Towards a shared European environmental information infrastructure

Abstract

The magnitude and causes of the so-called reporting burden are briefly reviewed. Lack of a shared information infrastructure is determined a major contributor to it. The characteristics of an information infrastructure are discussed. XML-based standards for data interchange have to be agreed upon and national repositories of data deliveries must be erected so that the content for international reporting can be better reused and shared. Components of such an infrastructure, called here the Reportnet, are presented. Creation of the Reportnet will be the environment sector's response to eEurope and should result in an unbroken electronic value chain for international environmental reporting.