6.4.22.2 Geographical grid systems
From Geostandards
6 INSPIRE
6.1 Background and Motivation
- 6.1.1 Spatial Data Infrastructures
- 6.1.2 Requirements for a European SDI
- 6.1.3 Existing foundation for a European SDI
- 6.2.1 Background and history
- 6.2.2 The five components of the Directive
- 6.2.3 Implementation, status and schedule
- 6.2.4 Groups and responsibilities within INSPIRE
- 6.2.5 INSPIRE Implementing Rules and INSPIRE Guidance Documents
- 6.2.6 European and Global initiatives in the context of INSPIRE
6.3 Technical Architecture Overview
- 6.3.1 Relationship between the different components, in particular spatial data, metadata, registers, and network services
- 6.3.2 Terminology
6.4 Interoperabilty of spatial data sets / INSPIRE data specifications
- 6.4.1 Requirements of the INSPIRE Directive
- 6.4.2 Interoperability of spatial data
- 6.4.3 INSPIRE data scope
- 6.4.4 Modelling Framework
- 6.4.5 Generic Conceptual Model
- 6.4.6 ISO 19100 series of International Standards
- 6.4.7 Rules for application schemas and feature catalogues
- 6.4.8 Identifier Management
- 6.4.9 Object referencing modelling
- 6.4.10 Coordinate referencing
- 6.4.11 Multi-lingual text and cultural adaptability
- 6.4.12 Data quality
- 6.4.13 Metadata for evaluation and use
- 6.4.14 Multiple representations
- 6.4.15 Consistency between data
- 6.4.16 Portrayal model
- 6.4.17 Conformance
- 6.4.18 Generic Network Model
- 6.4.19 Gazetteers
- 6.4.20 Encoding and data formats
- 6.4.21 INSPIRE registers
- 6.4.22 Annex I data specifications
- 6.4.23 Outlook to Annex II/III data specifications
- 6.4.24 Extensions by countries or communities
The current version of the data specification is version 3.0. The document is available here.
This page currently contains the executive summary from the data specification document:
Geographical grid systems are included in Annex I, which means that they are considered as reference data, i.e. data that constitute the spatial frame for linking and/or pointing to other information that belong to specific thematic fields as defined in the INSPIRE Annexes II and III.
The INSPIRE specification on Geographical grid systems has been prepared following the participative principle of a consensus building process. The stakeholders, based on their registration as a Spatial Data Interest Community (SDIC) or a Legally Mandated Organisation (LMO) had the opportunity to bring forward user requirements and reference materials, propose experts for the specification development, and participate in the review of the data specifications. The Thematic Working Group responsible for the specification development was composed of geodetic and mapping experts coming from Portugal, Slovenia, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden and the UK, all of them for many years involved in activities aiming to establish uniform geo- referencing within Europe. Due to the close links between and the special technical nature of the two themes of Coordinate reference systems and Geographical grid systems, the specifications of both themes were developed by one Thematic Working Group.
Geographical grid systems (hereafter: Grids) play a specific role that is quite different from the other themes in the Directive’s annexes. Contrary to the other themes the Grids specification does not concern a downloadable or viewable thematic data set. Rather, it presents a basic functionality allowing the harmonised and interoperable geographic localisation of spatial objects defined by the other INSPIRE thematic data specifications. Therefore, the methodology developed by the Drafting Team on data specifications is only partly applicable to the work of this Thematic Working Group.
The specific task of the definition of the Geographical grid systems theme therefore consists in taking the right decisions on the choice of one (or a limited number of) grid systems that will ensure a common basis for the geographical harmonisation between all the other themes defined in the Annexes of the Directive.
The grid specified in this document is intended more for statistical reporting purposes and it is not intended for communities where the grids have to be optimised for data exchange, supercomputer processing and high volume archiving of new data each day.
This document represents the result of the specification of the Geographical grid systems theme, which contains elements that will be proposed as part of the draft Implementing Rule on interoperability of spatial data sets and services. These elements are clearly indicated in the document as “requirements”. The other parts of the documents give clarification, background information and examples and are intended as part of the technical guidance documents accompanying the Implementing Rules.
The cornerstone of the specification development was the definition of the Directive on Geographical grid systems as being “Harmonised multi-resolution grid with a common point of origin and standardised location and size of grid cells”. The requirements and recommendations of this theme are based on the results from the “European Reference Grids” workshop12. The scope of the theme “Geographical grid systems” covers quadrilateral grids used for indirect geo-referencing of themes with typically coarse resolution and wide (pan-European) geographical extent. The grid is two-dimensional and mainly used for spatial analysis or reporting. A geographical grid is associated with predefined resolutions and a coding system for identifying individual cells.
The grid – proposed as the multipurpose Pan-European standard – is based on the ETRS89 Lambert Azimuthal Equal Area coordinate reference system with the centre of the projection at the point 52o N, 10o E and false northing: Y0 = 3210000 m, false easting: X0 = 4321000 m.
| ← previous | Infrastructure for Spatial Information in the European Community (INSPIRE) | next → |
