ABSTRACT
The basic objective of the Infrastructure for Spatial Information in the European Community (INSPIRE) Directive is to make harmonized high-quality geographic information readily available to support environmental policies along with policies or activities which may have an impact on the environment throughout Europe. The INSPIRE Directive is a multinational, multiagency, multidisciplinary, multiobjective information infrastructure initiative. The implementation of the INSPIRE Directive involves collaboration between the national Member States with diverse cultures and professional backgrounds. These countries differ substantially in terms of wealth, resources, and access to technology. The development and implementation of the INSPIRE Directive took advantage of the existing procedures for handling matters in the European Union. The INSPIRE Directive came into operation on May 15, 2007 and the member states were given two years from this date to complete the tasks of transposing its provisions into national legislation.
