EC as regards certain reporting requirements for infrastructures for spatial information - Main contents

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dossier	COM(2023)584 - Amendment of Directive 2007/2/EC as regards certain reporting requirements for infrastructures for spatial information.
document	COM(2023)584
date	October 17, 2023

(1)Reporting requirements play a key role in ensuring proper monitoring and correct enforcement of legislation. However, it is important to streamline those requirements to ensure that they fulfil the purpose for which they were intended and to limit the administrative burden.

(2)It is necessary to align the frequency and timing of reporting obligations on the implementation and use of Member States’ infrastructures for spatial information with more recent horizontal digital data legislation as to reduce the administrative burden.

(3)Directive 2007/2/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council 5 lays down general rules aimed at the establishment of the Infrastructure for Spatial Information, for the purposes of Union environmental policies and policies or activities which may have an impact on the environment. Article 21(2) of that Directive requires Members State to update, if necessary, and publish a report including, among other things, a summary description of the costs and benefits of implementing that Directive by 31 March of each year.

(4)Taking into account the results of the Commission report 6 on Actions to Streamline Environmental Reporting and the accompanying Fitness Check of Reporting and Monitoring of Union Environment Policy, Directive 2007/2/EC was amended by Regulation (EU) 2019/1010 of the European Parliament and of the Council 7 to reduce the scope of reporting to the governance for its implementation and the reuse of public spatial data. The evaluation of Directive 2007/2/EC concluded by the Commission in 2022 found that there is scope to make it technically more efficient by means of further administrative burden reduction.

(5)In order to reduce administrative burdens, it is appropriate to lower the frequency of reporting under Directive 2007/2/EC to once every two years.

(6)Directive 2007/2/EC should therefore be amended accordingly.

(7)Since the amendment to be made to Directive 2007/2/EC concerns the provision of information to the Commission by Member States, it does not need to be transposed. In this particular situation, it is therefore appropriate to use a decision for such amendment.