Hugo DE GROOF European Commission Directorate-General Environment

1. Shared Environmental Information System- SEIS - Towards a SEIS Implementation Plan SEIS IP 2010-2020 (?) Hugo DE GROOF European Commission Directorate-General Environment Chief Scientist, Research and Innovation Unit

2. SEIS – IP ? • What ? • A systematic approach to upgrade the collection and sharing of the information required for environment policy. • Why ? • To have a coherent shared environmental information system, meeting the needs of our policies and of the public. • When ? • Announced in 2008 SEIS Communication • Council Resolution expected end 2010 = inviting EC to deliver SEIS – IP • Where are we ? • SEIS State-of-Play report: 06/2010 (draft) – 11/2010 (final)

3. About SEIS …. • Communication from European Commission to European Council and Parliament “Towards a Shared Environmental Information System (SEIS)” COM(2008) 46 final • Not a legal act • It presents “an approach” • To modernise and simplify the collection, exchange and use of the data and information required for the design and implementation of environmental policy, • To progressively replace the current, mostly centralised systems for reporting by systems based on access, sharing and interoperability. • The overall aim is to maintain and improve the quality and availability of information required for environmental policy, in line with better regulation, while keeping the associated administrative burdens to a minimum”

4. SEIS 2008 Communication

5. Background to become by 2010 the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world, capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion • Lisbon Declaration 2000 • 2002-2012 6th Environmental Action Programme Environmental policy-making, given the complexities of the issues, needs to be based on best available scientific and economic assessment, and on knowledge of the state and trends of the environment. Information to policy makers, stakeholders and the general public has to be relevant, transparent, up to date and easily understandable. Provision for access to environmental information for public participation in policy-making will be important to the success of the Programme.

6. Status 2010 ? “the EU appears to be locked into a number of status-quo and downward trends, which are moving away from, rather than toward, sustainability” • Sources say… • EuroBarometer 2007 42% of the citizens feel badly informed about environmental issues with the greatest lack of information related to the impacts of environmental change 63% of the citizens agree that policies aimed at protecting the environment are a motivation to innovate. Transforming green attitudes to green behaviour is therefore highlighted as one of the main challenges revealed by the survey. only 3% of the citizens can be considered 'green pragmatists'..

7. Floods Directive • A preliminary flood risk assessment • Including art.4 a-f • (e) Likelihood of future floods and projected impact of climate change and land use trends • Prepare flood risk maps by 2013 – with 6 yearly updates • Flood risk management plans by 2015

8. Floods Early Warning – Forecast - Impact Assessment Data & Information Requirements III – 14 Meteorological geographical features III – 13 Atmospheric conditions III – 3 Soils III – 4 Land-use II – 2 Landcover I-8 Hydrography I- 2 Elevation III – 7 Environmental Monitoring Facilities III - 12 Natural Risk Zones III – 18 Habitats and biotopes III – 19 Species distribution III-10 Population distribution — demography III- 6 - Utility and governmental services Etc. Source: GMES BICEPS Report

9. Floods – FLAPP findings • FLAPP* 'Flood Awareness & Prevention Policy in border areas‘ OBSTACLES TO COOPERATION BETWEEN AUTHORITIES IN FLOOD MANAGEMENT • Different levels of experience and knowledge on both sides of the border may be an obstacle to successful cooperation. • Different levels of data availability between counterparts will also result in a lack of meteorological and hydrological data for the whole river system. • Another possible obstacle is the use of different, non-compatible models, monitoring techniques etc. • In many cases it is not clear for water managers where to get specific knowledge and information. • Valuable knowledge at private institutes may be (too) expensive for public water managers. • Together, these problems can lead to the use of data of different quality on both sides of the border. * FLAPP:EU- co -funded network http://www.flapp.org/sjablonen/flapp_public/index.asp?subsite=122

10. Soils Thematic Strategy • Risk prevention, mitigation and restoration • Identify risk areas for soil degradation • Erosion • Organic matter decline • Compaction and decrease of porosity • Salinisation • Landslides • Soil contamination • Identify contaminated sites – posing a risk to human health or environment

11. Pesticides Directive • Specific measures to protect the aquatic environment • Buffer zones – defined as a function of the risk of pollution (soil, climate, etc.) • Measures to limit aerial drift (hedge rows etc.) • Reduction of pesticide use in sensitive areas • Identify and list sensitive areas • Non-agricultural areas with high run-off risk or leaching. • Reporting – info exchange • Through to be defined RISK INDICATORS

