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E-Land Administration – German cadastre on track!
Dr.-Ing. Winfried Hawerk
Deputy Director of Geoinformation and Surveying
Landesbetrieb Geoinformation und Vermessung
Sachsenkamp 4
20097 Hamburg
Germany
winfried.hawerk@gv.hamburg.de
1. INTRODUCTION
A lot of developments on the technical and the administrational sector follow some global trends. E-government and SDI-projects have been initiated and launched in most developed countries and reached different stages of implementation. These projects influence the Land administration sector because it is or should be an essential part of these projects.
Researchers in Germany found out that about 80% of all governmental decisions have a spatial component. Spatial information from small to large-scale data sets became an enormous value for governmental authorities on all levels during the last few years. Beside the public sector who since years is an important user of these data, the private sector is a growing partner for geodata in general. For the geodata market in Germany a volume of more than 250 million EUR is estimated with an annual growth rate of 10-30%. The cadastral authorities with their data are part of this market and try to meet customer requirements as good as possible.
Customers want to get access to data more and more via internet. Governmental authorities in Germany are busy establishing E-government programs and services on all levels of the administration (international, federal, regional, local). Geodata play a key role in E-government projects. The establishment of geodata portals and meta data catalogues in SDI-projects are therefore necessary prerequisites for operating cadastral data in E-Land Administration.
This is the reason for politically and economically driven decisions in order to establish international and national spatial data infrastructures (SDI). On the European level the INSPIRE initiative is a major factor to establish a European Spatial Data Infrastructure (ESDI). The Federal government in Germany together with the surveying authorities in the 16 states are working in the INSPIRE initiative as well as on national level to establish a national spatial data infrastructure (Geodateninfrastruktur-Deutschland GDI-DE).
At least on national level cadastral data and the topographical data sets ATKIS (Authoritative Topographic-Cartographic Information System) of the surveying authorities in the 16 states are identified as a basic element in GDI-DE. The German cadastral authorities are now establishing the new ALKIS-system. This new standard will help meeting some of the major past obstacles, nation wide provision of standardised cadastral data.
The technical development on the internet, communication and E-commerce sector is opening completely new ways and opportunities of data acquisition, administration and distribution. E-application and E-conveyancing of official data will open new ways of co-operation between the public and private sector in Land Administration. This requires a new legal and organisational framework. The technical solutions are more or less already available. They allow to establish a new designed workflow in the cadastral authorities, but it still is a big task to maintain the data in such a way that the benefits of a complete digital workflow can be earned.
2. DEVELOPMENTS IN EUROPE
2.1 INSPIRE
INSPIRE is a legal framework being developed by the European Commission services with officials and experts in Member States and accession countries from the national, regional and local levels.
The European Commission has decided to submit to the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union a proposal to make interoperable spatial information available in support of both national and Community policy and to enable the public to access to this information.
It is to be implemented throughout the European Union (EU) from 2006/7 onwards with different types of geographical information gradually harmonised and integrated, resulting in a European Spatial Data Infrastructure. A key objective of INSPIRE is to make spatial data available for Community policy-making and implementation in a wide range of sectors, starting with environmental policy and later extended to other sectors such as agriculture, transport etc. (from the web page of INSPIRE http://inspire.jrc.it).
The INSPIRE Geo-Portal is Europe's Internet access point for Spatial Data and Services. It is available in the moment as an experimental prototype version under http://eu-geoportal.jrc.it/.
Geographic information and cadastral data in particular can serve as a strong fundament for legal, administrative and technological structures for the entire public administration (Schennach 2003). Looking at the situation in Europe cadastral data do not play a significant role in INSPIRE. Reasons may be found in the current situation in cadastre in Europe and the different legal systems in land administration that can be found. As long as there is no higher standard as now in cadastral mapping in Europe there will be no chance for cadastral data to play a significant European role.
The need for standardisation is a key element in SDI-projects. At least the German cadastral authorities have defined a basic data set and all states have committed themselves to provide and maintain these data. European working groups have been established to discuss these issues but it seems that there will be no short-term solution found to meet the EU-wide requirements on the cadastral data.
