Non-monetary societal benefits of distributing GIS data in the public domain: Examples from the Baltic sea region

In Europe there is currently different views upon Geographic Information Systems data (as a sub-set of Public Sector Information) and the economic/democratic/environmental role such infomation may play in the societies. This is also reflected in the way such data is being developed, and how it is being priced, and its use regulated by legal means. Broadly speaking, there are two mainstream views present, one that argues for status quo with strong national mapping agencies (NMAs) with full copy-right control of the GIS data backed up by current copy-right legislation and the prospective EU Database Directive, claiming that this is the optimal solution. The other mainstream view is that the current status quo in Europe best can be characterised by a 'monpolistic publicommercial geographic information sector' represented by the NMAs, and that this is sub-optimal. The preferred model by the proponents of this category instead recommend a model a la the US based model with essentially all GIS data developed by taxpayers money to be placed in the public domain.

UNEP/GRID-Arendal, a UNEP affiliated environmental information centre, has implemented the US based model in their distribution of GIS data from the Baltic Sea Region (BSR) (www.grida.no/baltic/), while the BSR NMA's have applied the former model (www.mapbsr.nls.fi) in their efforts for developing and offering GIS data from the transboundary BSR.

UNEP/GRID-Arendal now would like to assess the costs and benefits of their model. In particular, a best possible description of the non-monetary benefits should be given focus.