorganisational set-up. A new geocoding application set up by BEV delivers an automatically generated routing coordinate and moves the address coordinate automatically close to the entry of a parcel. These two address coordinates support a range of decision-making processes, particularly for emergency management. This geocoding process has now been improved to merge the address system with GIP, a graph to digitally manage route data in compliance with standardised rules. The work is a joint project of the Austrian federal provinces and other institutions. Both datasets, the addresses and the graph, are available to all authorities but are maintained in parallel. The advantages of a centrally registered address system which also provides coordinates for routing are evident. Providing quick access to the required information can be life-saving in situations where a rapid response is needed. As the Austrian address system is used by the main leading emergency management systems, the availability, maintenance and monitoring of all addresses must be ensured, updated and centrally serviced via web services. The address system is periodically open and freely accessible to allow a broad exchange and thus facilitate the dialogue between local citizens and the administrative authorities. Cyprus s new internet services platform is a significant milestone in the history of the Department of Lands and Surveys (DLS). A key component of Department s IT-centric culture and vision, the web portal is available 24 hours a day and provides a fast, user friendly range of online services. The aim is to eliminate time-consuming bureaucratic procedures for applications and enable easy access into DLS s core data. The new internet services platform consists of four main pillars: Dynamic front page with information about the Department, such as offices, branches and the Citizen s Charter, and its services which include access to free maps, cadastral plans and a tool for calculating fees. Free online application for navigating to properties in real time through parcels, buildings, plan grids, aerial photography, planning zones, and other spatial features. Properties can be identified in a range of ways, including parcel characteristics, cadastral plans and valuation characteristics. Two additional thematic online services, (a) the Topographical and (b) the Hydrographical, are also available with very important attributes, with options for search, printing and web-service access. Electronic application submission via the e-applications dashboard which also hosts personal profiling and offers monitoring of registered applications. In addition, users can purchase maps, export and upload data to the Department, submit boundary information, correct errors, raise any objections, release mortgages, and request copies of title certificates. The application also includes the capability of exporting taxation data to the Local Government and to the Sewerage Boards. It also enables the online updating of new buildings and roads characteristics. Implementation of the INSPIRE Directive through a specialised and dedicated geoportal platform integrated within the DLS Portal. INSPIRE is based on the infrastructures for spatial information that are created by the Member States. They are made compatible with common implementing rules, and supplemented with measures at Community level. Network services, make it possible to discover, transform, view and download spatial data and also to invoke spatial data and e-commerce services from various Governmental sources, according to the INSPIRE Directive. Following the launch of the web portal homepage/pages/default.aspx DLS remains committed to the continuous improvement of its services and the development of new applications

8 CZECH REPUBLIC DENMARK Digital terrain and surface models created for Czech Republic Denmark launches major projects to enhance property registration 2016 will be remembered by the Czech surveying community as the year the Republic s new terrain and surface models were completed. Between 2009 and 2013 new altimetry surveying of the entire Czech Republic was performed using airborne laser scanning (ALS), carried out by the Czech Office for Surveying, Mapping and Cadastre (ČÚZK). The territory was divided into three areas and point clouds obtained from each. Work to automatically process and manually edit these finished in 2016 and two digital terrain models were created based on the ALS data. DMT 4G comprises 5 by 5 metre grids (GRID) with a total mean height error of 0.30 metres in the exposed terrain and one metre in the forest. This model was created using fully automated processes and within one year of the ALS data being collected. DMT 5G was subsequently created in the form of an irregular network of points (TIN) with a total mean height error of 0.18 metres in the exposed terrain and 0.30 metres on ground covered with vegetation. The digital surface model, DMS 1G, has a total mean height error of 0.4 metres for precisely defined objects and 0.7 metres for buildings not exactly bounded (forests and other elements of vegetation cover). The models have been used in a wide range of applications, not only by ČÚZK and other areas of public administration, but also other fields such as the national economy. DMT 4G has been used for orthogonalisation of aerial photographs within ČÚZK since DMT 5G serves as a basis for refining selected elements of the Fundamental Base of Geographical Data of the Czech Republic (ZABAGED ), and as a source database for deriving new contour lines for the State map series, as well as territorially-oriented information systems in the basic contour equidistance of one metre. The Ministry of Defence and the Army of the Czech Republic use the digital models while practicing military and crisis management operations, and for the development of telecommunication technology. In addition, DMS 1G has proved particularly useful for visibility analysis. The Ministry of Agriculture, which is one of the organisations responsible for water management, uses DMT 5G to map and design flood protection areas. Digital models are also used for land consolidation, transport and other linear constructions or archaeology as well as the development of maps for hiking or cycling. In May 2016, a new application, Altimetry Analysis, introduced on the Geoportal ČÚZK, won the Digital cartographic products and applications on the Internet category of the Czech Cartographic Society Map 2015 awards. The application is freely available to public authorities and the general public. DMT 5G DMS 1G The Danish Geodata Agency, which has relocated from Copenhagen to Aalborg, is playing a key role in the delivery of three major new projects focusing on property registration. Today, Denmark s real property data is registered at independent public authorities which each use different keys to identify real property objects. This not only makes it difficult to compare and combine information across registers, but also requires users to commit significant resources for quality checking and double data entry. The Real Property Data Program, which includes governmental bodies and municipalities, is dealing with these data inconsistences in two ways to deliver an expanded cadastre. The data models of the various registers are harmonised and the old register specific keys replaced by a new common agreed real property identifier. Furthermore, comprehensive data cleansing is performed to improve the data quality of property registers with errors corrected, irrelevant information removed and missing data supplied. The Land Registry hands over the basic registration of condominiums and building on leased land to the Land Cadastre which is responsible for the basic registration of all real property types: Land parcels, condominiums and buildings on leased land. A similar project to create a new Property Ownership Register, incorporating information about property owners and managers, is also underway and will be launched in summer In addition, by 2019 Denmark will benefit from three new valuation models, mainly based on data, for housing, businesses and agriculture. Cadastral data is essential for the data driven calculation of valuation and for 20 years, the cadastral map has been used for many purposes in digital systems in the public sector and in the private sector. A project led by the Geodata Agency will improve the quality of the cadastral map for calculating of valuation. Together with the Ministry of Taxation, the Agency will also examine how to make the map better and how to communicate the new valuations in Following the Agency s move to Aalborg, in accordance with a government decision on the relocation of government institutions, a significant number of new staff have been recruited. Increased emphasis on training and development has brought a number of challenges, not least extended processing times for cadastral changes and in the production of nautical charts. A huge effort is now underway to improve services for users and stakeholders alike. Sample of Altimetry Analysis 14 - Altimetry Profile 15