It will be most important for the European cadastral authorities to define a core data set which can be found in all cadastral systems of all member states. Then future requirements can be identified and solutions found.
2.2 Standardisation
The use of common international standards is a key element in the development and establishment of SDI-projects whether on international, national, regional or even local level. Geodata servers designed to deliver data from different sources to different customers or GI-systems will only run smoothly under a high level of standardisation.
Since some years the International Standardisation Organisation ISO is working on standards for data base description languages. The standards are almost completed and are used for example in Germany for the description of the AFIS-ALKIS-ATKIS model. The description of this model is completed. It covers the information about control points (AFIS), cadastre (ALKIS) and topographical data (ATKIS) in one data base.
The OpenGIS Consortium OGC is the international institution where leading GIS and data base companies work together with governmental people, universities etc. to elaborate common features for digital mapping systems. OGC is working close together with ISO on the fields of their activities.
The result of this standardisation process will be interoperability by standardised interfaces between different GI-systems and online-access to different data bases via internet by using OpenGIS Web Services.
FIG Commission 7 works on the field of a definition of a modular standard for the cadastral domain (Lemmen 2003). The idea is to create a standard for a core cadastral data base using standardised description languages. These core data base may be used in countries all over the world as a basic tool for their digital cadastral database (DCDB). This work may be helpful as well for the EU member states.
Standardised data sets and transparent land transaction procedures will make cross border transaction much easier than now. Land transactions in Europe could be processed in nearly the same way with a standardised system even when the legal system is different.
2.3 GALILEO
GALILEO is the new satellite navigation system launched by the European Union and the European Space Agency. Since the existing US GPS satellites and the Russian GLONASS are military systems GALILEO is the first civil navigation system. GALILEO is based on a constellation of 30 satellites. The first satellite was successfully launched by the end of 2005. The operational satellites will be put into orbit between 2006 and 2008.
More available satellites for surveying purposes will make the field work much easier and more cost effective. The network of permanent reference stations can be designed with less density which allows providing services on a more cost-effective level.
3. DEVELOPMENTS IN GERMANY
3.1 National spatial data infrastructure GDI-DE and the Land Administration sector
The Federal Government in Germany together with the surveying authorities in the 16 states are working on a national spatial data infrastructure (Geodateninfrastruktur-Deutschland GDI-DE) to meet the requirements of users and to tackle the major problems which can be mainly found in data structures not following international standards, insufficient and inhomogeneous documentation, inconsistent licensing and pricing policy of public data providers.
All levels and all stakeholders collaborate in the construction of GDI-DE. GeoMIS.Bund is the newest metadata system integrating all efforts at the federal level. This metadata system will be part of the GeoPortal.Bund which will be the main entrance for GDI-DE and which can become part of the European SDI. With regard to the INSPIRE-geoportal the GeoPortal.Bund will be able to act as a node of it.
The SDI in Germany is well developed due to the political interest and legal framework that has been established. Collaboration between the public and private sector is a very important factor.
GDI-DE creates the prerequisites for obtaining, evaluating and applying geoinformation on the basis of a National Geo Database (NGDB). This can be guaranteed by means of transparent and open data retention as well as the construction of a user-friendly geodata portal on the Internet.
The implementation of GDI-DE is planned in three steps:
Beside the GDI-DE activities another important step forward making the E-government initiative “Bund online 2005” operational, was the establishment of a Geodata Centre (founded already in 1996) within the Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy (BKG). Here still topographical data are available.
Due to the organisation of the Land Administration sector it will be a big task to make cadastral data available seamless throughout the entire country. Federal structures like in Germany can be a handicap when national infrastructures shall be put in place. The organisation of this sector due to the German Constitution is not designed to support the demands of customers operating on national level. So it will remain a big organisational, not so much a technical task for the near future. The Surveying Authorities on all levels have agreed on common standards and contents, they should agree on a common distribution channel and a common pricing policy.
