The UK- NGDF
In UK situation is quite different from US. UK government asserts copyright on the data generated by it and insists on cost recovery. Crown copyright is not in itself an obstacle to the distribution of official information on the Internet or in any other machine readable form, but policy requires that costs of provision are met by the end user (Bing). Anyone who wants to have these data has to pay for it. Unlike in US, where data generated by US government automatically comes to public domain, in UK, these data comes to public domain only after the expiry of copyright. Moreover, the information varies greatly in quality between organisations. Government bodies hold valuable data sets. Existing data sets are collected to different specifications so it is not easy to integrate data safely from multiple sources.

In 1995, the National Geospatial Data Framework (NGDF) has been designed as a facilitator with a mission ‘to develop an over-arching UK framework to facilitate and encourage efficient linking, combining and widespread use of geospatial data which is fit for the purpose. The objectives of NGDF are to facilitate and encourage collaboration in the collection, provision and use of geospatial data; facilitate and encourage the use of standards and best practices in the collection, provision and use of geospatial data; and facilitate access to geospatial data. NGDF will set a framework for defining business driven standards, best practice and specifications for data and services, drawing on existing national, European and international work (Rhind).

The ASDI
The Australian Spatial Data Infrastructure (ASDI) will not be a central data set, but rather a distributed network of databases managed by individual custodians with the expertise and incentive to maintain them and committed principles of the custodianship. Commonwealth Spatial Data Committee (CSDC) and Australia New Zealand Information Council (ANZLIC) are promoting actively the concept of ASDI to provide fundamental data needed to support decision making. ANZLIC ASDI model comprises four linked, core components- the institutional framework, fundamental data sets, technical standards and protocols to ensure compatibility, and clearing-house networks. (Commomwealth Position Paper on ASDI).

The EUROGI
EUROGI - the European Umbrella Organisation for Geographic Information, was set up in November 1993, with the aims of defining a European GI policy and the facilitation of a European Geographic Information Infrastructure. Details of EUROGI are provided on page36.

In Other Countries
The situation is changing fast in most of the European countries. Norway is a country that has jurisdiction with a general freedom of information legilation. This gives any member of the public the right to access the "documents" of a specific case, and by regulations this right was in 1985 extended to computerised files, using an analogous document concept. In Germany, traditionally, public agencies have been unwilling to give free access to geographic information available for commercialisation. The situation has changed as private sector has realised the potential of geographic data, and has made pressure bear on the government to make geographic information available. Also, public agencies themselves realised that geographic information may be a source of revenue. In France, the private sector has the right to access to the data made available by the government agencies, and make this subject to commercialisation in either initial form or by adding value to the data. The Geological Institute of Hungary has initiated a national programme for systematic generation of aerial data acquisition and utilisation. The proposal has been integrated as part of the modernisation programme of the government. The programme proposal emphasises the need for a co-ordinated development of a national, integrated system for the distribution of databases, information sharing and a public service for easy access to meta-data through a data clearinghouse service including efficient searching capabilities. In the Netherland, the general impression is that the government agencies charge more than the marginal cost for supplying geographic information to third parties (within public or private sector). The government regularly supplies data to the private sector, while for geographic information the revenue almost exclusively is generated from the sales to other governments (Bing).

In India, when the developed countries set themselves to exploit the potential of spatial data, India cannot afford to be isolated. It must take initiatives to develop a national policy on spatial information. There is no reason to insist to be a follower when one can lead.

References:

• David Rhind, "The relationship between national and international GII", Geographic Information research at the Millennium GISDATA Final Conference, Le Bischenberg, France, 13-17 September, 1997.
• Krysia Rybaczuc and Michael Blaemore, "Selling government information: A Comparative Perspective on UK and US Developments".
• Jon Bing, "Commercialisation of Geographic Information in Europe".
• Nancy Tosta, "Data Policies and the National Spatial Data Infrastructure", Proceedings of the Conference on Law and Information Policy for Spatial Databases, October 28-29, 1994 Tempe, AZ..
• Commonwealth Position paper on Australian Spatial Development Infrastructure.