9 ESTONIA FINLAND Providing free access to Sentinel satellite data of Estonia Three years of e-conveyance in Finland The signing of the Collaborative Ground Segment Agreement between Enterprise Estonia and the European Space Agency (ESA) provides free access to Sentinel satellite data. As an expert in remote sensing, and the biggest provider and distributor of spatial information in Estonia, the National Land Board has been tasked with setting up and operating a national mirror site. ESTHub will provide free access to Sentinel 1 to 6 data and collect and archive datasets covering the Estonian territory as well as a buffer zone of about 200 km. These downloadable datasets will be freely available. In addition, the Land Board is investing in computing capabilities for dedicated users to run their algorithms. As a result, there is no need for users to download full datasets or invest in storage and computing power, as the specific intermediate product processing facility will be provided by ESTHub. Many organisations in the public and private sectors benefit from satellite data such as agriculture, forestry and maritime surveillance. Examples include the Estonian Agricultural Registers and Information Board s development of an algorithm using Sentinel 1 and 2 data to monitor the cutting status of grasslands while paying subsidies to land owners. The Estonian Environment Agency is also planning to use Sentinel data for monitoring clear-cut areas, tree species and other forest parameters with other national agencies expressing an interest in using it their monitoring programmes. Estonia joined the ESA in 2015, and in September 2016 became the 12th ESA Member State to sign the Collaborative Ground Segment Agreement. The Land Board aims to have the national mirror site up and running by the start of The city of Tallinn on the RGB image of Sentinel 2 Finland s Electronic Property Transaction Service (e-conveyance) was launched more than three years ago in November The aim was to enable parties to make deeds and manage mortgages in one service without a notary (or a public purchase witness in Finland) and regardless of time and place. The service was developed to remove difficult and time consuming paper transfers, such as mortgage deeds between banks. Handling and scanning papers was also time consuming from the authorities point of view. Deeds and application are immediately binding as soon as they are signed by the authorised parties using the system. In addition, automatic verifications from different sources enable the authorities to complete registrations more quickly. Information in English is available at /english_info The e-conveyance service is designed for public use and has its own interface enabling sellers and buyers to make the deed of purchase without external party involvement. User feedback has been very positive. Currently around 80 per cent of real estate transactions pass through a real estate agent which means that, together with the banks, they play a key role in the process. As these organisations primarily use their own systems, there was need to extend and improve the e-conveyance service further to support these processes. The new approach is based on interfaces enabling professionals to use their primary systems with the National Land Survey (NLS) providing the platform for safe electronic signature, payment transaction control, and automated official decision making. This creates new opportunities for service providers to integrate and customise systems and develop more services than the authorities alone can deliver. A significant step in the digitalisation of conveyancing will be achieved by the mass digitalisation of mortgage deeds in Rather than physical mortgage deeds, the information will be entered in database enabling management and transfer without delay. Springtime ice melt on Lake Peipsi > 16 17

10 FRANCE Former Yugoslav Republic of MACEDONIA Delivering services fostering the use of geographic data in France Enhancing the real estate system in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia France s National Institute of Geographic and Forest Information (IGN) and the Post Office have jointly developed a one-stop shop enabling public services to contribute updates to the national address database. The move enables municipalities, which have the legal authority on addresses and streets, to integrate their local geographic information with the free national address database by adding data about new addresses and streets and by improving existing data. The service also enables town councils to manage their public road network by creating, geo-locating and naming new streets, allocating them positioning numbers, and generating information required by citizens and other stakeholders. IGN has also developed a collaborative platform to enable community and crowd sourcing for any data theme. As well as capturing new features by superimposing them on to existing IGN data, users can handle and capture data directly within the IGN internal infrastructure. Additionally, IGN has delivered a series of applications to facilitate easy handling of geographic resources. These include My Map, a new application for creating online maps and integrating the user s own information in just a few clicks. With a focus on comparing current and historical data, the Go Back in Time website enables users to travel through time and space using ancient maps and aerial pictures together with those from the present day. Finally, the free online My Addresses service enables beginners or experts, private individuals or professionals, to geocode, map and view their own address file. IGN is also fostering innovation within e-government procedures. Having been mandated by the Government to develop cartographic tools for simplifying the digital administration, it has delivered a bespoke application programming interface Carto API. FranceAgriMer national agricultural office is just one organisation benefitting from the API which it uses for online processing of applications for grapevine planting authorisation. As a result, 76 per cent of applications are now automatically processed, not only significantly reducing the time each takes, but significantly improving efficiency by eliminating the need of 23 employees to work overtime. Example of using the Go Back in Time free online service showing the evolution of the commune of Port Camargue between 1950 and Example of using the free online service, My Addresses to view an address file from open government data. Market values of real estate in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia are determined through an evaluation process conducted via the mass appraisal system. The Register of Prices and Fees, established by the Agency for Real Estate Cadastre, is part of the system and enables the electronic communication of purchases, sales and leases. By October 2016, more than 35,800 transactions had been registered with all undergoing a process of checking and validation by the Real Estate Mass Appraisal Department. The department, established in August 2016, is an upgrade of the Mass Appraisal Unit and consists of 12 employees working across three units which focus on the price register, market analysis and mass appraisal model. The latter plays a vital contribution to the real estate appraisal system which evaluates all real estate and determines their market value to provide data for citizens, companies, investors and numerous state bodies. In 2016, quarterly reports consisting of statistics from the Register of Prices and Lease Fees were drawn up by the Real Estate Mass Appraisal Department and published by the Agency for Real Estate Cadastre. These provided information on transaction volumes and timeframes per types of real estate, as well as per transaction type. Statistics on the amount and total value of sales along with average prices per square metre of housing, total monthly lease fees per quarter, and average prices of lease fees for housing and business premises were also issued. Reports are posted on Real Estate Cadastre Agency website at aspx?id=1582. The Real Estate Mass Appraisal Department also posts the real estate transactions at Activities in 2017 will focus on further enhancing the systematic appraisal of all real estate, on-site real estate data gathering, which will be necessary for the mass appraisal system for four pilot municipalities, and IT upgrades. Work will culminate in the introduction of modelling software through which data from the Real Estate Cadastre and the Price Register database can be evaluated