4. DEVELOPMENTS IN THE LAND ADMINISTRATION SECTOR
Most countries in Western Europe are facing the problems of changing their IT environment more or less at the same time in these years. All administrations have the task that the renewal process has to take place while ‘the shops are open’ which means that the migration process is not allowed to influence the normal business negatively. Beside the more technologically driven aspects the more customer driven is relevant: in most countries the strategic policy focuses more specifically on the provision of data and information not only to the public but more to the private sector. Keywords are
The first cadastral data base completely designed under ISO standards is the German Official Cadastral Information System ALKIS.
4.1 ALKIS
This new approach was launched in order to harmonize the structures of the existing digital cadastral maps and the topographic database ATKIS on one hand and to integrate the cadastral map and the digital cadastral register into one single model which was usually separated for historical and technical reasons on the other.
The conceptual data model is completely object based and describes geographic and non-geographic features as well as their relations (associations). In order to describe this model in a standardized way it has been based on the ISO draft standards in the field of geographic information.
The GIS industry is now carrying out the software solutions. Most states in Germany are on track establishing this new system during the next years. This is one of the important factors to make cadastre fit for E-government and GDI. The descripton of the model can be found under http://www.adv-online.de.
4.2 SAPOS and ETRS89 in German cadastre
SAPOS is the public service for real time and post-processing differential GPS (DGPS) applications in Germany. 250 permanent GPS reference stations have been established throughout the entire Republic with separating distances of 40 to 70 km. SAPOS offers different services on different levels of accuracy. For cadastral purposes the High Precision Real Time Positioning Service HEPS is most relevant. HEPS allows RTK applications with an accuracy from 1 to 5 cm which is sufficient for cadastral surveys.
Earning the entire benefits of RTK survey methods is only possible when the coordinates of the cadastral boundaries are based on an appropriate reference system. In Europe this is ETRS89. The responsible body in Germany (Working Committee of the Surveying Authorities of the States of the Federal Republic of Germany, AdV) therefore decided in 1991 to introduce this reference system for the sectors national survey and real estate cadastre. In 1995 it confirmed this decision and established the Universal Transversal Mercator projection (UTM) as projection system for all maps.
Some states are now in the process of establishing ETRS89 in cadastre. During this process tensions inside old coordinate systems can be identified and compensated (Hawerk 2002). By establishing this system it is not necessary anymore to maintain the existing control points. This strategy allows best cost benefit relations for the establishment of the SAPOS service.
The implementation of ETRS89/UTM in cadastre will be co-ordinated with the implementation of ALKIS.
4.3 Workflow
Together with the establishment of digital cadastral maps and registers a lot of cadastral authorities began to digitize their archives including analogue field books, survey results and other documents related to the parcels by scanning the documents and updating the necessary retrieval systems with the information where to find the digital documents related to a specific parcel.
Digital archives together with ETRS89 and boundary coordinates free of tensions in addition to well defined cadastral processes and data interfaces will allow a workflow without media breaks from the office into the field and back into the office.
The survey results can be produced according to the ALKIS regulations as ALKIS objects. These results will be checked in a defined qualification process and will be used automatically to update the original data base. The survey records will be stored in the digital archive carrying the digital signature of the person who is responsible for this update.
These standardised processes will allow new forms of cooperation between the private licensed surveyors and the public authorities who are responsible for the cadastral data base.
The survey methods will be changed into hybrid methods by using RTK equipment together with total stations controlled by GIS software which uses the survey equipment only as a sensor for measuring positions. The connection between the different devices will be wireless by using blue tooth technology or something adequate. The technology already exists and is already in operation.
This workflow will change the traditional work processes dramatically. It is estimated that compared with the traditional methods a cost reduction of approximately 25% will be possible.
The requirements are not yet fulfilled throughout the entire nation, but in some regions, especially in urban areas where boundary co-ordinates are completely available these benefits can be earned in near future.
