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Geographic Information Standards
Standards for metadata, coordinate systems, grids and coding lists
Metadata
Specifications
EEA MSGI specification: Technical specification of the European Environment Agency Metadata Standard for Geographic Information. A profile of ISO 19115 metadata standard. EEA has developed some supporting applications to ensure correct provision of the standard metadata (see section Tools on this page).
EEA metadata specifications for maps: Find e.g. a form to be used for delivering metadata related to map files, e.g. on postscript formats (Adobe Illustrator, EPS, MXD...). Follow this link and scroll down on the new site and find the ready-to-fill-in form.
Reportnet Data dictionary: Technical specifications of data sets, tables and elements for Eionet priority data flows.
Tools
EEA metadata form for spatial datasets (GIS-data) v1.2: Use this form for adding metadata to your data sets. The form is an MS-Word document, which follows European Environment Agency - Metadata Standard for Geographic Information (EEA-MSGI). If you have access to ESRI ArcCatalog, use the EEA Metadata Editor.
EEA metadata editor v4 for ESRI ArcCatalog 9.x (January 2007): Metadata editor following the EEA-MSGI, providing easy editing and validation of metadata. Download and run the .EXE file. Installation and user manual included.
EEA metadata tool package: A package of tools for ESRI ArcCatalog that makes copying, deleting and cleaning of metadata easy.
EEA MSGI stylesheets: Stylesheets for viewing XML metadata files following EEA-MSGI. These stylesheets are included in the EEA metadata editor.
Coordinate Systems
EEA recommends the use of EUREF coordinate reference systems.
EUREF: IAG Reference Frame Sub-Commission for Europe (EUREF) mainsite. ETRS, EVRS, ECRS.
Information and Service System for European Coordinate Reference Systems - CRS: Hosted by Bundesamt für Kartographie und Geodäsie
EEA Reference Coordinate Systems for ESRI ArcGIS 9.x: Zipfile with selected EEA Reference Coordinate Systems for ESRI ArcGIS 9.x.
EPSG Projection Database: The European Petroleum Survey Group (EPSG) was formed in 1986. It comprises specialist surveyors, geodesists and cartographers from Oil Companies based in Europe and having international operations. A geodesy working group maintains a relational database of EPSG geodetic parameters.
Grids
EEA recommends the use of multipurpose ETRS89 Lambert Azimuthal Equal Area 52N 10E grid. This grid is described in detail in the "EEA Guide to geographical data and maps" document available from previous page.
Specifications
European Reference Grids Workshop: Proceedings & Recommendations from 1st Workshop on European Reference Grids, Ispra, 27-29 October 2003. A. Annoni, European Reference Grids, volume EUR 21494 EN European Commission, Joint Research Centre, 2005
Tools
EEA Fishnet Tool v1: EEA have developed this tool to create a grid (fishnet) useing ESRI ArcCatalog 9. The tool will create a polygon or line shapefile with a ETRS-LAEA grid in accepted size, as defined by EEA. Read readme file before use.
European standard classifications and code lists
Classifications and code lists relevant to geographical information; these codes are often used as keys to link tabular and spatial data.
NUTS and LAU codes: Administrative units - Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS) and Local Administrative Units (LAU) codes