11 GEORGIA GREAT BRITAIN Georgia pilots Blockchain technology for property registration OS putting location at the heart of smart in Great Britain Georgia is one of the first countries in the world to pilot Blockchain technology for property registration. The project, a partnership between National Agency of Public Registry (NAPR) under the Ministry of Justice and the BitFury Group, will enhance both the security and the transparency of the registration process. Data sent to a Blockchain distributed database will be certified with NAPR s digital organisational seal to prove the validity and authenticity of the transaction. As a result, checking the authenticity of an extract from the immoveable property register will also be simplified. Information is stored via a global network of computers, securing it from both cyber attacks and physical destruction. Users have added peace of mind that all computers in the network will automatically block any suspicious attempts to manipulate the data. NAPR started integrating Blockchain technology into its systems in 2016 when it signed a memorandum of cooperation with the BitFury Group. The partnership was formed due to NAPR s developed IT infrastructure and the leading position of Georgia in the World Bank Doing Business rankings. The next stage of the project will see NAPR working on the introduction of smart contracts. The last year has seen Ordnance Survey (OS) continue to implement its strategy focussing on making Great Britain a global exemplar for the use of geospatial information also saw the organisation using its 225 years of expertise to support and enable other nations to deliver projects and services underpinned by location data. As a result of on-going recognition of the importance of location information, and in particular authoritative and maintained data, by government and business, OS has become an established partner in a number of Smart City projects. Through these projects OS has provided expertise in several areas including data capture, visualisations and insight, GPS and positioning and big data management. The CityVerve project in Manchester was officially launched in July 2016 becoming the UK s first demonstrator project for large-scale deployment of Internet of Things (IoT) technology. OS is part of a consortium of more than 20 public and private sector organisations who over the next two years will design and deliver a series of citizen-focused solutions around the themes of Transport, Energy, Health and Culture, using IoT, sensor and collaborative platform technology. The role of OS has been to provide the geospatial framework and location expertise upon which solutions may be based. Critical to the future success of the project is high quality, accurate data. OS implemented a new data gathering approach which involved capturing new features including street furniture and street side assets, for example lamp posts, bus stops and road signs. This level of detail was identified as an essential data layer to enable the future positioning of sensors and beacons. In November, OS began working on a ground-breaking planning and mapping tool that will be instrumental for the national rollout of 5G technology - the next generation of wireless communications needed to bring internet-connected devices into everyday life. As part of the initiative OS is building a digital twin of the real world, which will be used to determine the prime locations to place the radio antennae (access points) necessary to enable a 5G network. The planning and mapping tool will be trialled first in Bournemouth, and if successful, has the potential to be scaled up to cover the rest of the UK, and shared with other countries as they develop their own 5G networks. OS data continues to drive efficiencies across government and underpin the delivery of public services through both the Public Sector Mapping Agreement and One Scotland Mapping Agreement. Outside these agreements, OS has worked with government partners to deliver a number of innovative products including the new OS MasterMap Highways Network, advancements to the Resilience Direct platform and a dataset of 373,919km of hedges to support British farmers

12 GERMANY Assessing flood risks more exactly in Germany EuroGeographics signs production management agreement with BKG Germany Insurance companies in Germany are using the latest digital terrain model (DTM) for flood risk analysis and to calculate tariffs. Uniform DTMs are created by the Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy (BKG) by harmonising and editing elevation data collected by the Working Committee of the Surveying Authorities of the Laender (AdV). The DTMs are then provided via the Central Office for Geo-Topography (ZSGT) s online service centre The current DTM of Germany is available in three resolutions, the top one being five metres (DGM5) with two more offered at 10 and 25 metres respectively. The data is continuously updated and constantly improved by BKG using the data updates provided by AdV. The German Insurance Association (GDV e.v.) is a key user of DGM5 which underpins its Zoning System for Flood, Backwater and Torrential Rain (ZÜRS). ZÜRS is offered to GDV e.v member companies to enable them to assess flood risk and calculate the appropriate tariffs. DGM5 has been instrumental in improving accuracy in the assessment of risk potentials in locations across the country. In May 2016, EuroGeographics announced that Germany s Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy (BKG) would manage production for two of its pan-european products. The production management agreement means that BKG will now coordinate the development and delivery of EuroRegionalMap, a 1: dataset, as well as EuroBoundaryMap, which enables the exact matching of administrative units with statistical data using a European-wide unique identifier. In addition to taking over responsibility the organisation, strategic planning and technical implementation of the EuroRegionalMap and EuroBoundaryMap production process, BKG s activities also focus on ensuring the completeness and quality of the datasets. We are very pleased to have signed this agreement with BKG and I should also like to thank NGI, Belgium, for providing significant support over many years in the production management of EuroRegionalMap, said EuroGeographics Secretary General and Executive Director, Mick Cory. Harmonised pan-european maps and geographic information are of fundamental importance to society - they inform policy, enable decision - making and help visualise a range of otherwise complex data. EuroGeographics continues to maintain and develop its portfolio of pan-european datasets created by harmonising our members national data. Feedback from users indicates that they greatly value this high quality, reliable information from trusted sources. Bringing both these datasets together under a single agreement will simplify workflows and enable greater harmony between the two products. Head of BKG, Prof Dr Hansjörg Kutterer added: We re very excited to be coordinating the production management of these two datasets which provide accurate authoritative information for decision makers across a wide range of sectors. Our aim is to extend coverage and create a common geometry for international boundaries, national boundaries and coastlines to ensure they continue to meet user needs. The latest version of EuroBoundaryMap, released in spring 2016, includes country datasets for Albania and part of Bosnia and Herzegovina and has been enhanced through the integration of INSPIRE identifiers. The latest version of EuroRegionalMap includes updates to the administrative and hydrology themes

13 HUNGARY ICELAND A key focus on remote sensing for national map databases continues in Hungary National Land Survey of Iceland continues focus on collection and sharing of spatial data From January 2017, the Institute of Geodesy, Cartography and Remote Sensing (FÖMI) continues its professional activities as the Department of Geodesy, Remote Sensing and Land Offices under the Government Office of the Capital City Budapest. As legal successor to FÖMI, the Government Office is participating in the EU co-founded Agricultural Water Use Information and Control Framework. It is responsible for developing infrastructure, software and methods to provide geospatial and cadastral information needed for administrating water rights permits. In addition, it is establishing a remote sensing-based irrigation monitoring system to support irrigation control. of Agriculture. The main aim is to implement national tasks related to the European Biodiversity Strategy, in particular a national ecosystem assessment map, the habitat monitoring of rare species and the development of green infrastructure. During the wet weather of early spring 2016, FÖMI experts rapidly created maps derived from Sentinel 1 radar images to accurately detect damage in affected areas. These maps were used by authorities to help administer the Complex Agricultural Compensation System. Another key development in 2016 was the launch of free public access to Copernicus High Resolution Layers for Hungary via the FÖMI website. Verification, enhancement and distribution of GIO land data for Hungary are provided by FÖMI. New digital surface models have also been generated to meet the aims of the CAP reform; a national Digital Surface Model (DSM) was created using photogrammetric techniques and a normalised surface model (ndsm), containing the relative height of natural and built terrain features. where users can download image free of charge. To date, more than 114,000 archive aerial images have been digitised and uploaded, and the position of over 27,000 edited correctly by 600 active users. Plates under Iceland continue to drift apart in each direction the re-measurement of the Geodetic Reference System by National Land Survey (NLSI) has found. The system has been measured twice before using GPS technology in 1993 and In 2016, around 150 benchmarks and pillars were measured, and measurement data gathered from about 100 permanent stations. Preliminary findings conclude that the plates under Iceland continue to drift apart at steady speed of one centimetre per year in each direction. The movement, however is not as decisive in speed or direction in the areas where earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are most common; the southwestern area where the 2008 earthquake took place and north of the Vatnajökull glacier, scene of the volcanic eruption. The re-measurement exercise also revealed changes in vertical movements since Again, significant movements were seen in Vatnajökull and its surrounding areas due to the glacier s retreat and thinning, and increased magma formation underneath. Changes have also occurred in areas around major geothermal power plants in the Hengill area and Reykjanes peninsula, with negative vertical movements of more than one centimetre per year around 18cm since 2004 one reason for which could be the extensive pumping of geothermal steam for household heating and power generation. As part of its increasing focus on sharing information and data with the public, NLSI opened a new map and place name viewer as well as a new Icelandic geoportal and a web map application in The aim is to switch to open source software when suitable and NLSI is now using OSKARI and GeoNetwork for its web m a p a p p l i c a t i o n a n d g e o p o r t a l. OSKARI is an open source software designed and developed by the National Land Survey of Finland. In the new web map application users are granted access to geographic information, not only from NLSI but also other governmental agencies, enabling the use of this data in one place. The benefits have been of great interest to users and demonstrates the importance of open access to public geographic information. FÖMI is also a partner in the consortium participating in a five-year European Union Nature Conservation Strategy Project, led by the Ministry Since 2014, the Digital Aerial Photo Archive Online Service of FÖMI has been available via fentrol.hu 24 25