5. WHAT TO DO DURING THE NEXT YEARS?
It will be one of the major future tasks for the cadastral services to meet future requirements properly. The technological problems are more or less solved. More important tasks for the next years will be to find new organisational structures not only in the public sector but as well in the working process together with the private sector in order to create an electronically processed cadastral service for the private and public customers.
During the next few years a lot of effort has to be put into the migration process from the digital cadastral maps and registers to the new ALKIS standard. It is the big chance for the German cadastre to introduce a common standard not only in software and interfaces but as well in the core data sets.
Digital archiving systems were introduced in most cadastral authorities. The entire benefits can be only earned completely when all relevant documents can be accessed in digital form. The archives shall be opened for professionals via internet technology, so that transfer of data between the cadastral offices and the private surveyors can be improved.
The complete introduction of ETRS89 in cadastre in combination with boundary coordinates free of tensions resulting from an old control point network are one of the big tasks in future cadastre in Germany.
These activities will enable the establishment of a smooth workflow from the office to the field and back and are an important factor for a better customer service for both the private and the public sector and are good for reaching a better cost-benefit-rate.
6. CONCLUSION
Cadastral data are fundamental data for legal, administrative and technological structures for the entire public administration if the authorities responsible for cadastre in Germany are able to meet future requirements. But these data will only be of this importance in an E-government environment when they follow well defined standards and are available throughout the entire country via internet technology. The acceptance will improve as well when the different pricing systems will be harmonised.
This paper tried to describe necessary improvements of data and services in German cadastre during the next years. It is not an easy task due to the constitutional circumstances in Germany but we are optimistic to reach these goals in near future.
REFERENCES
A lot of developments on the technical and the administrational sector follow some global trends. E-government and SDI-projects have been initiated and launched in most developed countries and reached different stages of implementation. These projects influence the Land administration sector because it is or should be an essential part of these projects.
Researchers in Germany found out that about 80% of all governmental decisions have a spatial component. Spatial information from small to large-scale data sets became an enormous value for governmental authorities on all levels during the last few years. Beside the public sector who since years is an important user of these data, the private sector is a growing partner for geodata in general. For the geodata market in Germany a volume of more than 250 million EUR is estimated with an annual growth rate of 10-30%. The cadastral authorities with their data are part of this market and try to meet customer requirements as good as possible.
Customers want to get access to data more and more via internet. Governmental authorities in Germany are busy establishing E-government programs and services on all levels of the administration (international, federal, regional, local). Geodata play a key role in E-government projects. The establishment of geodata portals and meta data catalogues in SDI-projects are therefore necessary prerequisites for operating cadastral data in E-Land Administration.
This is the reason for politically and economically driven decisions in order to establish international and national spatial data infrastructures (SDI). On the European level the INSPIRE initiative is a major factor to establish a European Spatial Data Infrastructure (ESDI). The Federal government in Germany together with the surveying authorities in the 16 states are working in the INSPIRE initiative as well as on national level to establish a national spatial data infrastructure (Geodateninfrastruktur-Deutschland GDI-DE).
At least on national level cadastral data and the topographical data sets ATKIS (Authoritative Topographic-Cartographic Information System) of the surveying authorities in the 16 states are identified as a basic element in GDI-DE. The German cadastral authorities are now establishing the new ALKIS-system. This new standard will help meeting some of the major past obstacles, nation wide provision of standardised cadastral data.
The technical development on the internet, communication and E-commerce sector is opening completely new ways and opportunities of data acquisition, administration and distribution. E-application and E-conveyancing of official data will open new ways of co-operation between the public and private sector in Land Administration. This requires a new legal and organisational framework. The technical solutions are more or less already available. They allow to establish a new designed workflow in the cadastral authorities, but it still is a big task to maintain the data in such a way that the benefits of a complete digital workflow can be earned.
2. DEVELOPMENTS IN EUROPE
2.1 INSPIRE
INSPIRE is a legal framework being developed by the European Commission services with officials and experts in Member States and accession countries from the national, regional and local levels.
