Abstrakt
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Geographic Information in France (abstract)

The title of this presentation "Geographic Information in France" is ambitious. It would be more exact to write "the organisation of geographic information in France". But this would be long and would not sound very well. I intend to speak about the two organisations which cover in France the field of geographic information and which are working closely together. These are:

• the National Council of Geographic Information - in French: Conseil National de l'Information Géographique (CNIG)-,
• the French Association for Geographic Information - in French: Association Française pour l'Information Géographique (AFIGéO) -.

I will discourse at first on CNIG: its purpose, its actions, its membership. But it will be quickly understood why the main point will refer to AFIGéO. The following points will be successively touched:

• the reasons of AFIGéO's creation,
• a comparison between CNIG and AFIGéO,
• the operating aspects and the finances,
• the different kinds of its actions,
• quick spots on GI standardisation and GI metadata systems,
• some views for immediate future.

To perform this wide task CNIG sets up commissions and working groups according to the needs of professional people and to questions of the moment in the field of geographic information . Among these commissions there can be mentioned : large-scale topographic information , economy , toponymy , professions, geographic research.

CNIG is in charge too of the national representation to international conferences or meetings relating to geographic information.

Who is a member of CNIG ?
The President is designated by a decree signed by the Prime Minister. The 33 other members are:

• 4 heads of local governments (1 department, 1 urban community, 2 municipalities),
• 16 representatives of Ministries ,
• 11 representatives of public producers of geographic information:
  • DGI (Direction Générale des Impots) = cadastre, for payment of taxes by land-owners
  • IGN (Institut Géographique National),
  • SHOM (Service Hydrographique et Océanographique de la Marine),
  • CNES (Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales),
  • OGE (Ordre des Géometres-Experts),
  • INSEE (Institut National de la Statistique et des Etudes Economiques),
  • IFREMER (Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer),
  • 2 competent personalities .

The conclusion of this listing is: the members of CNIG are coming from public sector, they build only a consultative body and they have no money to do anything.

This explains the creation of AFIGéO

• to attract the private sector ,
• to collect funds ,
• to have the legal personality .

A comparison of the two organisation charts shows that CNIG and AFIGéO can work closely coordinated . In fact they have the same President ( Jean Berthier ) and the same Secretary General ( Jean-Claude Lummaux ) . Of course AFIGéO has a Board of Directors , with vice-presidents , a treasurer and members , who are volunteers (not designated people). Essentially AFIGéO supports CNIG.

What are the operating aspects ?

• The office is common to CNIG and AFIGéO . It is put at our disposal by IGN in its management building.
• The staff is coming from different administrations and is paid by them:
• from Ministry of Equipment: 3 engineers, including the Secretary General, and 2 half-time employees,
• from IGN (which is under Ministry of Equipment supervision): 2 secretaries,
• from Ministry of Budget: 1 half-time employee.

Our annual budget amounts to 1 or 2 MF . The income results

• from fees paid by our members (there are four levels: individuals, small companies, other companies, sponsors),
• from government grants ( which are part supports to special purposes),
• from participations of members to the realisation of specific studies or actions.

These material points being clarified, what is the purpose of AFIGéO? It is

• to favour the development of geographic information in France to the advantage of all public and private actors,
• to broaden to all professionals and users the thoughts of CNIG, so that the technical progress will be better taken into account in the public policies .

AFIGéO denies itself any activity which could put it in competition with its members. Practically , what kind of actions are conducted by AFIGéO? Four categories can be distinguished: organisation of events, management of studies , development of international relations , increasing in competitiveness of the French actors . Hereafter some precisions will allow to understand better each of these points.

AFIGéO organises symposiums, scientific and technical workshops, exhibitions and conferences to favour exchanges between public and private actors in the sector . Every year there are at least two main events:

• In April a one-day joint session CNIG/AFIGéO during MARI-show in Paris ( in 1998 the theme has been " Geographic information in information society"),
• In June a two-days symposium, being held in one of the major cities in France and dedicated to the state-of-the-art in advanced domains (in 1998 the title was "Internet and geographic information").

AFIGéO provides the management of technical and economical studies which are intended to develop the use of geographic information. They are realised by specialised consulting firms or by AFIGéO itself with the voluntary participation of some of its members through working groups . In 1998 an academic study on training has been directly paid by the Ministry of Environment through DATAR (Délégation a l'Aménagement du Territoire et a l'Action Régionale = office for national and regional development), but led by AFIGéO. As examples of our work, hereafter are mentioned the titles of some studies realised since 1996:

• the French market in geographic information (AFIGéO),
• the market of geographic information in United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Sweden, the Netherlands (Coopers & Lybrand/Urbatique),
• the influence of data prices on the market (Arthur Andersen/Urbatique),
• the use of geographic information within the framework of regulations bound to national and regional development (Ted Alitec/Siage),
• geographic information in information society = the French "White Paper" (AFIGéO).

AFIGéO pushes to the development of international relations and represents the French community particularly at the European level. It contributes to scientific and technical exchanges between France and foreign countries. AFIGéO is a part of French representation in the international bodies in the sector (CEN,ISO,...). And of course AFIGéO represents France within Eurogi and its Executive Committee.

AFIGéO tries to increase the competitiveness of the French actors. It participates to actions enhancing the value of French know-how in export business. A special interest group is being created within AFIGéO to facilitate the access of industry to international market - particularly the access of small companies.

In the field of geographic information's standardisation AFIGéO participates to the international organisations. During several years AFIGéO supplied the President and financed the office of Secretary of CEN/TC287. And AFIGéO represents France in ISO/TC211. Concerning the standards, the inquiry is ongoing for formal approval of EDIGéO, the French national standard. At least two of the European provisional Standards (metadata and quality) will be used again in France.

With regard to geographic information's metadata systems , what is the present state ? AFIGéO manages the directory of national databases . A national profile of the European metadata standard is under development . The existing system will evolve in accordance with the national profile. At the different territorial levels (regions, departments, municipalities) the users are creating local systems compliant with the national profile.

In the future, things will run towards the setting up of a hierarchical system , the directory of national databases ( AFIGéO ) being at the central level , more specific informations being available at the regional level . It exists a strong dynamics at the local level, but not still an on-line system for data exchange.

What are AFIGéO's views for the immediate future? At the present time a working group is thinking about training and some members of Parliament are acting to promote the development of geographic information . AFIGéO intends especially to draw up the present state of research (as a result of the "White Paper") to redefine the "mission of general interest". This last task could be done by CNIG/AFIGéO with a mandate of the government, or by members of Parliament working closely with CNIG/AFIGéO . In any case AFIGéO will continue to work closely with Eurogi towards their common objectives. That is sure.