14 IRELAND ITALY Another year of achievement for Ordnance Survey Ireland Cadastral maps assist in aftermath of earthquakes From data agreements to awards, and collaboration to research programmes, Ordnance Survey Ireland (OSi) carried out a wide range of activities in One such example is an agreement with the ADAPT Centre for Digital Content Technology which sees OSi collaborate on a project to serve Ireland s geospatial information as Linked Data on the web. Other highlights include: National Mapping Agreement The National Mapping Agreement proposal was drafted in 2016 and came into operation on 1 January It provides all eligible public sector organisations in Ireland with unrestricted access to OSi s national mapping products and services. The OSi Research Bursary Programme March 2016 saw the launch of OSi s Geographic Information Research and Development Initiative. Under the programme, OSi will provide significant funding to support research and innovation in areas of interest to both the organisation and the wider geospatial information industry. The programme comprises the Bi-Annual Postdoctoral Bursary which is a bi-annual programme of sponsorship for two PhD research students; and several Masters Degree Thesis Awards. Tailte Éireann Tailte Éireann is the name of the Government body to be formed from the merger of Ordnance Survey Ireland (OSi), the Property Registration Authority (PRA) and the Valuation Office (VO). ESRI Ireland was announced as the preferred supplier for the development of its conceptual data model with work expected to start in the first quarter of Central Statistics Office MOU A Memorandum of Understanding was signed with the Central Statistics Office (CSO) to formalise a collaborative working relationship on key areas of development. The MOU describes the mutual goals and responsibilities of CSO and OSi with regard to establishing a closer working relationship. The aim is to maximise CSO and OSi data and assets for the benefit of our mutual stakeholders and to support the Government s public sector reform agenda. Updated transformations for UK and Ireland The Ordnance Surveys of Great Britain (OS), Ireland (OSi) and Land & Property Services (LPS, formally Ordnance Survey Northern Ireland) collaborated once again to improve the OSGM02 geoid model covering the United Kingdom and Ireland. The new model is OSGM15. GeoHive GeoHive was awarded the IRLOGI Space and Place award for excellence in geospatial data visualisation at the GIS Ireland 2016 Conference. The GeoHive service provides access, through a data catalogue and a map viewer, to a range of authoritative Irish spatial data. Cadastral maps from the Italian Revenue Agency, Agenzia delle Entrate, played a key role in helping to assess the impact of the 2016 and 2017 earthquakes. The large-scale data was supplied to the Copernicus Emergency Mapping Service (EMS) and used to classify the types of buildings that had been damaged. It was then overlaid with information from visual assessments of potential instability taken from satellite images as part of the Italian Civil Protection Damage Survey. Visso and Castelsantangelo sul Nera in Macerata province, were the first areas to use the data, with maps for a further 17 municipalities now published. The large-scale cartography managed by Agenzia delle Entrate was chosen because of its regular updates, widespread availability and interoperability. Images and data can be downloaded for free from the Copernicus EMS website: eu/mapping/list-of-components/ EMSR

15 ITALY Enhancing Italy s Digital Surface Model with higher resolution and accuracy Higher spatial resolution and improved accuracy are just two of the benefits being delivered by a project to update the Italian Digital Surface Model (ITA-DSM). The Italian Military Geographic Institute (IMGI) is using high resolution imagery suitable for photogrammetry as part of a new production line created in cooperation with the Agenzia per le Erogazioni per l Agricoltura (AGEA). As a result, an updated and homogeneous DSM with higher spatial resolution and better accuracy will be available for the whole Italian territory within two years. Production is carried out in a consistent way using aerophotogrammetric autocorrelation of images in accordance with the linee guida ortoimmagini e modelli altimetrici guidelines for the Level 3 Digital Elevation Models, published by the Committee for the Technical Rules for Governmental Organizations Geospatial Data. Activities during 2016 focused on data provided by Basilicata Region which was already available to IMGI with all the necessary redundancy of imagery in order to produce the Italian DSM. Shot points, previously calculated for the various verification activities, were used. In addition, the structure was further enriched with ground reference points surveyed specifically to gain the accuracy level required for both the elimination of residual parallaxes and the improvement of accuracy in all three dimensions. OPK software, developed by Menci Software, along with some additional modules was used for the DSM production. Close cooperation with the software developer proved very fruitful with some modules customised for the production demands. For example, the performance of the air triangulation phases has been improved together with the DSM editing and tiling. DSM representation in isometric coloring 3D view of the point cloud gained by autocorrelation (RGB encoding) 28 29

16 KOSOVO LATVIA Delivering spatial data for Kosovo s economic development strategy Delivering new maps, e-services and an award-winning app in Latvia Activities for land administration, cadastral mapping and registration of real property rights are one of the priority components of Kosovo s economic development strategy. The Kosovo Cadastral Agency (KCA), together with a team from the World Bank, have used unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) for systematic cadastral registration to support the national cadastral reconstruction program. The work also plays key role in the development of a national spatial data infrastructure (NSDI) for which cadastral information is a core dataset, and helps to highlight transparency. Orthophoto (3 cm image Resolution, 3 cm accuracy) The UAV programme covered three diverse areas: Rural cadastral zone Krusha e Madhe in southern Kosovo; Urban part of cadastral zone Ferizaj; and Road Corridor part of a new highway that it is under construction. Benefits include the ability to quickly observe surface areas at low flying altitude while still meeting accuracy requirements and standards. For example, orthoimagery with high accuracy was produced in just 24 hours for around 293 hectares of the Ferizaj cadastral zone. By comparison, surveying and processing the same area using GNSS technology could take up to 10 working days in favourable atmospheric conditions. Following the discovery of an archaeological site near the construction of a new road, the team was also able to respond to a request for assistance by the highway authorities. As the aerial imagery available provided no evidence of the site, a UAV was mobilised to produce a high resolution 3D map of the area in less than 24 hours. This provided new and accurate information for re-routing the road, additional land acquisition, cultural heritage preservation and other important decision-making issues. Another advantage of using UAV technology is that it is easily transferred to local experts, enabling the local processing and production of orthophotos. In addition, the technology is flexible and has the potential for multiple uses across diverse sectors and produces richer data for creating Digital Elevation Models (DEM) and 3D models for the NSDI. In the future, UAVs will be used when high accuracy and rapid data capturing is required to provide significant opportunities for the development of cadastral surveying. During the 2016 ESRI User Conference, the State Land Service (SLS) of the Republic of Latvia received the Special Achievement in GIS Award for the mobile data publishing solution available in the Kadastrs.lv app. The mobile application, Kadastrs.lv, enables text data to be linked with map objects and allows the integration of multi-national information, providing one access point to this data from multiple sources. SLS also continues to enhance its archive materials online service by delivering a number of improvements as part of the digitisation process. Upon log in, the system automatically identifies the user s cadastral objects and inserts the relevance documents into the SLS digital document storage. This provides citizens with faster, more convenient and easier acquisition of information. Users can also select and immediately download the digitised cadastral documents. If necessary, the documents are also available in paper format. During the year, five new thematic maps were published in the data distribution and e-services portal kadastrs.lv. The average qualitative evaluation of the agricultural land thematic map is particularly useful for agricultural land owners and provides an overview of quality at regional level. To help establish and meet the needs of municipal use of cadastral valuation for land units, users can consult a map showing types of real estate use. For those needing to determine the technical condition of construction through concrete inspections, a construction after devaluation thematic map is available. Subscribers to the portal, can access thematic maps identifying land units under the jurisdiction of municipalities, those included in reserve land fund and those handed over for land reform completion. Another significant achievement in 2016 was the registration of the first data in the Restricted Territories Information System (ATIS). Working alongside major data providers, SLS is focusing on providing information about objects and restricted territories via one access point. By the end of the year, 4,095 objects and restricted territories were registered. Developed as part of the framework of the European Regional Development Fund co-financed project State Land Service Geospatial Data Geospatial Information System Creation, ATIS is governed by the restricted territory information system law and regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers. The Cabinet of Ministers has adopted amendments requiring all municipalities to provide data to the National Real Estate Cadastre Information System (Cadastre Information System) online data transmission mode from 1 January This marks a complete move away from paper document format, thus ensuring faster and more effective data processing, improvements to service quality, a reduction in costs and optimised public administration processes

