Spatial Data Services – a discussion paperVersion 0.5.1 (22-05-2015) Christina Wasström for MIG-T. This version is based on inputs from Poland, Germany and Norway.

DefinitionsSpatial data services means the operations which may be performed, by invoking a computer application, on the spatial data contained in spatial data sets or on the related metadata (INSPIRE directive, art 3)

Network service is a spatial data service of the service type discovery, view, download or transformation. The service shall be conformant regarding the specific requirements in regulation 976/2009 (amendments included)

Invocable spatial data service means all of the following: (a) a spatial data service with metadata which fulfils the requirements of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1205/2008, (b) a spatial data service with at least one resource locator that is an access point, (c) a spatial data service in conformity with a documented and publicly available set of technical specifications providing the information necessary for its execution (EU Regulation 1312/2014, amending Regulation 1089/2010, art 1)

Interoperable spatial data service means an invocable spatial data service which fulfils the requirements of Annex VI (EU Regulation 1312/2014, amending Regulation 1089/2010, art 1)

Harmonised spatial data service means an interoperable spatial data service which fulfils the requirements of Annex VII (EU Regulation 1312/2014, amending Regulation 1089/2010, art 1)

Agreed interpretation of the definitions:

Spatial data service (SDS) is a general term within Inspire for all services used for exchanging, sharing, access and use of spatial data or metadata. All services within Inspire shall be discoverable, both Network services and other SDS. Based on different regulations, SDS is divided into two major groups; “Network services” and “Other discoverable spatial data services”. The other discoverable SDS are then divided into three different categories depending on level of interoperability; Invocable spatial data service, Interoperable spatial data service and Harmonised spatial data service.

Different Inspire spatial data servicesIn the Regulation (EU) No 1312/2014 amending (EU) No 1089/2010 it states that the network services is not affected by the amendment; "This Regulation does not apply to the network services falling within the scope of Commission Regulation (EC) No 976/2009". But it is important to note that the regulation for Network services is changed to allow for the discovery and availability of the new metadata elements with the Member States discovery services (Commission Regulation (EC) No 976/2009 Article 2(7)).

Other discoverable SDS are divided into three categories to define the level of interoperability; Invocable service, Interoperable service and Harmonised services. The Network services are divided into four different categories depending on type of service: Discovery service, View service, Download service and Transformation service.

In the Technical Guidance for INSPIRE Spatial Data Services and services allowing spatial data services to be invoked (TG SDS v 3.1) figure 2 illustrates the different categories for other discoverable SDS and it also illustrate that Network services and not Invocable SDS are not affected by the amendment.

Figure 1: Inspire services, highlighting the services affected by the amendment INSPIRE Spatial Data Services and services allowing spatial data services to be invoked.

Scope of “Spatial data service”

Network services vs. other SDS servicesMember states shall establish and operate at least one (but may decide to establish and operate more than one) of each type of network service defined in Inspire directive art. 11(1), to discover, view, download or transform a data sets. A transformation services are not mandatory to implement as long as download services publish the data in INSPIRE data models. These services shall follow the requirements of regulation 976/2009. All other services related to the spatial data sets shall follow the requirements of regulation 1089/2010, and thus be defined as Invocable Discoverable spatial data service.

How to decide if a service is an spatial data service?Three articles in the INSPIRE directive give guidance concerning the scope of spatial data services.

Art. 4 (3) of the Directive says: “This Directive shall also cover the spatial data services relating to the data contained in the spatial data sets referred to in paragraph 1.” Thus, spatial data services are basically all services that correspond to INSPIRE-relevant data.

Art. 5 (1) of the Directive says: “Member States shall ensure that metadata are created for the spatial data sets and services corresponding to the themes listed in Annexes I, II and III, and those metadata are kept up to date.” Thus, all spatial data services shall be described with metadata in conformance with regulation 1205/2008. All spatial data services are then “discoverable spatial data services”.

Art. 11 of the Directive define network services; all spatial data services, that are no network services, are “other discoverable spatial data services”.

That means if an organisation provides a service that deals with INSPIRE-relevant data and is no network service, has at least one resource locator and follows an open technical specification (both information should be included in the metadata which already exists) then it is an “Invocable spatial data service”.

As mention above, the scope of the services is the service provides data falling under the INSPIRE Directive, art. 4. In addition, it could also include other data.

Figure 2: Scope of other discoverable spatial data services

Even if a service is within the scope of regarding article 4, 5 and 11 in the Directive, the service should be of external interest i.e. of interest for others than your own organisation. Since both national and European infrastructures benefits from having more services, a general rule for the member states should be to try to include more services than less, see “Limited number of organisations” below.

Service useful for; Within the scope?

EU level Yes

National level Yes

Limited number of organisations Maybe, MS decide

Own organisation No

Figure 2: Level of usefulness to decide of scope for Discoverable spatial data service

If a member state already has a Network service for a specific theme, e.g. download service, the MS can decide to have additional similar services that are not conformant to Regulation 976/2009. Such

Other discoverable SDS

Other data

Annex III

Annex II

Annex I

services will also be considered as a discoverable spatial data service and shall follow the requirements in Regulation 1089/2010.

Requirements and deadlines regarding SDSNetwork services and other discoverable spatial data services shall have metadata according to Regulation 1205/2008 and Regulation 976/2009 Article 2(7). Other discoverable spatial data services shall have additional metadata according to the amendment in Regulation 1089/2010, Annex V-VII.

