Geodata: The basis for spatial decisions

type: Article , Topic: Administrative reform

Collecting, processing and making geodata available are essential infrastructure ser-vices by federal, state and local government. This is why government collects a wide variety of basic and specialized geodata.

The Federal Georeference Data Act (BGeoRG) sets uniform quality and technical standards for the federal agencies that collect and maintain geodata.

The European Union’s INSPIRE Directive aims at making geodata available in standardized form throughout Europe over the Internet.

The joint federal, state and local government initiative Geo Data Infrastructure Germany (GDI-DE) seeks to compile and make their existing data available through its joint website Geoportal Deutschland (www.geoportal.de).

The Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy (BKG), one of the Federal Ministry of the Interior’s executive agencies, offers geodata, maps and aerial photos online and as web applications, as well as a wide range of information about basic federal and state geodata. The BKG is also responsible for advising the Federal Government and representing national interests in this field at international level.

Since 1998, the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community has chaired the Interministerial Committee for Geoinformation (IMAGI), coordinating federal geoinformation systems in close collaboration with the state and local governments.