17 LITHUANIA MONTENEGRO New service enhances cooperation with surveyors in Lithuania Establishing a national registry of real estate cadastre in Montenegro Surveyors in Lithuania are benefitting from enhanced cooperation with the State Enterprise Centre of Registers thanks to a new information sub system. Available to the country s 1,800 plus licenced surveyors, GeoSurveyor enables a wide range of services within a single system. These include online processing of cadastral surveying data for land parcels and preparation of e-files or individual documents for signing with an e-signature. Users can also digitally sign and deliver documents to the Keeper of Real Property Cadastre and Register or the National Land Service under the Ministry of Agriculture for verification. After verification and the necessary decisions or conclusions are made, the land parcel cadastral data is transferred from GeoSurveyor into the Real Property Cadastre. More than 277,000 e-documents have been already prepared using GeoSurveyor with the number expected to reach 500,000 annually. As well as surveyors, GeoSurveyor has sections for the Cadastre Keeper and the National Land Service. In addition, it is integrated with other state registers, cadastres and information systems, resulting in effective use of spatial and attribute data in real time, avoiding mistakes and saving time and costs for all stakeholders. Integrating existing cadastral records into a national registry of real estate cadastre continues to be a priority in Montenegro with significant progress being made in Currently 69 per cent of real estate cadastre has been incorporated into the new register, including all cadastral alphanumeric data and 10 per cent of historical Census data. In addition, 21 per cent of all data has been prepared for public display to facilitate the creation of real estate cadastre. The work is being completed by the Real Estate Administration (REA), a state authority within the Ministry of Finance. REA is focused on providing accurate and reliable ownership and rights records, as well as spatial information for cadastral parcels and buildings. It plays a key contribution to the spatial data infrastructure, data from which is available as web services to comply with both European and national legislation. During 2016, REA has also worked in cooperation with colleagues from Norway to create a new cartographic data model for Montenegro. The goal was to create unique model for different cartographic data themes within REA s jurisdiction. Work involved analysis of the available specifications and data model for inclusion in EuroGeographics products, with activities now focusing on the spatial units registry as well as data collected in the development project TK As part of the regional IMPULS project to harmonise data in accordance with the INSPIRE specifications, REA has completed work on administrative units, orthophotos and altitude of the terrains, and has started on the harmonisation of geographical names. REA s responsibilities for the delivery of data and services are set out in the draft law on spatial data infrastructure prepared in These include cadastral plans, property rights, digital elevation models, digital orthophotos and topographic maps. The land registry data is available at www. nekretnine.co.me/me/katastarski_ podaci.asp with the REA Geoportal accessed via Anyone can view data online using the free web application and viewer, a user account is required to access data, which cannot be used for official purposes, over web services. Priorities for REA continue to be the completion of a real estate cadastre for whole country, creation of an address registry, further work on improving cartographic data base, work on a utility cadastre and development of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI)

18 POLAND ROMANIA An award-winning year of achievement in Poland Realising nationwide registration of real properties in Romania Poland s Head Office of Geodesy and Cartography (GUGiK) continues to focus on providing spatial data, services and tools that deliver a wide range of benefits. Online spatial data online In August 2016, a new dedicated online service was launched enabling clients to request and purchase data from the National Geodetic and Cartographic Resource (PZGIK). In addition to making requests, the portal also allows electronic payment and the downloading of purchased data and licences. Materials in analog formats can be received traditionally by post. Clients are also able to pay remotely for and automatically activate the licence for the ASG-EUPOS system services. With more than 10,000 users by the end of 2016, this is one of the most demanded and successful services for surveyors. More information can be found at Citizens help the police During the year, a National Map of Public Safety was launched with support from the Polish National Police. This geospatial service is based on tools supplied by GUGiK through the Geoportal.gov.pl. The map is accessible through all the web pages of the National Police and can be used to pinpoint the location of anything that may threaten public security or citizen safety. Events are catalogued using 25 categories prepared by the safety services. Each notification is checked by police patrolmen and, after verification, is given the appropriate status on the map. To date, users have reported almost 13,000 events which helped the police to improve security, for example by increasing the number of patrols or changing the organisation of traffic.the map is available at INSPIRE in the Ministry of Digital Affairs As a result of changes in the Cabinet of Ministers and the structure of government departments, issues regarding INSPIRE implementation and coordination are now assigned to the Department of Digital Affairs. A new Minister was appointed at the end of 2015 and, among a wide range of duties regarding e-governing and digital enhancement of the State, was given responsibility for the coordination of works, maintenance and development of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI), and managing the work of the NSDI Council. The Ministry of Digital Affairs also formally took over the responsibilities of the Surveyor General of Poland, including maintaining the national geoportal and the registry of NSDI spatial datasets and services. Following an agreement between the Ministry and the Surveyor General of Poland, GUGiK continues to deliver further development and maintenance work. GUGiK leader of IT 2016 GUGiK was awarded first place in the Public Administration category of the annual Leader of IT of Digital Business Era organised by the prestigious ComputerWorld magazine. The award recognises the development and implementation of the Universal Mapping Module to coordinate emergency response and rescue operations, and the introduction of the free EMUiA application which enables maintenance of the register of towns, streets and addresses. Romania s National Agency for Cadastre and Land Registration continued its commitment to completing nationwide registration of all real properties during The National Programme of Cadastre and Land Book is a strategically important project which aims to deliver cadastre and systematic registration of all real properties for the entire national territory by 2023.The works are free for citizens and legal entities and financed by Agency revenue, external grants and budget allocations from administrative-territorial units (ATU). To assist Romanian agriculture, the Agency implemented a legislative framework enabling municipalities to carry out systematic registration at cadastral sector level in both extravillan and intravillan areas. As a result, around 2,000 financing contracts have been signed between ATUs and Cadastre and Land Registration Offices in 40 counties. By December 2016, 1,100 service contracts had been signed between ATUs and contractors, enabling the opening of 129, 727 land books and the completion of systematic registration in 25 administrative units with 347 in other cadastral sectors, covering more than 235,000 hectares in total. Another highlight of 2016 was the successful completion of the Centre for Excellence in Territorial Management and Cadastre CENTRIC, Phase I, funded by the European Commission through the Horizon 2020 call H2020 Widespread Teaming. The project involved an international consortium of private and public expert research and innovation institutions with the main objective being the preparation of a detailed action plan to underpin the establishment of a Centre of Excellence for Cadastre and Land Management. Its official closure was marked by a well-received international seminar on the registration of property as a foundation for an active real estate market and support for the sustainable land development. The event was organised in collaboration with the Economic Commission of the United Nations for Europe (UNECE) - Working Party on Land Administration (WPLA). Summer 2016 saw the publication of a new 1: scale map by the National Mapping Centre (NMC) to reflect the rapid changes seen in Bucharest. It was created using the NMC TopRo5 database along with new information, such as transportation routes, stations and one-way streets. The map was given to children attending a workshop at the National Library to identify buildings and compare modern-day data with older information. The NMC has also completed a new product, the 1: scale Digital Topographic Map of Romania which contains 737 trapezes. Its content has been updated and completed based on the digital terrain model, and now it represents a very good tool for information as well as an important graphic base for decision making