Beside the extra metadata in the amendment, an Invocable spatial data service has to have;

At least one resource locator that is an access point The service shall be in conformity with a documented and publicly available set of technical

specifications providing the information necessary for its execution

An Interoperable spatial data service fulfils all requirements for Invocable spatial data service but will also have additional metadata elements described in Regulation 1089/2010, Annex VI.

A Harmonised spatial data service fulfils all requirements for Invocable spatial data service and Interoperable spatial data but will also have additional information described in Regulation 1089/2010, Annex VII. A Member state decides if the service also will follow the specific regulation for harmonised SDS, e.g. Quality of service and output encoding.

Note that there are no extra requirements for Network services due to the amendment.

Figure 2: Extra metadata for other discoverable SDS

DeadlinesRegulation 1312/2014 is adopted in accordance to Article 7(1) in the Directive.

Article 7(3) says: ”Member States shall ensure that all newly collected and extensively restructured spatial data sets and the corresponding spatial data services are available in conformity with the implementing rules referred to in paragraph 1 within two years of their adoption, and that other spatial data sets and services still in use are available in conformity with the implementing rules within seven years of their adoption.”

Regulation 1312/2014 was adopted on 10 December 2014, hence + 2 years is 10 December 2016 and + 7 years is 10 December 2021.

The same understanding was taken for granted regarding the implementation of Regulation 102/2011.

Deadlines for implementing the amended requirements are therefore as follow;

10-12-2015

Invocable spatial data service shall have the additional metadata elements according to Regulation 1089/2010, Annex V

23-11-2017

All invocable spatial data services related to newly collected and extensively restructured spatial data sets shall be conformant with Regulation 1089/2010 Annexes VI, it will then be called Interoperable spatial data service. A Member state can decide to also follow the requirements according to Annex VII in the same regulation, the service will then be called Harmonised spatial data service

21-10-2020

All Invocable spatial data services related to other spatial data sets still in use shall be conformant with Regulation 1089/2010, it will then be called Interoperable spatial data service. A Member state can decide to also follow the requirements according to Annex VII in the same regulation, the service will then be called Harmonised spatial data service.

Practical issues concerning metadata and servicesIn practice the type and category of a particular SDS is described by using three mutual independent metadata elements;(a) Spatial data service type, see 1205/2008, part D, no 3(b) Conformity, see 1205/2008, part B, no 7.1(c) [Invocable] Category, see 1089/2010, Annex V Part B, no 1The practical implementation of these metadata elements will be described in TG Metadata. There are some alternative ways of implementing category using conformance classes or keywords. The final implementation will be documented in TG Metadata.

Spatial data service type (a)Metadata element (a) Spatial data service type can have the following values;(3.1) Discovery(3.2) View(3.3) Download(3.4) Transformation(3.5) Invoke (The value (3.5) Invoke should no longer be used within Inspire, since it has no significant meaning. The last amendment to Regulation 1089/2010 describes SDS in a more useful way by the Invocable Category.)(3.6) Other

Agreed interpretation of the regulation and ISO standard:

The main appropriate value that describes the service should be used. If a service is conformant to the regulations for Network services or not is not in the scope when deciding the service type.

Conformity (b)Metadata element (b) Conformity is used to separate Network services from other SDS1. It is done by the two sub elements Degree and Specification. A Network service is specified by

Degree = .true

Specification =title: COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 976/2009 of 19 October 2009 implementing Directive 2007/2/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the Network Services (2009R0976 — EN — 31.12.2014 — 002.001 — 1)dateType: publication

date: 2014-12-31

Invocable Category (c)Metadata element (c) [Invocable] Category can have the following values;(1.1) Invocable (1.2) [Invocable and] Interoperable (1.3) [Invocable and] Harmonised

Examples of other discoverable SDS

Oil spill serviceA Member State institution is making available on the internet an oil spill service that predicts the fate and effects of the spilled oil and for the time being it uses wind and current, coast line and sea depth data in their original representation.

1 See point 2.8 in Technical Guideline document” INSPIRE Metadata Implementing Rules: Technical Guidelines based on EN ISO 19115 and EN ISO 19119” v. 1.3.

Flood mappingA Member State institution is making available on the internet a service performing flood mapping using a Digital Elevation Model

Finnish Forest Park and Service – excursion mapThis is an example of other discoverable SDS because; Finnish Forest Park and Service is Inspire organisation. In the application is Inspire relevant data

NLS Finland – file download serviceThis is an example of other discoverable SDS because; NLS Finland is Inspire organisation. In the application is Inspire relevant data, but not harmonised.

ArcGIS Server – REST APIThese kind of service are other discoverable SDS if; the service is exposed by an Inspire organization. In the service there is Inspire relevant data, but not harmonised.

WMS, WFS, WCS, W*S, ***These kind of service are SDS if; the service is exposed by an Inspire organisation. In the service there is Inspire relevant data, but not harmonised. Not following IR Network services regarding view Services or download Services.

More examples of other discoverable SDSGazetteer, Geocoding and Routing services.

Examples of services that is out of scope, i.e. not an SDS

Embedded maps : service pointsThis is NOT SDS because; In the web application is Inspire relevant data, but a Member State has decided it is not giving any extra value to SDI/Inspire community.