The European Commission has decided to submit to the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union a proposal to make interoperable spatial information available in support of both national and Community policy and to enable the public to access to this information.
It is to be implemented throughout the European Union (EU) from 2006/7 onwards with different types of geographical information gradually harmonised and integrated, resulting in a European Spatial Data Infrastructure. A key objective of INSPIRE is to make spatial data available for Community policy-making and implementation in a wide range of sectors, starting with environmental policy and later extended to other sectors such as agriculture, transport etc. (from the web page of INSPIRE http://inspire.jrc.it).
The INSPIRE Geo-Portal is Europe's Internet access point for Spatial Data and Services. It is available in the moment as an experimental prototype version under http://eu-geoportal.jrc.it/.
Geographic information and cadastral data in particular can serve as a strong fundament for legal, administrative and technological structures for the entire public administration (Schennach 2003). Looking at the situation in Europe cadastral data do not play a significant role in INSPIRE. Reasons may be found in the current situation in cadastre in Europe and the different legal systems in land administration that can be found. As long as there is no higher standard as now in cadastral mapping in Europe there will be no chance for cadastral data to play a significant European role.
The need for standardisation is a key element in SDI-projects. At least the German cadastral authorities have defined a basic data set and all states have committed themselves to provide and maintain these data. European working groups have been established to discuss these issues but it seems that there will be no short-term solution found to meet the EU-wide requirements on the cadastral data.
It will be most important for the European cadastral authorities to define a core data set which can be found in all cadastral systems of all member states. Then future requirements can be identified and solutions found.
2.2 Standardisation
The use of common international standards is a key element in the development and establishment of SDI-projects whether on international, national, regional or even local level. Geodata servers designed to deliver data from different sources to different customers or GI-systems will only run smoothly under a high level of standardisation.
Since some years the International Standardisation Organisation ISO is working on standards for data base description languages. The standards are almost completed and are used for example in Germany for the description of the AFIS-ALKIS-ATKIS model. The description of this model is completed. It covers the information about control points (AFIS), cadastre (ALKIS) and topographical data (ATKIS) in one data base.
The OpenGIS Consortium OGC is the international institution where leading GIS and data base companies work together with governmental people, universities etc. to elaborate common features for digital mapping systems. OGC is working close together with ISO on the fields of their activities.
The result of this standardisation process will be interoperability by standardised interfaces between different GI-systems and online-access to different data bases via internet by using OpenGIS Web Services.
FIG Commission 7 works on the field of a definition of a modular standard for the cadastral domain (Lemmen 2003). The idea is to create a standard for a core cadastral data base using standardised description languages. These core data base may be used in countries all over the world as a basic tool for their digital cadastral database (DCDB). This work may be helpful as well for the EU member states.
Standardised data sets and transparent land transaction procedures will make cross border transaction much easier than now. Land transactions in Europe could be processed in nearly the same way with a standardised system even when the legal system is different.
2.3 GALILEO
GALILEO is the new satellite navigation system launched by the European Union and the European Space Agency. Since the existing US GPS satellites and the Russian GLONASS are military systems GALILEO is the first civil navigation system. GALILEO is based on a constellation of 30 satellites. The first satellite was successfully launched by the end of 2005. The operational satellites will be put into orbit between 2006 and 2008.
More available satellites for surveying purposes will make the field work much easier and more cost effective. The network of permanent reference stations can be designed with less density which allows providing services on a more cost-effective level.
3. DEVELOPMENTS IN GERMANY
3.1 National spatial data infrastructure GDI-DE and the Land Administration sector
The Federal Government in Germany together with the surveying authorities in the 16 states are working on a national spatial data infrastructure (Geodateninfrastruktur-Deutschland GDI-DE) to meet the requirements of users and to tackle the major problems which can be mainly found in data structures not following international standards, insufficient and inhomogeneous documentation, inconsistent licensing and pricing policy of public data providers.