12. Soils DirectiveData & Information Requirements Source: GMES BICEPS Report

13. Marine Strategy Directive Source: GMES BICEPS Report

14. COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT (2009)“Building a European marine knowledge infrastructure:Roadmap for a European Marine Observation and Data Network” • Discovery of Data. It is difficult for potential users to obtain an overview of what data are available for a particular parameter in a particular region. • Access to data. Those holding the data may not release them either because of confidentiality or security constraints, because they do not or cannot allocate sufficient resources for archiving and maintaining data. • Use of data. Even where data are available, their use or re-use may be limited by the data policy of the owner. • Cost of data. The prices imposed by some data-owners undoubtedly reduces the uptake of these data by users. • Coherence of Data. Developing a complete picture in time and space over a sea-area using data collected by different bodies is complicated by fragmented standards, formats and nomenclature. This is particularly the case when there is a need to study cross-border areas. • Quality of Data. There are no universally-recognised measures of quality, precision or accuracy. Metadata documentation may be sparse or inadequate so potential users do not know what confidence to ascribe to the data. • Quantity of Data. Finally there is some concern as to whether enough data is being collected. The current fragmented nature of data collection makes it difficult to determine whether the right data is being collected, whether it is being collected frequently enough or whether there are gaps in its coverage

15. SEIS IP Action Streams • Streamlining of ‘demand’ and ‘rights & obligations’: • EU legislation on sharing of data and information • the content of required information for: • policy development, assessment & implementation • reporting under the environmental acquis • Building a more efficient data and information sharing infrastructure • Improving the availability of “fit-for-purpose” data underpinning environmental information through monitoring

16. 1. Streamlining of demand and rights & obligations (1) • EU legislation which impacts on the sharing of data and information • Directive 2003/4/EC on “public access to environmental information” • Directive 2007/2/EC INSPIRE • Regulation EEA/EIONET • Elements of “thematic” legislation • Directive 2003/98/EC on the “re-use of public sector information”, PSI • Etc... • A “coherent” regulatory framework is needed

17. Streamlining of demand and rights & obligations (2) • The content of required information • For policy development, assessment & implementation • At ALL levels of government • Indicators • Early warning and risk management • For reporting under the environmental acquis • Towards Commission, EEA, Conventions … • National & regional regulatory reporting

18. 2. Building a more efficient data and information sharing infrastructure • e-Environment services • Use(r)-centric • Interoperable & connected services • Interoperable (harmonised where necessary) data specifications • Cross-border functionalities (where relevant) • Cornerstones and ‘policy enablers’: • National/regional e-Government ‘embedded’ • EEA reportnet & e-Commission services • INSPIRE Directive • EU 2020 “Digital Agenda”

19. 3. Having data “fit-for-purpose” • What is the current situation ? • Establish the baseline • Does what we have fit-the-purpose ? • If not … what do we do about it ?

20. SEIS – BASIS project 2009-2011- Tasks - • Provide a baseline assessment of the operational capacity of the Member States to collect data required for: • the implementation of the environmental Acquis, including reporting obligations; • the integration of environmental concerns in other policies • Undertake a comparative analysis and fitness-for-purpose assessment. • Policy scenario development: • Propose for the identified problematic issues related to the lack of comparability and quality of data a number of specific operational policy objectives accompanied with options on measures for reaching these objectives. • The impacts of the options will be assessed and underpinned with qualitative and quantitative societal – and cost-benefit arguments

21. SEIS information resource • The operational programmes in place in the Member States to collect systematically data relevant to the implementation of environmental policies and their integration into other policies • monitoring infrastructures - data processing - management/sharing virtual infrastructures - information systems for turning data into information • Content: • Programme design and activities • Policy context and scope • Organisations tasked with the programme • Data parameters monitored, and quality assurance procedures • Technology, systems, and connectivity • Programme costs and funding mechanisms

22. SEIS-BASIS http://seis-basis.jrc.ec.europa.eu/

23. Policy Options ? • do nothing: • In addition of what is going on … • Guidelines for addressing all identified 'problems' == 'soft governance' • thematic • for integrated analysis/assessment (cross-thematic) • guidelines addressing 'sustainability' - how to resource activities, • 'good' practices • Binding guidelines • adopted as legal acts (amendments, new ones...) + guidance documents • idem 2 • Binding guidelines combined with a dedicated Community financial instrument COSTS & BENEFITS – WHO WILL BE ‘AFFECTED

24. Discussion …..