Increasing the Availability of Spatial Data held by Public Sector Bodies: Some Experiences and Guidelines from the OneGeology-Europe Project

Abstract

This paper provides an overview of the OneGeology-Europe project’s work on the harmonisation of access and licensing policies of the national Geological Surveys in the European Union. After presenting the European legal framework for the availability of public sector spatial data, it sets out some of the main challenges for harmonising data policies and the activities that were undertaken in the OneGeology-Europe project to address these challenges. These activities include the creation of a Code of Practice and model licences.