19 SERBIA SLOVENIA Delivering more efficient real estate cadastre in Serbia Projects spotlight importance of spatial data in Slovenia The Republic Geodetic Authority (RGA) is the first state institution in Serbia to apply an innovative solution to increase efficiency following the broadening of its responsibilities. RGA is responsible for real estate cadastre and property registration, national spatial data infrastructure, basic geodetic works, topography and cartography. Its scope of work and responsibilities are defined by the Law on State Survey and Cadastre. During 2016, RGA took over responsibility for second instance cases for real estate cadastre which required significant organisational and operational changes. With an expanded scope of work but thesame number of employees, management had to find new solutions to increase efficiency. A team of experts was established to evaluate the possibility of applying the Eight Disciplines (8D) for Problem Solving methodology originally developed for automotive industry. A pilot project in four major urban municipalities showed that, as a result of the changes to working processes, efficiency increased by 90 per cent in terms of resolving cases which had previously been backlogged. Following the clearance of this backlog, RGA expects that cadastral offices will return to normal productivity but will continue to resolve cases in less time. Due to the success of the pilot, new working processes will be applied across the country. Other achievements by RGA in 2016 include complete satellite imagery coverage of Serbia. The images are of very high resolution 40 cm, and the intention is to use them to produce orthophotos to detect real estate changes, urban and spatial planning, agriculture, environment protection, disaster risk management, and the further development of mass valuation and property price register and address register. RGA also completed the Generic Land Cover Map, Register of Geographic Names and Digital Cadastral Plans, and, to finish the transposition of the INSPIRE Directive into Serbian legislation, prepared a draft law on National Spatial Data Infrastructure. It is expected that the law will be in force during Borko Draskovic, Director General, Republic Geodetic Authority The Surveying and Mapping Authority of the Republic of Slovenia continues to demonstrate the value of spatial data, particularly through the development of INSPIRE compliant network services within the national geoportal. As part of Slovenia s open data policy initiative, the Authority has introduced open data and products available free of charge from the open geodetic data portal, During 2016, the Slovenian Ministry of Public Administration also launched its portal dedicated to open data. OPSI - Odprti podatki Slovenije at brings together, and makes available, all public sector open data. It is built using open source software and is an indirect successor of the National Interoperability Framework Portal. Together with the Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning, Norwegian Mapping Authority and National Land Survey of Iceland, the Authority successfully delivered a project to reduce the risk and impact of flooding. The work, modernising the National Spatial Data Infrastructure, will enable future activities to focus on preventive risk management ( Further commitment to cooperating with other organisations was demonstrated by the Authority s contribution to the European Location Framework (ELF) Project. In addition to the implementation of many new network services, work also focused on adding value to INSPIRE data through cross-border data harmonisation. The aim was to build a high-performance platform and associated cloud services to support multiple national feeds and a wide spectrum of value-added services. Sample applications were also developed, integrating third party thematic datasets and national spatial data infrastructures for services to meet specific user needs

20 SPAIN Smart successful cadastre: New tools for real estate registration in Spain Embracing open data to bring economic benefits and boost use in Spain More than seven million certificates and 50,0000 reports were issued in Spain during 2016 after the introduction of a new Smart System of coordination between the Cadastre and the Property Rights Registry. The Spanish Cadastre and the Property Rights Registry are institutions with specific responsibilities and expertise. To enhance services to citizens and administrations, Law 13/2015 ensures the effective coordination of information between both organisations. This gives real estate traffic greater legal certainty by incorporating the georeferenced graphic information of the parcels in the Property Rights Registry, using cadastral mapping as the basis of its graphic representation, and allowing simultaneous updating of the cadastral data. The GML INSPIRE format, widely used by all agents involved in property transactions in Spain, enables geo-referencing of cadastral parcels. The tools, systems and protocols for the new process were developed by the General Directorate for Cadastre. The technical solution allows users to link the list of coordinates and the graphic representation without the need for specialised GIS tools. Users can obtain both the electronic cadastral certification documents and the graphic validation report, the new alternative geo-referenced representation, via a web service from the Electronic Office of Cadastre. The documents are signed electronically using a 16-digit Secure Verification Code (CSV) for unequivocal identification in the document catalogue of the General Directorate for Cadastre, ensuring its authenticity and integrity. The code is also used to exchange the information between agents thus avoiding the physical exchange of computer files and enabling the automated capture of its contents to prevent possible transcription errors. During 2016 more than seven million certificates and 50,000 reports were issued. The introduction of the system not only enhances coordination between Cadastre and the Property Rights Registry but also standardises processes for all involved in the real estate sector. Benefits include improved interoperability, simplified administrative procedures and reduced costs. It also increases legal security as, once the cadastral data have been incorporated and marked as coordinated in the Property Rights Registry, the delimitation, location and area data are considered to be true for all legal purposes. By establishing an adequate procedure for generating graphical descriptions of real estate objects, principally based on cadastral cartography, the Smart System of coordination also promotes transparency in real estate transactions and allows citizen participation with options to rectify and update the real estate object s description. Spain s National Geographic Institute (IGN) is making a significant contributionto the open data movement. Following Ministerial Order FOM/287/2015, which uses the Open Knowledge Foundation definition of open, IGN Spain has operated a new open data and services policy to meet user demands. As a result, data and services are available under a standard, implicit, digitally compatible license CC BY 4.0. In 2015, the National Centre for Geographic Information (CNIG) received just eight per cent of its budget from selling data. The potential for realising a host of economic benefits, and encouraging greater use of authoritative information, means that IGN Spain considers the move to open data to be good business practice. It points to G8, G20 and UN recommendations for open data and believes it facilitates collaboration with volunteers. The introduction of open data allows its authoritative data to compete with other free or semi-free solutions, such as Open Street Map or Google, and is proving to be the best way to promote the usage of reference data. In addition, it creates a positive synergy between Public Sector Information re-use, transparency and INSPIRE implementation. Since the launch of open data, IGN Spain s Download Centre has seen the volume of data downloaded increase by 31.5 per cent compared to figures for 2015, with the number of files downloaded increasing by 30.5 per cent. These impressive results are the result not only of the licensing changes, but also the minimising of barriers to data use. Another highlight of 2016 was the first completion of Lidar point cloud coverage for Spain thorough the National Program for Aerial Orthophotography (PNOA). Coverage was captured at 0.5 pulses/m² density over a period of six years with <15 cm RMSE(z) accomplished at a cost of 14 per km² and a Digital Terrain Model and Digital Surface Model produced from the Lidar point clouds. The second coverage began in 2017 and is aimed to be repeated every six years. PNOA is a collaborative project coordinated by IGN Spain, and co-funded between the national administration and the autonomous regions. Downloading of all PNOA data (including Lidar LAS files) is free for both non-commercial and commercial use. RGB coloured lidar point cloud Digital Surface Model Digital Terrain Model 38 39