All levels and all stakeholders collaborate in the construction of GDI-DE. GeoMIS.Bund is the newest metadata system integrating all efforts at the federal level. This metadata system will be part of the GeoPortal.Bund which will be the main entrance for GDI-DE and which can become part of the European SDI. With regard to the INSPIRE-geoportal the GeoPortal.Bund will be able to act as a node of it.
The SDI in Germany is well developed due to the political interest and legal framework that has been established. Collaboration between the public and private sector is a very important factor.
GDI-DE creates the prerequisites for obtaining, evaluating and applying geoinformation on the basis of a National Geo Database (NGDB). This can be guaranteed by means of transparent and open data retention as well as the construction of a user-friendly geodata portal on the Internet.
The implementation of GDI-DE is planned in three steps:
- The aim of the first step is to create smooth access to information on geodata by means of the metadata information system GeoMIS.Bund;
- The second step is the harmonization and cross-departmental co-ordination of feature catalogues as well as the development of standardized interfaces, conversion modules, georeference systems, standards and data integration procedures within the European context. A user requirements analysis has to be carried out;
- The third step is the implementation of the NGDB (Fritz, Beusen 2005).
Beside the GDI-DE activities another important step forward making the E-government initiative “Bund online 2005” operational, was the establishment of a Geodata Centre (founded already in 1996) within the Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy (BKG). Here still topographical data are available.
Due to the organisation of the Land Administration sector it will be a big task to make cadastral data available seamless throughout the entire country. Federal structures like in Germany can be a handicap when national infrastructures shall be put in place. The organisation of this sector due to the German Constitution is not designed to support the demands of customers operating on national level. So it will remain a big organisational, not so much a technical task for the near future. The Surveying Authorities on all levels have agreed on common standards and contents, they should agree on a common distribution channel and a common pricing policy.
4. DEVELOPMENTS IN THE LAND ADMINISTRATION SECTOR
Most countries in Western Europe are facing the problems of changing their IT environment more or less at the same time in these years. All administrations have the task that the renewal process has to take place while ‘the shops are open’ which means that the migration process is not allowed to influence the normal business negatively. Beside the more technologically driven aspects the more customer driven is relevant: in most countries the strategic policy focuses more specifically on the provision of data and information not only to the public but more to the private sector. Keywords are
- Access to the information based on internet technology
- E-land administration as a part of a wider E-government and E-commerce service
The first cadastral data base completely designed under ISO standards is the German Official Cadastral Information System ALKIS.
4.1 ALKIS
This new approach was launched in order to harmonize the structures of the existing digital cadastral maps and the topographic database ATKIS on one hand and to integrate the cadastral map and the digital cadastral register into one single model which was usually separated for historical and technical reasons on the other.
The conceptual data model is completely object based and describes geographic and non-geographic features as well as their relations (associations). In order to describe this model in a standardized way it has been based on the ISO draft standards in the field of geographic information.
The GIS industry is now carrying out the software solutions. Most states in Germany are on track establishing this new system during the next years. This is one of the important factors to make cadastre fit for E-government and GDI. The descripton of the model can be found under http://www.adv-online.de.
4.2 SAPOS and ETRS89 in German cadastre
SAPOS is the public service for real time and post-processing differential GPS (DGPS) applications in Germany. 250 permanent GPS reference stations have been established throughout the entire Republic with separating distances of 40 to 70 km. SAPOS offers different services on different levels of accuracy. For cadastral purposes the High Precision Real Time Positioning Service HEPS is most relevant. HEPS allows RTK applications with an accuracy from 1 to 5 cm which is sufficient for cadastral surveys.
Earning the entire benefits of RTK survey methods is only possible when the coordinates of the cadastral boundaries are based on an appropriate reference system. In Europe this is ETRS89. The responsible body in Germany (Working Committee of the Surveying Authorities of the States of the Federal Republic of Germany, AdV) therefore decided in 1991 to introduce this reference system for the sectors national survey and real estate cadastre. In 1995 it confirmed this decision and established the Universal Transversal Mercator projection (UTM) as projection system for all maps.
