1.3.2 CEN/TC 287

From Geostandards

Contents 1 Period 1992 - 1999 2 Period 2003 - present 3 Fine-tuning ISO/TC 211 and CEN/TC 287 4 Differences between CEN and ISO Standards 5 CEN reports

Period 1992 - 1999

In 1992, the Technical Committee Geographic Information (TC) was created as a part of the European Commission for Normalisation (CEN, Comité Européen de Normalisation) purposed by the Association Française de Normalisation (AFNOR): CEN/TC 287. In 1999, the TC stopped publishing a number of European Geo-Standards (ENVs)* in the field of geo-information which in the Netherlands were published by NEN as:

CEN Standards for GI
NVN/ENV 12009: 1997, Geografic information – Reference model
NVN/ENV 12160: 1997, Geografic information – Description of data – Spatial scheme
NVN/ENV 12656: 1998, Geografische informatie - Gegevensbeschrijving - Kwaliteit
NVN/ENV 12657: 1998, Geografische informatie - Gegevensbeschrijving - Meta-informatie
NVN/ENV 12658: 1998, Geografische informatie - Gegevensbeschrijving - Gegevensoverdracht
NVN/ENV 12661: 1998, Geografische informatie - Positionering - Geografische identificaties
NVN/ENV 1 2762: 1998, Geografische informatie - Positionering - Directe geodetische identificaties
NVN/ENV 13376: 1999, Geografische informatie - Gegevensbeschrijving - Regels voor applicatieschema's

CEN reports for GI published as Dutch Guidelines
NPR-CR 12660: 1998, Geografische informatie - Verwerking - Vraagtaal en mutatieverwerking: ruimtelijke aspecten
NPR-CR 13425: 1998, Geografische informatie - Overzicht
NPR-CR 13435: 1998, Geografische informatie - Woordenlijst
NPR-CR 13568: 1999, Geografische informatie - Gegevensbeschrijving - Conceptueel schema taal

In 1999, the Technical Bureau of CEN based in Brussels declared (CEN/BT) CEN/TC 287 to be “sleeping”. The thinking was that Geo-Standards were not only applicable to Europe, but were globally applicable as well. The CEN Standards were used again in the International ISO/TC 211 and were developed further.

Period 2003 - present

CEN/TC 287 was ‘reborn’ in 2003. In November, the TC in Delft decided to devise a project plan aiming to Standardisation for CEN/TC 287 in the field of geo-information for Europe:

“the commission will realise a framework of standards, that will specify a methodology to define, describe and transition spatial data and services. This work will be done in a close cooperation with ISO/TC 211 to avoid duplication. The standards will support the consistent use of spatial information across the whole of Europe, and in an internationally used way. They will also support spatial infrastructure in Europe at all levels".

Working groups

Because of the need for standardisation, INSPIRE has installed the CEN/TC 287 Working Group 5 (WG 5) to coordinate The European Spatial Data Infrastructure (ESDI); it has the following tasks:

• to identify the materials needed for the ESDI by drawing up a technical report, Standards, specifications technical report and guidelines, which is required to establish an ESDI;

• to support the implementation of the INSPIRE initiative;

• to stimulate the interoperability between national and European SDI developments, by drawing up a technical report ESDI cookbook with guidelines for technical operability.

An Outreach advisory group to promote the Standards of CEN/TC 287 and to stimulate the use of Geo-Standards in course work and training programmes has been created.

BSI holds the secretariat of CEN/TC 287. Rob Walker is chairman of CEN/TC 287.

Fine-tuning ISO/TC 211 and CEN/TC 287

In Europe the prospective standards(ENVs) and CEN reports (CRs) have been published on many occasions, but then the ISO Geo-Standards came along. This resulted in there being various geostandards available across Europe for the same topic. For example:

• NEN/ENV 12157 - Metadata and ISO19115 - Metadata.

At the CEN/TC 287 meeting held in Delft on November 2003, an important decision was made about the existing ENVs and CRs: all of them were taken back so as to secure the implementation and harmonisation of ISO 191xx series Standards for Europe. The setting up of a Unique Acceptance Procedure (UAP) for all available (and future) ISO 191xx Standards was also agreed upon, as provided for in the Agreement of Vienna (between CEN and ISO), in order to adopt the ISO 191xx Standards as the European Norm (EN). This use of the UAP may result in some ISO Standards being suitable for a European profile according to ISO 19106 conformance level1 (the European Standard will be part of the ISO Standard) and others according to conformance level 2 (the European Standard will contain an increase compared with the ISO Standard). This results for example in:

 

• ISO 19115:2003 = EN ISO 19115:2005

These are the same Standards; however, the EN came into force in Europe in 2005. This is written in the European preamble that accompanies the ISO Standard. New ISO 191xx Standards are suitable for parallel voting: the judgement takes place within ISO and CEN at the same time, so ISO Standards will become CEN Standards too (EN ISO 191xx Standard). This for example results in:

• ISO 19111:2007 = EN ISO 19111:2007

Differences between CEN and ISO Standards

CEN/TC 287 has a different status to ISO. ISO Standards are voluntary: countries can ignore them. It is also possible to have national Standards that conflict with ISO Standards.

CEN Standards have to be published; it is mandatory. A country is not allowed to have any of its own standards conflicting with a CEN Standard. This means that conflicting national standards have to be withdrawn. Many European countries translate all CEN Standards into their own language. There are countries that insist on the use of CEN Standards within their government as well. The European Public Procurement Regulation makes it mandatory to refer to European Standards, if there are any, in the specifications for European Tenders. There is an exception made for "special and experimental projects".

CEN reports

Information about CEN/TC 287 is listed at GI-standards and CEN .

PowerPoint presentation CEN/TC 287

The next presentation gives an insight into CEN/TC 287, but please note that it is a few years old and there is a new chairman and secretary now.

Presentatie CEN/TC 287

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