21 EUROGEOGRAPHICS ANNUAL REVIEW 2016 EUROGEOGRAPHICS ANNUAL REVIEW 2016 SWEDEN A new national geodata strategy to help meet the challenges facing Swedish society Sweden will benefit from a new geodata strategy which aims to contribute solutions to five challenges faced by society. Drawn up by the Swedish Geodata Council and the Swedish Mapping, Cadastral and Land Registration Authority (Lantmäteriet), the new strategy covers It aims to deliver open, useable and accessible geodata to meet five challenges: Innovation and business growth; digitisation of public administration; more effective social planning process; climate adaptation and environmental threats; and defence and civil contingencies. It notes that all would benefit from the introduction of open public sector geodata. Currently, public sector geodata in Sweden is still substantially financed by users. This negatively effects entrepreneurial potential for datadriven innovation and business growth, as well as digitisation of public sector administration and businesses where it is important to have an updated and reliable model of the real world. Harmonisation of geodata between national, regional and local level public sector entities will also be of great benefit, particularly as different geodata standards are used in many of Sweden s 290 municipalities. More unified basic geodata would also assist in social planning and responding to civil contingencies by supporting the coordination of activities. Finally, reliable and well known API services with clearly stated service level commitments would be of great use in meeting the challenges. Indeed, Lantmäteriet expects that developments will take a leap forward when APIs with high quality authoritative geodata become available for general use in public and private sector applications, allowing business to benefit from geodata without the absolute need for in-house GIS technology and experts. The strategy concludes that delivering these benefits and fully support Swedish society in solving its social challenges, public sector geodata organisations need to further develop their ability to cooperate. This will be a challenge in itself but is absolutely necessary and cooperation is already highly advanced. More information is available at

22 SWITZERLAND THE NETHERLANDS Swiss National Map Series - geo-knowledge for an ever-changing society Empowering map users in The Netherlands International Map Year saw the launch of a new digital 1: scale National Map of Switzerland which was automatically created using GIS software. The Federal Office of Topography, swisstopo is also implementing a new design for maps at 1: scale to help deliver a homogeneous design for the entire national map series. Swisstopo, the first port of call for spatial information in Switzerland, has responsibility for collecting, managing and publishing geospatial data based on the legal framework set out in the Swiss Geoinformation Act (GeoIA). Topographical maps still play an important role in visualising the landscape yet whilst the entire Swiss landscape has been modelled using precise 3D vectors in the Topographic Landscape Model (TLM), the data was not directly available for users in a typical national map style. To overcome this, swisstopo has used TLM data to transfer the existing national paper maps from a CAD to a GIS production process based on various digital cartographic models (DCM). Following these positive experiences and further success with the publication of the new 1: scale national map, it was decided to evaluate the possibility of applying this process to the 1: scale. National mapping agencies require up-to-date-reference data, not only to play a role within the geoinformation market, but also at strategic level to secure budget from political decision makers. Fully automated production has enabled swisstopo to meet both these aims, by processing cartographic data of the whole country in a manageable time whilst also adhering to the principles of good cartographic design and allowing the information to be used for digital purposes. The new 1: scale national map uses DCM principles based on a global architecture to guarantee synergy between system management tasks and data model coherence, as well as past and future maintenance. Production of the 1: scale is based on a quality-controlled version of the TLM and its relevant update status. The DCM vector data is further enriched with raster data for quality representation. The new 1: scale national map is created specifically for digital use. Since the launch of the national map and the connection of Swiss Map Mobile application, traffic to the Swiss Federal geodata portal has increased. Together with the other national map scales it builds a homogenous spatial representation of Switzerland, opening the path to many new applications by all types of users. Depiction of the terrain of the new National Map 1: scale Swiss Federal geodata portal integration of the new National Map 1: scale Open data is being improved in The Netherlands thanks to a new application enabling users to quickly and easily report errors. Improve the Map, developed by the Cadastre, Land Registry and Mapping Agency (Kadaster), has significantly increased user feedback, generating 2,072 reports for large-scale topography since its launch in mid In contrast, during the previous six months just 56 errors were filed via the classic web form. Reports have been filed by a diverse mix of users. Around 45 per cent were sent by governmental organizations, 34 per cent by individuals and 21 per cent by companies and non-governmental organisations. Kadaster also found that the overall quality of the reports was good with only 13 per cent rejected. In addition, the success of Improve the Map has inspired more and more open data providers to contribute. The application, at is designed to meet the vision that open data should have an open feedback system. It also addresses the challenges presented by the growth in open geodata available in The Netherlands, as in the past, when users recognised errors, it was a troublesome experience to make the provider aware. Improve the Map fulfils a number of goals. It is accessible to all; easy to use and understand, even by those without specific geoinformation knowledge; and has no formal reporting requirements. The feedback process is open and transparent, so that users can track the status of their report. In addition, all reports are disseminated in real-time as open web services via the national Dutch spatial data infrastructure PDOK ( nl), enabling data providers to quickly assess reports and inform map users of the data quality. In 2017, a developer-friendly API will be launched for external software applications to connect to the system. It will then be possible for web and other software users to directly report errors from their own application, making Improve the Map a lively and important platform for data providers and users to assess map quality

