Shared Environmental Information System - SEIS

Chris Steenmans

Outline

• What is SEIS?

• SEIS principles

• SEIS implementation

• Conclusions

What is SEIS? ““Towards a Shared Environmental Information System”Towards a Shared Environmental Information System”

Commission Communication COM(2008)46Commission Communication COM(2008)46

“[…] efforts will be made to ensure that SEIS will be open to participation from accession candidate and neighbouring countries.”

Fragmented reporting systems

Shortcomings in relation to timeliness, availability, reliability, relevance of information

Shortcomings in ability to turn data into policy-relevant information

Underexploited opportunities offered by modern technologies

Many initiatives and processes in the right direction, but inadequate co-ordination

A wealth of information is collected but:

EuroStat EC EEA OECD UNEP

ETC

DG

DG

National institutions

Users

UNECEWHO...

Why SEIS is needed?

Strategic objectives

• to improve the availability and quality of data and information needed to design and implement environment policy in the EU

• to reduce administrative burden on Member States and EU institutions and modernise reporting

• to foster the development of information services and applications that all stakeholders can use and profit from

SEIS principles

information should be• managed as close as possible to its source;

• collected once, and shared with others for many purposes;

• readily available and easy accessible

• accessible to enable users to make comparisons at the appropriate geographical scale

• fully available to the general public at national level in the relevant national language(s)

• supported through common, free open software standards

Example SEIS principlesAir quality data from local to global level

Information should be• managed as close as possible to its source

Example SEIS principlesLegal compliance to LRTAP Convention

CompilationCompilationCalculationsCalculations

ModelsModels

Data requestData request

Data requestData request

Data requestData request

Data requestData request

EmissionsEmissionsReported

to CDRRawRawdatadata

Annual national activitiesAnnual national activities

Dissemination

8

data is reported once and then is used many times by different stakeholders:UNECE, EEA, countries, research community etc.

Information should be• Collected once, and shared with others for many purposes

Example SEIS principlesOverview of activities under Convention onLong-range Transboundary Air Pollution

9

Information should be• Collected once, and shared with others for many purposes

Example SEIS principlesEasy accesible bathing water quality data

Information should be• Readily available and easy accessible

Example SEIS principlesManagement of transboundary water resources

Information should be• Accessible to enable users to make comparisons at the

appropriate geographical scale

SEIS vision From Reporting to Online Services

Online information servicesOnline information servicesCurrent data reportingCurrent data reporting

CountriesCountries OrganisationsOrganisations CountriesCountries OrganisationsOrganisations

MS

MS

MS

MS

MS

EEA

OECD

UNEP

Data reporting

Data reporting

Data reporting

Data reporting

Data reporting

MS

MS

MS

MS

MS

EEA

OECD

UNEP

A

C

B

D

E

A

C

B

D

E

Increased flexibility and greater use of data• More efficient trans-boundary analyses

Simplification and efficiency • Streamlining of data flows

• Reduction in administrative burden and costs

Better regulation, better policy• More consistent and integrated input

Empowering citizens• Widespread availability of information

Boosting innovation and intelligent e-Services• eGovernment, eEnvironment

What benefits will SEIS bring?

European Commission key streams for actions

1. Streamlining of legal requirements on• Over-arching EU legislation on sharing data and

information

• Streamlining of the environmental acquis

2. Building a more efficient data and information sharing infrastructure

3. Ensuring the availability of fit-for-purpose data underpinning environmental information, through adequate monitoring.

SEIS implementation at EEA Conceptual Framework

Data and information services

Reportnet, ICT, EEA SDI, Inspire, GMES,...

Data and information

Air

Lan

d u

se

Inte

gera

ted

pro

d.

Clim

ate

Ch

an

ge

Bio

div

ers

ity

Soil

Fore

sts

Waste

Wate

r

Natu

ral re

sou

rces

...

Networking, Eionet, Group of 4, EPAs,agreements, country visits...

Example SEIS implementation at EEAStrategy 2009-2013

• EEA data centre i.e. air, climate change, biodiversity, water, land use

• Core set of indicators• State and outlook of Europe’s environment 2010+ • Assessment of Europe’s ecosystem services

•

• Reportnet enhancements• Inspire implementation

• SEIS country visits• Group of 4 SEIS impact assessment and implementation plan• GMES in-situ coordination• SEIS European neighbourhood (ENPI, Horizon2020)• GEOSS data sharing principles

EEA 32+6 CSI • EU Mediterranean Countries

• ENP South

• West Balkans

• ENP East + RussiaEEC/CA CSI

H2020 CSI

core set of indicators

Example ContentStreamlining indicators

17

Example InfrastructureNational and international building blocks

Example Institutional CooperationData sharing principles

GEO Members ENPI(Oct 2010):

• Algeria

• Egypt

• Israel

• Moldova

• Morocco

• Russian Federation

• Tunisia

• Ukraine

Objectives SEIS Country Visit

1. To get a common understanding on what exactly SEIS is about

2. To bring together existing country networks which manage environmental information

3. To learn about the existing information systems and to analyse the current readiness for SEIS implementation

4. To obtain feedback on country specific needs

5. To exchange information about the latest developments on content, infrastructure and instituational cooperation

6. To collect recommendations for the further development of SEIS

Centralised and decentralised environmental information systems

Presence of indicator-based reporting systems for public information

1. SShared (institutional cooperation)• Political commitment (legislative/non-legislative) • Partnership (win-win)• Networking (connecting)

2. EEnvironmental IInformation (content)• Horizontal integration (thematic)• Vertical integration (local to global)• Near real time data (online)• For policy makers and public (multi-purpose)

3. SSystem (infrastructure)• Existing ICT Infrastructure• Inspire, Reportnet, GMES, GEMET,...• New e-Services

Conclusion SEISSEIS in other words is about…

Thank you!