Towards Shared Environmental Information in Europe

17 September 2008, 5:55pm

"Towards Shared Environmental Information in Europe: Opportunities and Challenges for Integrated Research"

Date: 28-29 January 2009
Venue: Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Wallingford (UK)

The recent Communication from the European Commission "Towards a Shared Environ­mental Information System (SEIS)" (COM(2008) 46 final) as well as the INSPIRE Directive (2007/2/EC) not only provide for the first time ever a genuine European policy driver for environmental informatics, but also a considerable challenge for research organisa­tions involved in environmental monitoring, data provision and modelling.

The overall aim of the workshop is to discuss the opportunities and challenges for research that are posed by the development of European-wide environmental information systems such as SEIS. The workshop will brainstorm on how research institutes and higher education institutions - either in their role as data holders or as science providers - can help making environmental information sharing in Europe a reality. The workshop aims at connecting the research community, sharing experiences and best practices and discussing the development of new tools and methodologies. Thus, the event will help researchers and practitioners get up to speed with the state-of-the-art in this fast-changing business, looking in a holistic way at the whole process from collecting and managing data to delivering and using environmental information. While it is not the intention to focus on the technical development or implementation of SEIS as such, the workshop will generate ideas which may add value to the SEIS concept.

Therefore, the objectives of the workshop are:

* To discuss the opportunities and challenges which systems for sharing environmental information in Europe offer to the research community, both in its role as data holder and science provider .

* To share best practice, facilitate networking and open new integrated research avenues with the aim of adding value to initiatives such as SEIS.

* To agree on joint activities to support systems for sharing environmental information from a research perspective.

The target attendees are primarily (but not exclusively) scientists from the PEER and AGILE member organisations and EEA staff members dealing with environmental monitoring, informatics, and modelling. Furthermore, the workshop is aimed at practitioners within national and European organisations dealing with shared environmental information .

More information at the web site below.

There will be no participation fee; each participant pays his/her own travel and accommodation costs. CEH will provide the conference facilities and arrange group airport transfers as well as offering the conference dinner, lunches and coffee breaks.

Workshop information

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