23 TURKEY UKRAINE Supplying seamless topographic data of Turkey New systems, e-services and collaborative projects deliver benefits in Ukraine General Command of Mapping, Turkey is responsible for supplying the geospatial data required by governmental institutions for defence and development maps. The Turkish Topographic Vector Database (TOPOVT) was created to fulfill these needs by supplying seamless vector data and modeling the topography to best represent the real world features. The geospatial data is compiled from aerial imagery and field completion. TOPOVT, the main source for which is 30 cm ground sampling distance aerial imagery, consists of 1: scale and higher resolution, topologic and 3D topographic vector data together with contours and geonames. The topographic features are compiled in 3D by operators in stereo photogrammetric workstations. After photogrammetric compilation, the vector data is loaded to TOPOVT with topologic controls and then taken to the field completion. Here the photogrammetrically collected vector data and the geonames are confirmed and attributed, and lacking features are added. TOPOVT has 208 topographic rules and includes 352 topographic features which are classified under 128 feature classes. The horizontal Root Mean Square Error of TOPOVT is ±5 metres and the vertical is ±3 metres. The accuracy assessment of TOPOVT is carried out every year with levels improving year on year. The quality control procedure of TOPOVT is carried out semi-automatically and consists of five steps: data transformation, pre-arrangement, configuration, metadata preparation and overall control. Future enhancements include the delivery of a system for real-time or near real-time updating of TOPOVT to provide users with direct access to up-to-date topographic data. All governmental institutions and municipalities will contribute by updating and collecting TOPOVT features according to their duties and responsibilities, thus enabling the sharing of information whilst avoiding duplication of effort. Deregulation, transparency, e-government and international cooperation continue to be key areas of activity for The State Service of Ukraine for Geodesy, Cartography and Cadastre (StateGeoCadastre). To increase transparency and limit the risk of corruption, StateGeoCadastre has introduced new procedures for approving land management applications. The application system now randomly selects a regional office to handle the request, which means that applicants and state representatives responsible for approval do not have direct contact. StateGeoCadastre has also launched a new e-service portal at e.land.gov. ua. This offers a range of information for both registered and non-registered users as well as a dedicated application process for certified engineers and land managers. In addition, the launch of an administrative geoportal in conjunction with the Ministry of Regional Development, Construction and Housing, provides data about current and future administrative plans in Ukrainian and English. The portal, at atu.minregion.gov.ua, contains a wealth of administrative, cartographic, settlement, budget and legislative information. Collaborative projects remain an important part of StateGeoCadastre s work and during 2016 it held two well-attended international events on delivering geospatial strategy and data. Organised with the support of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), a workshop on unlocking the power of coordination work to achieve an effective spatial data infrastructure attracted more than 150 participants. In addition, a two-day technical seminar on strategy and infrastructure development, held within the EU instrument TAIEX, was attended by more than 80 delegates. Further cooperation is demonstrated by the introduction of a pilot project using remote sensing technologies for agricultural land use monitoring. Supported by the World Bank Group, the initiative enables comparative analysis of land use administrative records from the State Land Cadastre with the results of remote sensing showing actual agricultural use. The pilot results were presented during the international Sen2Agri workshop in Kyiv. Methodology to extend the project across the rest of Ukraine is now being developed and will provide an innovative tool for ensuring transparency in land relations. Future plans for 2017 also include the establishment of the national Global Navigation Satellite System in Ukraine as a result of an agreement signed with the Norwegian Mapping Agency. The project, tools for sustainable land management for Ukraine, ends in 2019 and plans to install at least 20 GNSS stations and control centre, and to deliver appropriate training for Ukrainian experts

24 LIST OF MEMBERS Albania State Authority for Geospatial Information Albania Central Office of Immovable Property Registration Armenia State Committee of Real Property Cadastre of the Government of Republic of Armenia Austria Federal Office for Metrology and Surveying Azerbaijan Real Estate Cadastre and Address Registry Service under the State Committee on Property Issues, the Republic of Azerbaijan Belarus The State Committee on Property of the Republic of Belarus Belgium National Geographic Institute Belgium General Administration of Patrimonial Documentation Bosnia & Herzegovina Federal Administration for Geodetic and Real Property Affairs Bosnia & Herzegovina Rep.Srpska Republic Authority for Geodetic and Property Affairs of Republic of Srpska Bulgaria Geodesy, Cartography and Cadastre Agency Croatia State Geodetic Administration Cyprus Cyprus Department of Lands and Surveys Czech Rep Czech Office for Surveying, Mapping and Cadastre Denmark Danish Geodata Agency Denmark Agency for Data Supply and Efficiency Estonia Estonian National Land Board Finland National Land Survey of Finland France National Institute of Geographic and Forest Information FYR Macedonia Agency for Real Estate Cadastre Georgia National Agency of Public Registry Germany Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy Germany Working Committee of the Surveying Authorities of the Laender of the Federal Republic of Germany Great Britain Ordnance Survey Great Britain Her Majesty s Land Registry Greece Helenic Military Geographical Service Greece National Cadastre and Mapping Agency S.A. Hungary Department of Geodesy, Remote Sensing and Land Offices under the Government Office of the Capital City Budapest Hungary Geoinformation Service of Hungarian Defence Forces Iceland National Land Survey of Iceland Iceland Registers Iceland Ireland Ordnance Survey Ireland Italy Italian Military Geographic Institute Italy Revenue Agency Kosovo Kosovo Cadastral Agency Latvia State Land Service Latvia Latvian Geospatial Information Agency Lithuania National Land Service under the Ministry of Agriculture Lithuania State Enterprise Centre of Registers Luxembourg Administration of the Cadastre and Topography Malta Malta Planning Authority Moldova State Agency for Land Relations and Cadastre Montenegro Real Estate Administration Northern Ireland Land and Property Services Norway Norwegian Mapping Authority Poland Head Office of Geodesy and Cartography Portugal Directorate General for Territory Romania National Agency for Cadastre and Land Registration Russia Federal Service for State Registration, Cadastre and Cartography Serbia Republic Geodetic Authority Slovak Republic Geodesy, Cartography and Cadastre Authority of the Slovak Republic Slovenia Surveying and Mapping Authority of the Republic of Slovenia Spain National Geographic Institute Spain General Directorate for the Cadastre Spain Territorial Commission of the Geographic High Council Sweden The Swedish Mapping, Cadastral and Land Registration Authority Switzerland Federal Office of Topography The Netherlands Cadastre, Land Registry and Mapping Agency Turkey General Command of Mapping Turkey General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre Ukraine The State Service of Ukraine for Geodesy, Cartography and Cadastre 46 47

25 MANAGEMENT HEAD OFFICE PRESIDENT Ingrid Vanden Berghe National Geographic Institute, Belgium VICE PRESIDENT Hansjoerg Kutterer Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy, Germany TREASURER Angela Matcov State Agency for Land Relations and Cadastre, Moldova Wernher Hoffmann Federal Office of Metrology and Surveying, Austria Sylvain Latarget National Institute of Geographic and Forest Information, France David Henderson Ordnance Survey, Great Britain Anne Cathrine Frøstrup Norwegian Mapping Authority Konstantin Koltonyuk Federal Service for State Registration, Cadastre and Cartography, Russia Darko Vujetic Republic Geodetic Authority, Serbia Mick Cory Secretary General and Executive Director Sallie Payne Head of Association and Membership Manager Carol Agius UN-GGIM: Europe Administrator Angela Baker Sales, Marketing and Channel Manager Igor Caldeira Financial Manager and Association Secretary Derek Earnshaw European Affairs Adviser Helen Kaestner European Location Services Transition Programme Manager Abigail Page Technical Product Development Manager Brian Sexton Web Content Manager Patricia Sokacova Membership and Communications Manager Alina Talipova Office Manager Saulius Urbanas Services Development Consultant Marjana Zelic Research and Policy Officer 48 49