Some states are now in the process of establishing ETRS89 in cadastre. During this process tensions inside old coordinate systems can be identified and compensated (Hawerk 2002). By establishing this system it is not necessary anymore to maintain the existing control points. This strategy allows best cost benefit relations for the establishment of the SAPOS service.
The implementation of ETRS89/UTM in cadastre will be co-ordinated with the implementation of ALKIS.
4.3 Workflow
Together with the establishment of digital cadastral maps and registers a lot of cadastral authorities began to digitize their archives including analogue field books, survey results and other documents related to the parcels by scanning the documents and updating the necessary retrieval systems with the information where to find the digital documents related to a specific parcel.
Digital archives together with ETRS89 and boundary coordinates free of tensions in addition to well defined cadastral processes and data interfaces will allow a workflow without media breaks from the office into the field and back into the office.
The survey results can be produced according to the ALKIS regulations as ALKIS objects. These results will be checked in a defined qualification process and will be used automatically to update the original data base. The survey records will be stored in the digital archive carrying the digital signature of the person who is responsible for this update.
These standardised processes will allow new forms of cooperation between the private licensed surveyors and the public authorities who are responsible for the cadastral data base.
The survey methods will be changed into hybrid methods by using RTK equipment together with total stations controlled by GIS software which uses the survey equipment only as a sensor for measuring positions. The connection between the different devices will be wireless by using blue tooth technology or something adequate. The technology already exists and is already in operation.
This workflow will change the traditional work processes dramatically. It is estimated that compared with the traditional methods a cost reduction of approximately 25% will be possible.
The requirements are not yet fulfilled throughout the entire nation, but in some regions, especially in urban areas where boundary co-ordinates are completely available these benefits can be earned in near future.
5. WHAT TO DO DURING THE NEXT YEARS?
It will be one of the major future tasks for the cadastral services to meet future requirements properly. The technological problems are more or less solved. More important tasks for the next years will be to find new organisational structures not only in the public sector but as well in the working process together with the private sector in order to create an electronically processed cadastral service for the private and public customers.
During the next few years a lot of effort has to be put into the migration process from the digital cadastral maps and registers to the new ALKIS standard. It is the big chance for the German cadastre to introduce a common standard not only in software and interfaces but as well in the core data sets.
Digital archiving systems were introduced in most cadastral authorities. The entire benefits can be only earned completely when all relevant documents can be accessed in digital form. The archives shall be opened for professionals via internet technology, so that transfer of data between the cadastral offices and the private surveyors can be improved.
The complete introduction of ETRS89 in cadastre in combination with boundary coordinates free of tensions resulting from an old control point network are one of the big tasks in future cadastre in Germany.
These activities will enable the establishment of a smooth workflow from the office to the field and back and are an important factor for a better customer service for both the private and the public sector and are good for reaching a better cost-benefit-rate.
6. CONCLUSION
Cadastral data are fundamental data for legal, administrative and technological structures for the entire public administration if the authorities responsible for cadastre in Germany are able to meet future requirements. But these data will only be of this importance in an E-government environment when they follow well defined standards and are available throughout the entire country via internet technology. The acceptance will improve as well when the different pricing systems will be harmonised.
This paper tried to describe necessary improvements of data and services in German cadastre during the next years. It is not an easy task due to the constitutional circumstances in Germany but we are optimistic to reach these goals in near future.
REFERENCES
- Fritz, Marco and Beusen, Peter: Spatial Data Infrastructures in Germany: State of Play Spring 2005, INSPIRE State of Play – Activities 1, 3 & 4, http://inspire.jrc.it/state_of_play.cfm
- Hawerk, Winfried: 2002, Cadastre 2020 – New Trends in Germany’s Cadastre ?!, FIG Congress 2002
- Lemmen, Christiaan and others: 2003, A modular standard for the cadastral domain
- Schennach, Gerda: 2003, Cadastre – a part of E-government (paper presented at the 2nd Polish Cadastral Congress, Krakow)
- Seifert, Markus: 2002, On the Use of ISO Standards in Cadastral Information Systems in Germany, FIG Congress 2002