A Workshop on INSPIRE Implementation in the Danube Region Countries Held

University of Zagreb's Faculty of Geodesy hosted on 29 - 30 April 2014 an enlargement and integration workshop on INSPIRE implementation in the Danube Region countries. The workshop was organized by the European Commission's Joint Research Center (JRC).

JRC’s representatives presented Danube Reference Data and Service Infrastructure Project (DRDSI) as a platform for cooperation and support in decision-making within the framework of the Danube Strategy. The Danube Strategy is a program for the macroregion covering nine EU member states – Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary, Germany (Baden−Württemberg, Bavaria), Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia; partner states – Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Moldova, Serbia and Ukraine; and stakeholders (regional and local governments, NGOs, academic institutions, financial institutions, private sector, etc.). The Strategy is meant to encourage better cooperation among participating countries and coordinated action to achieve shared objectives. The objective is to improve road and railway transport and navigability of the rivers, while making sure that renewable energy sources are used. The position is also that the Danube Region countries need to work together on economy, education, research, and innovation, and promote the region as an attractive tourist and cultural destination.

The context, architecture and the development of DRDSI so far were presented by Jean Dusart and Robin Smith from JRC, while Professor, Doctor of Science, Vlado Cetl presented the current state of play of INSPIRE. The workshop was attended by representatives of geodetic administrations, other government organizations interested in NSDI development and the Danube Region countries, who presented the state of play of the spatial data infrastructures in their countries, as well as representatives of the academic institutions and the international organizations involved in DRDSI development. The main elements of SDI of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, legal basis for data access and data sharing, activities and current projects of Federal Administration for Geodetic and Real Property Affairs, as well as aggravating circumstances and drawbacks, were presented through a presentation within the framework of the agenda for the second day of the workshop. The workshop was concluded with presentation of further plans and activities.