Germany’s Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy (BKG) will continue to manage production of pan-European datasets after signing a new agreement with EuroGeographics.

As a result, BKG is responsible for three open datasets available via the Open Maps For Europe (OME) user interface, as well as a database of administrative boundaries and 1:250 000 topographic data. The datasets are created using authoritative national geospatial and land information from members of EuroGeographics, the not-for-profit membership association for Europe’s National Mapping, Cadastral and Land Registration Authorities.

In addition, the National Institute of Geographic and Forest Information (IGN France) continues to manage the production of EuroGlobalMap, 1: 1 million scale multi-themed topographic open data also delivered through the OME portal.

Sallie Payne Snell, Secretary General and Executive Director, EuroGeographics, said: “BKG’s expertise is integral to our unique data integration process. In addition to harmonising national geospatial information to standard specifications, it has a wealth of experience in deriving information from master databases.”

“We are delighted to continue our well-established partnership with them to provide authoritative and trusted pan-European data for making critical decisions about people and places.”

Prof. Dr. Paul Becker, President BKG Germany, said: “We are pleased to continue to make an essential contribution to the provision of harmonised, cross-border geospatial data on behalf of EuroGeographics. The requirements of users – above all the European Commission – inspires us to produce even more demand-orientated data for Europe.”

Under the agreement BKG manages the technical, quality and documentation for five datasets:

• EuroBoundaryMap, which enables the exact matching of administrative units with statistical data using a European-wide unique identifier, and is widely used within the European system.
• EuroRegionalMap, multi-themed topographic data at 1:250 000 scale.

Open datasets available through www.mapsforeurope.org

• The open data version of EuroRegionalMap.
• Open Gazetteer, a service providing authoritative multilingual geographical names.
• EuroDEM, 1:100 000 scale digital open data elevation model providing height data.

BKG also provides the OME pan-European Imagery service, a processed mosaic with a 10 metre resolution, created from European Union´s Earth observation programme Copernicus (Sentinel-2, L1C-L2A). It can be used as a reference for mapping and visualisation.

EuroGeographics is an international not-for-profit organisation (AISBL/ IVZW under Belgian Law. BCE registration: 833 607 112) and the membership association for the European National Mapping, Cadastral and Land Registry Authorities.

The OME2 project, which builds on the success of Open Maps For Europe, is co-funded by the European Union. It is being delivered by a consortium comprising: EuroGeographics, the not-for-profit membership association for Europe’s National Mapping, Cadastral and Land Registration Authorities; National Geographic Institute, Belgium; National Institute of Geographic and Forest Information, France; Hellenic Cadastre; General Directorate for the Cadastre, Spain; and Cadastre, Land Registry and Mapping Agency, The Netherlands.

Open Maps For Europe ended in 2022. It was co-financed by the Connecting Europe Facility of the European Union.